Following on from my PerfectDraft Pro comparison, I thought it would be a good idea to look at the various draft beer at-home solutions on the market.

I am not including things like the Kegerator, as I think that is a bit overkill for most home users unless you are a passionate home brewer.

I have also ignored the opposite end of the spectrum, where you have some devices that claim to give you a perfect pour from a regular beer can or bottle.

This then leaves 4 different styles of machine:

The PerfectDraft proved to be insanely popular for a good reason. It is probably the best balance of upfront cost, beer cost and keg size.

6L over 30 days is just 4 beers a week, so you don't need to be a raving alcoholic to enjoy. The 6L kegs are also enough for a good day session, and you swap used kegs out easily enough if you have replacement kegs pre-chilled.

Beer cost look expensive upfront, but you get £5 per credit back when you return the keg. This then brings the price per beer down to be much closer to the Blade and cheaper than the Sub.

Beer is only cooled to 3°C, but it doesn't appear to be very noticeable compared to the 2 °C of the others.

The new PerfectDraft Pro has variable temperatures but costs quite a bit more.

The Blade is geared more towards light commercial use, but it is tempting for home use due to the lower cost per pint and would be a good solution for anyone with a proper home bar that has friends around frequently.

The one issue with that is that you need to commit to 8L of beer, and I like a bit of variation with my drinking. So you definitely want to use this as a social home draft beer tap.

It cools down to 2°C with it reported to be 3°C when in the glass, which is a bit cooler than the PerfectDraft. I have also read reports that a chilled Blade keg that is loaded into the machine reaches 2 °C faster than the PerfectDraft, but this is anecdotal.

One downside is that the beer selection is not quite as good. If the lower cost of beer tempts you, then you should also factor in the massive difference in upfront cost, the Blade is a couple of hundred extra.

I reviewed the Krups Sub a couple of years ago and was impressed with it. There are two versions, the Classic or the more affordable smaller model. I reviewed the cheaper one, and the kegs are loaded in from the top, and I suspect the insulation isn't quite as good. However, they both do basically the same thing.

The Sub is good if you don't drink loads, and with beer starting at £2.25 for 500ml its not much more expensive than the PerfectDraft or Blade. There is a good range of beer, but it can sometimes be lively and cause wastage. The kegs are a bit more convenient to fit in your fridge too.

With this range of products, things get a little confusing. There are several brands offering a 5L compatible beer dispenser.

For the Salter Universal Chilled Draught Beer Dispenser (EK4919) it is listed as being suitable for 5-litre party kegs that you will find in most supermarkets. This, therefore, gives you a massive range of options.

Beer Monster, Klarstein and other brands are less clear. These tend to list compatibility as the Heineken 5l kegs. These are a bit different from the ones you find in the supermarket. The beer tap comes out of the top of the keg. The range of beer for these is significantly more limited. I can only find about 10 different beers.

All of these require CO2 cartridges, and they are all a lot more fiddly to set up than the other popular options.

The cooler on these is a thermoelectric peltier cooler, similar to what you get on 12v coolers for your car, so it is not as good as cooling your beer as the other options.

For me, the PerfectDraft is the easy winner, it has a great range of beer, and 6L is enough for anyone who drinks regularly but not too much that you won't drink a full keg.

If you are a light occasionally drinker, then the PerfectDraft is going to be overkill, and the Krups Sub is

Last update on 2022-07-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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