Most comparisons of these two stills will tell you the Pro is better in every respect. That is not quite true, and the gap between what changes and what does not is the whole basis of the decision.
The T500 vs T500 Pro question really comes down to this: three things genuinely improve on the Pro, and three things buyers usually assume improve do not move at all. Here is both halves, checked against Still Spirits' published specifications rather than marketing copy.
The short answer
- Buy the standard T500 Create+ if you want clean neutral spirit at the lowest sensible cost and you are happy watching a thermometer yourself.
- Buy the T500 Pro if you run frequently enough for water use to matter, want copper in the spirit path, or want the still to alarm at you instead of being supervised.
- Do not buy the Pro expecting stronger or more spirit. It produces the same purity and the same volume as the standard unit.
There are three T500 generations, not two
This trips people up constantly, because a lot of published comparisons still describe a two-way choice that no longer matches what is on the shelf.
- The original threaded T500. The pre-Create+ unit, with a threaded column and condenser. Still in plenty of Australian kitchens and still perfectly good. If this is what you own, our Turbo 500 instructions guide covers running it.
- The T500 Create+ stainless. The current standard model. Stainless column and condenser, and importantly it is already 2" tri-clamp, not threaded.
- The T500 Pro Create+ copper. The top of the range.
The distinction that matters is that tri-clamp fittings are no longer what separates the Pro from the standard model. Both current models are tri-clamp and both sit on the CREATE+ modular platform. Only the original threaded unit is outside it, and even that can be brought in with a threaded adapter set.
What actually differs
| T500 Create+ stainless | T500 Pro Create+ copper | |
|---|---|---|
| Column and condenser material | Stainless steel | T2-grade copper, stainless tri-clamp ferrules |
| Cold finger coil | Fixed | T2-grade copper, removable |
| Product condenser | Fixed | Detachable |
| Column packing | Pre-packed copper and stainless saddles | Pre-packed copper (105 g) and stainless (485 g) saddles |
| Vapour temperature | No thermowell | Integrated thermowell in the column head |
| Thermometer | Not included | Beeping alarm thermometer, adjustable high and low alerts |
| Cooling water | Baseline | Up to 30% less than the original T500 |
| Fittings | 2" tri-clamp | 2" tri-clamp |
| Dimensions | Column and condenser | H 67.7 cm x W 12.1 cm x D 10.8 cm, 2.63 kg |
| Warranty | 3 years | 3 years |
Full manufacturer specification for the T500 Pro copper condenser is on the Still Spirits T500 Pro column and condenser page, and the assembly and operating manual is worth reading before you buy rather than after.
What does not change, and this is the part that matters
Both stills are rated at up to 93% ABV, both recover up to 95% of the alcohol in the wash, and both yield about 8 litres at 40% ABV from a 25 litre wash. Those are Still Spirits' figures for the Pro, and they are identical to the published figures for the original T500.
So the Pro does not:
- Produce stronger spirit
- Produce more spirit
- Shorten the run meaningfully
- Change the wash, the fermentation or the clearing
- Change the boiler. Both use the same Create+ 25 L boiler, with the same dual element switches, 2200 W on both, 1100 W on one
That last one is worth calling out, because dual element control gets quoted as a Pro feature fairly often. It is a boiler feature, and the boiler is the same on both.
If your reason for upgrading is "I want better spirit", the honest answer is that your wash and your technique will move that number far more than the still will.
Does copper in the spirit path actually matter?
Partly, and less dramatically than the marketing implies. Worth being precise about what changes.
- Both models already have copper saddles in the column. Copper contact is not new to the Pro.
- The Pro adds a copper column body and copper cold finger coil. More copper surface area in contact with the vapour.
- What copper does is bind sulphur compounds, which are the source of the vegetal or eggy notes that occasionally show up in a sugar wash spirit.
- When you will notice it is on a wash that had a stressed fermentation. On a clean, well-cleared wash run properly, the difference is subtle at best.
- Copper needs cleaning. It tarnishes, and a copper spirit path is more maintenance than stainless, not less.
Fair summary: a copper spirit path is a genuine quality improvement at the margins, and on its own it is not the reason to spend the difference.
The water saving, in practice
Up to 30% less cooling water than the original T500, and this one is straightforward to reason about. A T500 run is several hours of continuously running your tap to a drain, so if you distil monthly it is a real cost, and if you distil twice a year it is not.
Two things worth knowing:
- The saving is quoted against the original T500, not against the current Create+ stainless model.
- It is stated as "depending on usage" by both Still Spirits and the product page, which is honest of them. Your outlet temperature management drives water use more than the hardware does.
If water use is the thing pushing you toward the Pro, note that a flow regulator does much of the same work for a fraction of the price on either still.
What you can bolt on later
Both current models sit on the same modular platform, so this is not a Pro-only advantage. It does mean buying either one is a low-regret decision.
| Add-on | What it does |
|---|---|
| Filter Pro carbon filter | Gravity-fed, filters 8 L of 50% ABV spirit at a time through 500 g of loose carbon. Wall or door mounted |
| Sight glass botanical basket set | Botanical gin, or extends the column for more packing. Doubles as a sight glass |
| Sight glass bubble plate | Promotes reflux and lets you watch the run |
| Beeping alarm thermometer and bracket | Included with the Pro, sold separately for the stainless model |
| Voltage controller | Finer heat control than the two element switches alone |
Note the fourth row. If the alarm thermometer is the feature you actually want, you can buy it on its own and put it on the stainless model.
Which one should you buy
The T500 Create+ stainless system if:
- This is your first reflux still
- You want neutral spirit for flavouring with essences, which is most people
- You are comfortable checking a thermometer through the run
- You would rather put the difference toward consumables and a filter
The T500 Pro copper system if:
- You distil often enough that water and attention have a real cost
- You want the cleanest possible result on less than perfect washes
- You want the still to alert you rather than be watched
- You already own a Create+ boiler and only need the head, in which case the T500 Pro copper condenser on its own is the efficient buy
Buying everything at once? The T500 Pro kit with Filter Pro bundles the Pro column and condenser, the 25 L boiler, the Filter Pro and a water flow regulator. The Super Starter Pack is the best-selling version with consumables included.
Comparing across ranges rather than within one? Our T500 vs Air Still Pro guide covers the size decision, which is the bigger one.
Before you press buy
The honest position on T500 vs T500 Pro is that both are good stills and neither will rescue a bad wash. Spend the money where it changes the result.
- If you have never distilled, buy the stainless system and a filter. Learn the process first.
- If you already run a T500 and want an upgrade, the copper head alone is usually the sensible purchase, not a whole new system.
- If you are chasing purity specifically, fix the ferment and the outlet temperature before you change hardware. Both stills top out at the same number.
- If you distil monthly or more, the Pro pays back in water and attention rather than in spirit quality.
Full ranges: T500 Pro and T500 standard. Not sure which fits your setup, ask us before you order, because the answer usually depends on what you already own.
FAQ
Q: Is the T500 Pro more powerful than the T500?
No, and this is the most common misconception. Both are rated at up to 93% ABV and both recover up to 95% of the alcohol from the wash, producing around 8 litres at 40% ABV from a 25 litre wash. The Pro improves water efficiency, temperature monitoring and the spirit path material, not output.
Q: What size boiler does the T500 Pro have?
25 litres. It uses the Create+ 25 L boiler, the same one supplied with the standard T500 Create+ system. Any source telling you it is a 5 litre boiler is wrong, including an older article on this site that we have corrected.
Q: Is the standard T500 still threaded, or is it tri-clamp?
The current T500 Create+ stainless model is 2" tri-clamp, same as the Pro. Only the older pre-Create+ T500 is threaded, and that one can be adapted to tri-clamp with the Create+ threaded adapter set.
Q: Can I upgrade my existing T500 to the Pro?
Yes, if you have a Create+ 25 L boiler you can buy the T500 Pro copper column and condenser on its own rather than a whole system. If you have the older threaded boiler, you will need the threaded adapter set as well.
Q: How much water does the T500 Pro actually save?
Still Spirits state up to 30% less than the original T500, qualified as depending on usage. The comparison is against the original unit rather than the current stainless model, and how well you hold the outlet water temperature affects consumption more than the hardware does.
