Pot Still vs Reflux Still vs Air Still: Which Suits You?
Australian legal note: In Australia, using a still of any size to distil alcohol requires an excise manufacturer licence, and the ATO does not grant licences to distil spirits for personal consumption. A still over 5 litres also needs ATO permission to own, whatever you use it for. This guide is for education, for non-alcohol uses such as water and essential oils, and for licensed operations. See the ATO's page on stills for the detail.
The first question to answer before choosing a still is a simple one: what do you want it to do? A gleaming copper pot still, a tall stainless reflux column and a compact air still all boil and condense, but they behave very differently. Picking the right one comes down to how much flavour you want carried through, how much space and water you have, and how hands-on you want to be.
Here is a plain-English comparison to help before you buy.
Every still works the same way at heart
Liquid is heated in a boiler. As it heats, the parts with lower boiling points turn to vapour first. That vapour travels up and into a condenser, where it is cooled back into liquid and collected. What changes between still types is what happens to the vapour on the way up, and how the condenser is cooled.
Pot stills
A pot still is the oldest design. Vapour rises from the boiler, through a dome or neck, and goes more or less straight to the condenser. Because there is very little separation along the way, a pot still carries a lot of the character of whatever is in the boiler into the distillate.
That is exactly why traditional producers love them. The copper alembics used for centuries in Europe for brandies and grappa are pot stills, and single malt Scotch whisky is made in pot stills too. Small copper alembics are also popular for essential oils and hydrosols, where you want the aroma of the plant to come through.
Our alembic and pot stills range covers traditional Italian copper pieces from the 1L copper still, through the 4.9L Alembico essential oil mini distillery, up to the 23 lt and 50 Lt Italian copper boilers. There are also pot-style condensers that sit on a separate boiler, like the Pure Distilling Copper Pot Condenser and the SS Create+ Alembic Copper Dome and Condenser.
If you want the deeper story on why copper matters, read Copper Stills and Alembics Explained.
Reflux stills
A reflux still adds a column between the boiler and the condenser. The column is often packed with material such as copper or stainless steel saddles (the T500, for example, comes pre-packed with both). As vapour climbs, some of it cools, condenses and runs back down (that is the "reflux"), then gets reheated and rises again. Each cycle separates the components a little further.
The result is a much cleaner, higher-strength and more neutral distillate than a pot still produces in one pass. Reflux and column stills are what commercial producers turn to when they want a clean, neutral base, for example for vodka or as a starting point for gin.
In our range you will find the Still Spirits Create+ T500 Distilling System, the Pure Distilling Spirit Maker Kit (built around a reflux condenser, boiler not included), the Reflux Style Copper Condenser and the Pure Distilling 30L Heated Boiler Drum, plus packing, thermometers and spares in Pot & Reflux Stills & Accessories.
Most reflux systems are water-cooled. That means a tap or a recirculating pump feeding cold water through the condenser while it runs. Accessories such as the T500 Water Flow Controller (a needle valve for fine adjustment) and the Pure Distilling submersible pump (for circulating cold water through the condenser) help you control or recirculate that water.
Air stills
An air still is a compact, electric, benchtop unit. The big difference is in the name: instead of running cooling water through the condenser, it uses a fan and air to do the cooling. No hoses, no taps, no sink nearby.
The original Still Spirits Air Still 240V/320W is an air-cooled pot still. The Air Still Pro is a dual-mode unit with a built-in reflux condenser, and swappable capillary tips set the output flow rate for pot still mode or reflux mode, so one unit can lean either way. Both are listed at 4 litres capacity.
Air stills work in small batches and suit people with limited space. We cover them properly in What Is an Air Still and How Does It Work?
Side-by-side comparison
| Pot still | Reflux still | Air still | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it works | Vapour goes almost straight from boiler to condenser | Packed column repeatedly condenses and re-vaporises before the condenser | Compact electric unit, fan-cooled condenser |
| Flavour carried over | High, keeps character of what is in the boiler | Low, clean and neutral | Air Still is pot style; Air Still Pro can run pot or reflux mode |
| Typical uses | Traditional brandy, grappa and whisky styles (licensed), essential oils, hydrosols, water | Neutral spirit for licensed producers, gin base, high purity work | Small batches, water, botanical work, limited space |
| Size and footprint | From small tabletop copper alembics to large boilers | Tall column on a large boiler, needs height and a water supply | Benchtop; the Still Spirits Air Still is listed at 40.5 cm high, 28 cm wide and 29 cm deep |
| Cooling | Water bath or water-cooled condenser | Running or recirculated water | Fan and air, no water lines |
| Learning curve | Simple to run, more skill needed to judge cuts | More settings to manage: heat, water flow, column temperature | Easiest to start with |
Size and the 5 litre line
Capacity matters in Australia for a reason beyond bench space. The ATO says a still of 5 litres or less can be owned without its permission only if it is not used to distil alcohol, while a still over 5 litres needs ATO permission to possess, buy or move. Large alembics and most reflux systems on full-size boilers sit well above 5 litres: the T500 Distilling System, for example, comes with a 25 litre boiler. If you plan to use a still only for water, essential oils or hydrosols, it is worth thinking about capacity before you buy. This is general information, not legal advice.
So which one suits you?
- You love tradition, copper and aroma: a copper alembic pot still. Great for essential oils, hydrosols and for licensed producers chasing character.
- You want clean, neutral, high-purity results at a licensed scale: a reflux system such as the T500 or Pure Distilling setup.
- You are short on space and want the simplest start: an air still.
Whatever you choose, good measuring gear makes life easier. Have a look at our hydrometers and alcoholmeters and the free Spirits Calculators. And if you are new to the language of stills, our distilling glossary explains the common terms, from "boiler" to "wash".
Frequently asked questions
Is a pot still or reflux still better?
Neither is better overall. A pot still keeps flavour and character. A reflux still strips it back for a clean, neutral result. The right one depends on what you want to make and whether you are licensed to make it.
Can one still do both pot and reflux?
Some can. The Air Still Pro has a pot still mode and a reflux mode, set with swappable capillary tips. Some boilers also take either a pot-style condenser or a reflux column on the same base: the Still Spirits Create+ 25 L boiler, for example, is paired with either the T500 column or the Create+ Alembic Copper Dome.
Why are traditional alembics made of copper?
Copper conducts heat beautifully and reacts with sulphur compounds during distillation, which helps produce a cleaner-smelling distillate. We explain more in our copper stills guide.
Do I need running water for a still?
Water-cooled pot and reflux stills need a cooling water supply, either from a tap or a recirculating pump. Air stills use a fan instead, so they do not.
Can I legally distil alcohol at home in Australia?
No, not for personal use. The ATO requires an excise manufacturer licence to distil alcohol with a still of any size and does not grant licences for personal consumption. Check the ATO's stills page for the current rules.