Pretty good for the price...
Distillers of this design do not come with an On/Off switch, which is confusing to some consumers.  The "On" button is actually a reset button for the internal thermal circuit breaker. [Note that many power strips also have a circuit breaker reset "switch" instead of a real On/Off switch.]  When the water is boiled down close to dry, the thermal breaker activates, cutting off the power.  In other words, it knows when to turn itself off.  If you want to shut it off mid-cycle, you need to pull the plug.  The On reset switch is easily bumped when handling the distiller, resetting it.  So when you go to plug it in, you may mistakenly think that it is "always on" and somehow defective.<br /><br />In use, it is preferable to boil water in a teakettle, and fill the distiller with the hot water, as it will save time and probably be more cost effective if you have a gas stove and gas costs less than electricity where you are.  Then put the cover on and plug the wires in.  And press the On reset button if it is not already reset.  The bottom section boils the water, and the cover has a fan which pulls air from the sides, over heat dissipating fins that cool a section of coiled stainless steel tubing, and through the top, causing the steam in the tubing to condense and drip out the end.  There is a small "cup" containing a small charcoal sachet that the distilled water drips through.  That's the part in the photo that pokes out the side of the cover.  The stainless steel cup is supposed to be removable for cleaning or changing the charcoal sachet, but it is quite difficult to do, because it fits very tightly.  The distilled water drips into a plastic bottle that is included.  The bottle is designed with the proper height to accept the drops, and it would be difficult to locate your own pitcher or other substitute container that would fit and hold the volume of water needed.  The downside is that the container is plastic, which purists would find objectionable.  The bottle is welded from two halves, with a prominent vertical seam.  The threads at the bottle top are not completely formed, so water will leak if the full bottle is tilted even with the cap screwed on.<br /><br />After the initial use, I found that there was some leftover polishing or buffing compound on the internal shiny stainless steel surfaces. They had to be cleaned off with soapy water, alcohol, & detergent in succession.  (Incidentally, I have found that new stainless teakettles sold at Macys may also have the same "feature" of not having been thoroughly cleaned of polishing compounds on the internal surfaces, either.)  At the end of each cycle, unplug the cords, and remove the cover.  But don't do this immediately after the unit shuts off, or you will be burned by escaping steam. You will be surprised by the dirty residue at the bottom of the boiling vessel. That's the stuff you were drinking all those years!  Pour about a quarter inch of vinegar on it, and let it sit awhile.  For my first gallon of vinegar, the residue came off and dissolved in the vinegar easily.  For my second gallon of vinegar, additional brushing was needed; I suspect that the vinegar being sold today is weaker (the first bottle was an old one, the second one newly bought).<br /><br />Overall, the unit is built to do its job pretty well, but the cosmetics leave room for improvement.  The electricals are very good quality, but the product was not assembled in a clean room and the workers didn't wear gloves.  But the design is robust and the seal between the cover and boiling vessel is quite good, and they didn't skimp on the stainless steel.
Rating: 4 stars