The John Ellis LWM-5 is an electric countertop steam distiller; a Berkey is a gravity-fed carbon filter that needs no electricity. A Big Berkey costs about $390 and filters several gallons an hour through replaceable Black Berkey elements. The LWM-5 costs $2,800, makes about one gallon of distilled water every two hours, and has no filters to replace. Which one fits depends on whether you want filtered water or distilled water.
Questions before you choose? Call 845-754-8696 (Mon–Fri, 10am–4pm ET) to talk with us or request a free 1 oz water sample.
At a glance
| John Ellis LWM-5 | Big Berkey | |
|---|---|---|
| Method | Steam distillation with repeated heating and cooling cycles, plus ultraviolet treatment | Gravity filtration through Black Berkey elements |
| Dissolved solids (purity) | Removed by distillation. York Laboratories test of an earlier John Ellis distiller: 57.91 mg/L before, less than 0.07 mg/L after (more than 99.8% removed). Details below. | No dissolved-solids figures published by Berkey; Berkey retailers say the elements aren’t designed to remove dissolved (ionic) minerals |
| Hydrogen bond angle | About 114°, as reported by John Ellis Water (how we describe it) | About 104.5°, the standard angle for water; filtration isn’t designed to change it |
| Electricity | Yes | No |
| Output | About 1 gallon of distilled water every 2 hours | Up to about 3.5 gallons per hour with 2 elements |
| Replacement filters | None | Black Berkey elements, replaced every 3,000 gallons each (6,000 per pair) |
| Maintenance | Periodic cleaning to remove mineral buildup | Clean chambers; clean elements when flow slows; replace elements |
| Construction | Stainless steel; built by hand in New York | 304 stainless steel, 2.25-gallon capacity |
| Price | $2,800 direct | About $390 at retailers |
How a Berkey works
Water poured into the top chamber drains by gravity through Black Berkey elements into the bottom chamber, where you draw it from a spigot. No power, no plumbing. Berkey says the elements reduce more than 200 contaminants in independent testing and recommends replacing them every 3,000 gallons. Optional PF-2 filters can be added for fluoride and arsenic. Not all Berkey systems are sold in California or Iowa.
How the LWM-5 works
The LWM-5 connects to your faucet. It heats water into steam and condenses it back into liquid, cycling the water through repeated rapid heating and cooling, then treats it with ultraviolet light. It is built from stainless steel by hand in New York by John Ellis’s family, with John overseeing the work, and is based on his U.S. Patent 6,409,888.
What each method removes
Distillation separates water from what’s dissolved in it. A University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension guide on home distillation reports that it can remove nearly all impurities: dissolved minerals and salts, nitrate, fluoride, heavy metals such as lead, chlorine and chloramines; boiling also inactivates microorganisms. The same guide notes the limits: some volatile chemicals with low boiling points can carry over with the steam, and the electricity to boil water makes distillation one of the more expensive home methods to run.
Carbon filtration works differently: contaminants are trapped as water passes through the filter media. It is fast and needs no power, and performance depends on the filter and how recently it was replaced.
Which one fits
- Choose a Berkey if you want a low-cost system with no electricity, higher output for a larger household, or something that works during a power outage.
- Choose the LWM-5 if you specifically want distilled water, prefer no filters to buy or track, and want a stainless steel machine built in the U.S. with direct phone support.
How pure the water tests
The purity report we publish is a York Laboratories analysis dated October 11, 1983, of an earlier John Ellis distiller, the Water Wizard 700. The lab measured the same water before and after distillation, following Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater (15th edition):
| Measurement | Before distillation | After distillation |
|---|---|---|
| Total dissolved solids (mg/L) | 57.91 | less than 0.07 |
| Total hardness (mg/L as CaCO₃) | 40.0 | less than 0.2 |
“Less than” means the result was below the lowest level the lab reported, so dissolved solids dropped by more than 99.8%. For scale, the EPA’s recommended (non-enforceable) limit for total dissolved solids in drinking water is 500 mg/L. The LWM-5 is designed around the same John Ellis distillation method, and the full York report is on our Scientific Data page.
What we claim, and what we don’t
We describe the LWM-5 by what it does and what we measure. John Ellis Water also reports a measured hydrogen bond angle of about 114° in LWM-5 water, compared with about 104.5° for ordinary water; Structured Water explains how we describe that measurement. We don’t claim the LWM-5 or its water treats, cures or prevents any condition.
Common questions
Is a Berkey the same as a distiller?
No. A Berkey filters water by gravity through carbon-based elements; a distiller boils water into steam and condenses it, leaving dissolved solids behind.
Does the LWM-5 need replacement filters?
No. It uses distillation, so there are no filters to replace. Periodic cleaning removes mineral buildup.
Does distilled water taste different?
Often, yes. Because distillation removes dissolved minerals and some oxygen, many people find distilled water tastes flat at first. We offer a free 1 oz sample so you can taste LWM-5 water before you buy — call 845-754-8696.
Why does the LWM-5 cost so much more than a Berkey?
It’s a different kind of machine: an electric stainless steel distiller with repeated heating and cooling cycles and UV treatment, built by hand in small numbers in New York. A Berkey is a gravity filter made at scale. If price and no-power operation matter most, a Berkey is the sensible choice.
Questions, or want to hear how the LWM-5 fits your water? Call 845-754-8696, Monday–Friday, 10am–4pm ET, or see the machine and pricing.
Sources: York Laboratories report, Oct. 11, 1983 (Scientific Data page); U.S. EPA Secondary Drinking Water Standards; Berkey product support (element replacement interval; CA/IA availability), Lehman’s Big Berkey listing (price, capacity, flow rate), University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension NebGuide G1493, “Drinking Water Treatment: Distillation” (rev. 2013).