Is the water in your area unclean and requires purification? If yes, you must eliminate any impurities in your water before using it. The distillation process can help you purify your water, and you can do this with the help of a reliable hot plate. The best hot plates for distilling will be outlined and reviewed here.

Not only will distilling your water help you eliminate impurities, but it also gets rid of 99.9% of any dissolved minerals in your water.

With many hot plate options in the market today, you might get overwhelmed thinking about which to go for. With this informative guide we have crafted, we can assist you in choosing the best hot plate for distilling. You will also get some informative directions about what distillation entails. So, read further to learn more about distilling with a hot plate.

What Is Water Distilling?

The process of water distilling refers to boiling water till it evaporates and then cooling it to return to its liquid state. This process helps leave behind impurities in the water as it passes a different boiling point.

There are different types of distillation, and some of the most common ones are:

Simple distillation involves heating the liquid mixture to different boiling points. Then the resulting water vapor is immediately condensed.
Fractional distillation occurs in a ‘fractionating column,’ which is used to separate mixtures of liquids with similar boiling points.
Steam distillation separates mixtures with heat-sensitive components.
Vacuum distillation entails separating mixtures of liquids with especially high boiling points.

The operation of distillation varies significantly in size and even complexity. You can have a semi-micro scale to ‘thousands of tons per annum’ production operations.

When you distill water, it helps eliminate contaminants such as bacteria, heavy metals, and any trace of chemicals. So, distillation is a cost-effective method that yields clean water, especially for drinking.

Furthermore, researchers use distilled water because no harmful chemicals are present. So, laboratories, industries, and the like use filtered water. Hospitals also use distilled water to clean their equipment because the water prevents contamination and infection.

Simple Distillation and Fractional Distillation Illustration Photo from Chemistry.edu

Electric Hot Plates For Distilling

A hot plate, primarily an electrical appliance, is an independent heating tool, and this appliance generates heat and features one or many electrical heating elements. A hotplate can sit nicely on a tabletop or countertop and be used for distilling, boiling, simmering, etc.

Additionally, most hot plates available in the market today are multi-functional. You can use these hot plates to boil water and even prepare food items.

Electric Hot Plates As Moonshine Stills

It is certainly possible for you to use a hot plate for moonshine stills or for alcohol production. A hot plate is a good source for heating your alcohol distiller or moonshine still. Alternatively, you can even use a gas burner for this purpose.

Therefore, a hot plate can work well for you if you’re a brewer or a home distiller with a tight budget.

Heating Methods For Distillation

Heat can be derived from various heat sources for a distillation column. Here are the most common heat sources listed below:

Direct Immersion– also known as ‘Immersion Heaters’
Jacketed
Hot Plate
Natural Firewood or Open-Flame
Direct-Fired Gas
Oil Jacket
Steam

So, for this article, we will focus on a hot plate as a heat source for distillation.

Electric Hot Plate: Ideal Size For Moonshine

Hot plate sizes can range from 2 to more than 300 square centimeters. Then the working temperature can range from 100 to 750 degrees Celsius (212º to 1380º F). The power requirement can be around 120 to 480 volts.

So ideally, the size of the electric hot plate for your moonshine will majorly depend on the gallon of liquid capacity.

Heat Source For Distillation Columns

A hot plate is a good heat source for a distillation column, generating heat through electricity. The hot plate has this high-level electrical resistance coils, and electricity flows through these coils.

Once the distillation column is placed on the hot plate, the liquid is heated from the bottom up. Now, the time it will take to heat up the liquid will depend on the wattage of the hot plate.

Averagely, about 1,200 watts of power is drawn to the hotplate, depending on the model and make of the hotplate. Also, the amount of liquid that needs to be heated up and the column size should be considered here.

For better efficiency when using a hot plate as a source of heat, ensure the bottom of the boiler makes good contact with the coils of the hot plate.

Also, you should note the hot plate’s electricity consumption. The amount of electricity consumed can significantly increase your utility bill. This is because of the quantity of liquid to be distilled, the boiler’s size, and the duration you would take to finish the project. So, it can seriously impact your electricity bill.

Now, with the help of a controller, it can help regulate the temperature. Then you can control or eliminate the on and off cycles of the boiling process. Check out some examples of some hot plate wattage capacity and the amount of liquid that can be heated with this wattage:

A hot plate of 110 Volts or 150 watts is sufficient to distill up to 8 gallons of liquid.
A hot plate of 220 Volts or 2000 watts is adequate to distill up to 18 gallons of liquid.

Therefore, this info should give you an idea of the wattage amount required by the hot plate to produce for heating up certain size liquids or boilers.

5 Best Hot Plate For Distilling

A hot plate is an electric burner that can serve different purposes. You can use this electric plate for distilling, shimmering, and making other food items.

Researchers, industries, hospitals, home distillers, and the like use distilled water, and these entities use it for their operations. So, a hot plate is one helpful tool that can be used for water distillation.

Now, check out some of the best hot plates for distilling that we have listed below:

Duxtop: Portable Induction Cooktop Countertop Burner

The Duxtop Hot Plate brand is stylish and can add beauty to your tabletop. This hot plate offers 120V 15amp electrical outlets, the standard specification in every North American home. This ETL-listed product is designed to fit North American electrical requirements.

The Duxtop hotplate is lightweight and only weighs about 5 pounds. It is pretty convenient to handle and also easy to store.

This is a highly efficient hot plate, and its digital panel and LED display allow for easy water temperature adjustments and views.

Another key feature we like is the ability to provide a convenient built-in count-down timer, which can go as long as 170 minutes during water distillation. We also admire the auto-pan and overheat protection which features error messages that diagnose the situation. Hence, it’s easy to monitor your hot plate from time to time, even from a distance.

Additionally, this hot plat provides a low and high-voltage warning system for water.

Elite Gourmet: Countertop Single Cast Iron Burner

This Elite Gourmet hot plate is another excellent choice on our list of best hot plates for distilling. This flat cast-iron cooking plate is another effective way to distill your liquid.

Something we really like about this hot plate is the adjustable temperature control. This enables us to reach and maintain the desired low, medium, or high heat setting, thanks to the variable temperature knob. With this function, you can always choose to keep your food warm. Or you can boil or distill your water.

This 1000-watt hot plate always indicates when the power is on so you can be aware that the power device is powered on.

Broil King: Professional Single Hot Plate

The Broil King Hot Plate is a high-powered hot plate that can serve you well for your liquid distillation needs. This device provides a high-speed eight-inch diameter tubular element with 120 Volts to 1500 Watts.

The electric plate features a thermostat with infinite heat and water control. This feature allows us to control heat and achieve the desired water temperature for distilling. Broil Kings CSR-3TB hot plate is industrial-rated. Therefore, the hot plate is suitable for simmering, boiling, sautéing, etc. It also offers a convenient signal whenever you’re doing water distillation.

Another positive feature of this hot plate is the sturdy housing, and it’s made of stainless steel, which makes it pretty easy to clean. Because it is made from heavy-duty steel, this hot plate model is durable, so you will enjoy its use for a long time.

Cuisinart: Cast-Iron Single Burner, Stainless Steel Hot Plate

Here, we have this heavy-duty cast iron plate. It is a 1300watt big hot plate that is made with stainless steel. The brushed stainless steel of this Cuisinart hot plate makes it easy to clean. Also, the hot plate’s surface doesn’t have a coil, which also makes it easy to clean.

This hot plate features 6 settings that offer adjustable temperature control from low to high heat ranges. It also has ‘ready’ and ‘on’ indicator lights.

We like how the base of the hot plate is made; it has non-slip rubber feet. The compact and portable size makes it perfect for any small space, as it can fit in the kitchen, a patio, dorm rooms, and so on.

Amazon Basics: Portable Induction Cooktop Burner

This 1800 watts hot plate is another excellent option for distilling your liquids. With this electric hot plate, you get lots of safety features. These safety features are a pause feature, overheat protection, and voltage warning when simmering liquid.

Note that this hot plate requires induction-compatible cookware such as cast aluminium, cast iron, enameled steel or iron, and magnetic-bottom stainless steel.

We also appreciate the glass panel stovetop, which makes cleaning convenient. It also features an LED display with cooking function controls, including pre-set cooking controls and power settings.

Thanks to the compact design of this hot plate, individuals with less space can fit this tool in the kitchen, office, studio apartments, laboratories, and so on.

Hot Plates For Distilling: Buying Guide

Now, let’s look at some essential things to consider when going for the best hot plate for distilling:

Durability

We recommend you go for a hot plate with metal housing because this can make it more durable. Most hot plate models can withstand bigger or heavier vessels, preventing breakage, while the hot plate is used for food or other things.

User-Friendliness

When going for the best hot plate for distilling, ask yourself if it is user-friendly. When we mean user-friendly, we mean how flexible and resourceful the hot plate is. A perfect hot plate should be easy to use for multiple purposes. So, not only should the hot plate be suitable for cooking food items, but it should also be suitable for distilling.

Some hot plate models even have convenient knobs that enable you to get the exact temperature for food or boiling.

Ease-of-Cleaning

You can enjoy easy cleaning if you get a hot plate with a metal body. You just need to use a moist cloth to wipe it once you’ve removed the hard water and debris from the housing of the hotplate.

Hot Plate For Distillation: Final Word

A hot plate can work well for distillation and other purposes, and the best hot plate can provide a substantial electric heat source for the distillation process. You don’t need to be that experienced distiller to achieve distillation; just get the right tools and information to go about it.

So, we hope this informative guide has been able to help you choose the best hot plate for distilling your liquids.