Yes, distilled water is safe to drink. Distillation boils water and condenses the steam, leaving dissolved minerals, most metals and non-volatile contaminants behind in the boiler, so what you drink is about as close to pure water as a household process gets. The catch is taste, cost and the fact that most homes have a cheaper way to fix what prompted the question.
Why it tastes flat
Almost everything people describe as the taste of water is dissolved solids: calcium, magnesium, bicarbonates, a little sodium, and dissolved oxygen. The USGS describes hardness as dissolved calcium and magnesium, and distillation removes those along with practically everything else that is not carried over as vapor. Take them all out and the water tastes empty or slightly sour to most palates, which is a preference issue and not a safety one. Some people take to it immediately, plenty do not, and there is no way to know which camp you are in without buying a gallon and trying it for a week.
What distillation actually removes
Because the water changes phase, distillation leaves behind dissolved minerals, salts, heavy metals, most bacteria and viruses, and non-volatile chemicals. It is one of the more thorough processes available to a household. Its blind spot is anything that boils at or below the temperature of water and travels with the steam, which is why good distillers add a carbon stage on the outlet to catch volatile organic compounds. It also removes fluoride where the utility adds it, which matters to some households and is a conversation for a dentist rather than a water page.
The uses where distilled genuinely wins
Steam irons, CPAP humidifiers, car batteries, humidifiers and aquascaping all call for distilled water for the same reason: no dissolved minerals means no scale and no white dust. Laboratory and some medical uses are the same logic. For infant formula, follow the pediatrician's and the manufacturer's instructions rather than a general rule, since fluoride content is part of that decision. For plain daily drinking, distilled is simply one safe option among several, and rarely the most practical one because you are either buying it in jugs or running a countertop distiller for hours per gallon.
If the real question is your tap water
Most people asking whether distilled is ok to drink are actually asking whether their own tap water is. That is a different and more useful question, and it has an evidence-based answer: read the utility's annual report, or on a private well have a laboratory test done. Once you know what is in it, targeted treatment is almost always cheaper and easier than distillation. A carbon filter deals with chlorine taste and odor, reverse osmosis at the kitchen sink handles a broad range of dissolved contaminants at a fraction of the effort, and a softener deals with hardness. Our well water testing guide covers getting that first result.
Storage and handling
Distilled water has no chlorine residual, so nothing is holding microbial growth in check once it is open. Keep it capped, in a food-grade container, out of sunlight and away from heat, and do not decant it into a container that once held something else. Home distillers need the boiler descaled regularly, since everything the process removes is now baked onto the element as a hard crust, and a neglected boiler both wastes power and taints the output. Rinse the collection vessel between batches rather than topping it up.
Questions people ask about is distilled water ok to drink
Is it safe to drink distilled water every day?
It is safe to drink. People who want it as their everyday water should get the mineral-intake question answered by a clinician or dietitian, since that depends on the whole diet and not on the water alone.
Does distilled water remove fluoride and chlorine?
Yes to fluoride, which stays behind in the boiler. Chlorine and other volatile compounds can carry over with the steam, which is why better distillers add a carbon stage on the outlet.
Is distilled water the same as purified or reverse osmosis water?
No. Purified is a broad label covering several processes, and reverse osmosis pushes water through a membrane rather than boiling it. Results are similar in purity but the equipment and running costs are not.
Can I make distilled water at home?
Yes, with a countertop distiller, though it takes hours and a fair amount of electricity per gallon and the boiler needs descaling. For drinking volumes most households find a filtration system easier to live with.