Distilled water is safe to drink, so the real question is whether it is the most sensible way to solve your particular problem. For a specific contaminant concern in a small daily volume it can be. For general worry about taste or hardness, filtering what already comes out of the tap is usually cheaper, faster and less work, and it treats more of the house.
Start from the problem, not the product
People arrive at distilled water from very different starting points: a boil notice, a lead scare, a well that failed a test, or simply disliking the taste of the tap. Those call for different responses. A microbial problem needs disinfection or a certified microbiological filter. A metals concern needs a filter certified for that metal. A taste complaint usually needs carbon. Distilling handles most of these, but it handles them slowly, in batches, and only for the water you remember to make.
When distilled genuinely is the right answer
It suits households that need a small daily volume of very pure water and want no plumbing changes: renters, apartments with no under-sink space, and anyone whose supply is temporarily suspect and who wants an appliance they can move. It is also the standard choice for jobs that have nothing to do with drinking, such as steam irons, humidifiers and topping up batteries, and many people buy a distiller for those and then drink the output because it is there.
When a filter is the better buy
If your concern is taste, chlorine, sediment or a specific contaminant with a certified filter available, a point-of-use filter delivers on demand, needs no electricity and asks only for a cartridge change on a schedule. It also costs less to run than boiling every drop. And if the symptoms you actually care about are scale on fixtures or spotted glassware, no drinking-water device helps at all, because that problem lives on the hot side of the house and needs a softener.
Decide from your own numbers
Pull your utility's report before spending anything. Every community water system publishes an annual Consumer Confidence Report and the EPA maintains a finder for it, so you can see which regulated contaminants were detected in your supply rather than guessing. If you are on a well, nobody publishes that for you and a laboratory test is the equivalent step. Either way, choose the device after you know the target.
Questions people ask about should i drink distilled water
Is it safe to drink distilled water every day?
Yes, it is safe. The practical drawbacks are flat taste and the effort of producing enough for a household in batches.
Is distilled better than filtered water?
Not automatically. It removes more, but a certified filter aimed at your actual contaminant is often simpler and delivers on demand.
Will distilled water help my hard water problems?
No. Scale forms in your heater, dishwasher and shower, none of which a countertop distiller supplies. That needs treatment on the line.