I make a lot of my own stuff at home. Bread, candles, jam. One summer, I added essential oils. I thought it would be fast and easy. It wasn’t. But you know what? It smells dreamy, and I learned a lot. Let me explain.
If you prefer a detailed, start-to-finish walkthrough complete with photos and troubleshooting notes, you can read my step-by-step breakdown right here.
What I Used (and Why I Swapped Gear Midway)
I tried three setups. I used them. I cleaned them. I messed up with them. Here’s the real deal.
- Copper alembic still, 2 liter, from The Essential Oil Company. Pretty. Sturdy. Copper helps with funky smells. I sealed the lid with flour paste. It felt like making pie crust on a kettle. Cost me a bit more, but it ran smooth.
- Vevor stainless steel essential oil distiller, 5 liter. Bigger batch size. Easier to clean. The silicone gasket smelled odd the first run. I steamed it with plain water twice, and the smell faded.
- Stock pot “kitchen hack” with a bowl and ice. It works. But the yield is tiny. Good for a demo. Not great if you want a bottle.
I also used a cheap hot plate for the garage, mason jars, a 250 ml glass separatory funnel (the little glass thing that lets oil float and drip out), and 5 ml amber bottles. Simple tools help. Big note: I don’t leave heat alone, ever.
Plants I Tried (From Yard to Jar)
I went with stuff I could grow or buy in bulk.
- Lavender (English, from my yard)
- Peppermint (store bunches and my patio pot)
- Rosemary (backyard bush that never quits)
- Orange peel (from a bag of oranges; kids ate the fruit)
I used fresh plants most of the time. Fresh smells bright. Dried can work too. The main thing? Pack the pot full but not tight. You need space for steam.
How Steam Distillation Feels in Real Life
Here’s the thing. The method is simple, but the patience is hard.
- I fill the bottom pot with water.
- I add plant matter to the upper chamber (or the pot, if it’s a simple still).
- I heat. Steam rises. It grabs the oil.
- The steam hits a cool coil and turns into liquid.
- The liquid drips into a jar. Oil floats on top. Water sits below. That water is called hydrosol. It’s gentle and nice for skin.
If you want to dive deeper into the science and exact step-by-step process, this detailed guide on how to make essential oils using steam distillation breaks everything down beautifully.
Then I use the separatory funnel. Oil on top, hydrosol below. Drain the water slow. Keep the oil. It feels like magic. Slow magic.
My Real Runs: What I Got and What I Messed Up
Lavender, mid-July
- Input: one big paper grocery bag of fresh flowers and tender stems (about 700 g).
- Time: 2 hours on low heat. Tiny simmer, not a boil.
- Result: about 4 ml lavender oil and around 600 ml hydrosol.
- Notes: First time, I ran it too hot. It smelled sharp and cooked. Second time, I went slow, like a lazy Sunday. Much better. My neighbor asked if I baked cookies. Nope. Just plants.
Peppermint, early fall
- Input: two thick bundles (around 300 g fresh leaves).
- Time: 90 minutes.
- Result: about 1 ml oil and a lot of mint hydrosol.
- Notes: The oil is strong. I use one drop in a bowl of Epsom salts for a bath. That’s enough. Too much makes my skin tingle in a weird way.
Rosemary, late spring
- Input: the top 8 inches of fresh stems (around 400 g).
- Time: 2 hours.
- Result: about 2 ml oil. Hydrosol was amazing for cleaning spray.
- Notes: Copper felt best here. It cut a faint “green” bite I got with stainless.
If your goal is to make a straightforward rosemary water rinse for hair instead of distilling a concentrated oil, I recorded exactly what worked (and what flopped) in this recipe.
Orange peel, winter
- Method 1: steam distill fresh peel. I zested 8 oranges.
- Result: tiny bit of oil. Smelled sweet but light.
- Method 2: hand-pressed peel with a spoon and cheesecloth over a bowl.
- Result: more oil, faster, but sticky and messy.
- Notes: Citrus oil can be sun-sensitizing on skin. I use it for room scent or with gloves when cleaning.
Kitchen hack tryout
- Stock pot + small bowl + flipped lid with ice on top.
- Result: a few drops, that’s it. But for kids’ science day? Huge hit. The “rain cloud” trick gets them every time.
What I Loved (And What Bugged Me)
Good stuff
- The smell fills the house. It’s like stepping into a garden shop that knows your name.
- Hydrosol is a hidden gem. It’s soft, and my skin likes it. I spray it on my pillow at night.
- Copper still looks like art. It made me want to keep it on the counter.
Not-so-good stuff
- Yield is small. A bag of lavender for a teaspoon of oil? Yep.
- Time. You babysit the heat. Snacks help. Music too.
- Cleaning. Citrus sticks to everything. Citric acid soak helps copper. For stainless, hot soapy water, then a rinse with vinegar, then water again.
Smell, Heat, and That Tricky Sweet Spot
The hard part is heat control. If the drip is wild, it’s too hot. If it barely drips, it’s too cold. I aim for a steady tap-tap drip. Like a slow faucet. When it smells scorched, I turn it down. When it smells like fresh plants, I smile. That’s the sweet spot.
Also, I learned to seal joints on the copper still with flour paste. Just a bit. It stops leaks. It feels silly but works.
Storage That Saved My Batches
I use amber glass bottles, 5 or 10 ml. I fill them to the neck so air doesn’t sit on top. I label the date and plant.
I whipped up simple waterproof labels with CoverMaker in five minutes, which kept my rosemary and lavender from playing name-swap in the cabinet.
I keep them in a cool cabinet. Oils last longer that way. Hydrosol goes in the fridge and stays fresh for a few months. If it smells “off,” I dump it. Sad, but safe.
Safety Stuff I Actually Follow
- I don’t leave heat alone. Not even to fold laundry.
- Oils don’t go straight on skin for me. I add one drop to a teaspoon of carrier oil first.
- Citrus oil on skin + sun? Not for me. I wait a day.
- Pets are sensitive. I keep oils away from my cat. He decides the rules here.
Swinging back to the fun side of things, once you have a stash of tiny bottles it's surprisingly social: friends, neighbors—even total strangers—will want to sniff and swap. If your immediate circle isn't as scent-obsessed as you are, you can always meet new locals who appreciate homemade goods through a community-minded site like FuckLocal. The platform matches you with people nearby who are open to trading, gifting, or simply chatting about handcrafted creations, so your next lavender batch might end up sparking a brand-new connection.
If you happen to live in Georgia and like the idea of turning a lavender-distilling session into a relaxed date night, browsing Macon hookups will connect you with nearby singles who list DIY hobbies in their profiles, making it easy to bond over steam-distillation tips and maybe discover some chemistry beyond the beaker.
What I’d Tell a Friend
Start small. Try peppermint or lavender. Plan for 1–4 ml of oil per run with a home still. That’s normal. Use the hydrosol every day. Room spray, linen mist, even mop water. It’s the quiet hero.
For more pointers and equipment tips before you fire up your first batch, this no-nonsense write-up—a beginner’s guide to distilling essential oils at home—is worth a skim.
If you want cute and classic, go copper. If you want easy scrub and bigger batches, go stainless. If you only want a few drops once a year, the kitchen hack will do. Just don’t expect a bottle.
A Tiny Ritual That Made It Fun
This sounds silly. I saved a little notebook just for scent notes. What day. What plant.