Customer Reviews

Avanti : MBD5L 16in Mini Keg Beer Dispenser

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I purchased the mini beer pub and, like many reviews online, it was defective. There is a leak where the hose meets the CO2 regulator. I have never experienced such a disorganized, poorly managed operation as Avanti customer service. First of all it took 4 phone calls before I wasn't disconnected and got to talk to someone. Then, the person answering the phone has absolutely no idea what I was talking about. Instead of transferring me to someone else, she tried to relay the information, with someone else yelling in the background. They told me they would send me parts, but never took my information. I have lost a whole keg of beer of which the company won't compensate me for and 2 CO2 cannisters. I called back and got sent to voice mail after waiting 5 minutes and then on hold again until I finally got someone. I purchased this product because it seemed to be the best value for the type of product, but if I am going to lose money because of defective products, I will pay the extra money in the future and forego some of the features you have so that I don't have to deal with such ineptness. They overnighted me a new regulator. I received the new regulator, no CO2 cartridge replacements. The second regulator leaked worse than the first. The CO2 cartridge emptied in a matter of seconds. I triple checked the tube and made sure it was securely in the regulator, but it didn't matter. I am initiating the return process. I have no desire to ever purchase another Avanti product ever again.

I am a home brewer, but I don't want a kegerator in my kitchen. This lets me bottle half a batch and keep some on tap for drinking now.

I've also taken my 5L kegs to the local breweries and had them filled, when I want a change. In Redmond, WA the ones that fill are Mac N Jacks, Snoqualmie, and Red Hook (if you ask nicely). I bet Elysian and Baron would do it too, but I haven't been over there yet. It tends to be about $15 for a fill up, which is good cause hops are expensive right now.

If you want this for Heineken, I suggest do yourself a favor and go to a homebrew store, buy an empty 5L for $10, and fill it with anything you want... even Heineken. It's way better and you won't have to hassle with the ever-changing minikegs.

-1 * because the plastic is sorta cheap looking and those stupid cartidges are expensive, and don't last long. I don't officially recommend you do what I did and upgrade the co2 to a 12oz paintball gun canister, which just happens to fit perfectly in the space... and lasts forever... and you can refill for $3 at sports authority. Don't do it. I'm sure it's dangerous and voids the warranty. :)

If you enjoy a beer from the tap occasionally and you want to do it in the convenience of your home, then look no further. This tap meets those needs very well. The cigarette light adapter was a nice touch for those times when you want to be able to take the unit camping or to a sporting event. The Mini Pub is also surprisingly light. The DVD that accompanies the unit does a great job demonstrating how to get you setup and I definitely recommend this over the written manual. My only two gripes with the tap were: (1) The materials used for the unit could have been of higher quality and (2) the CO2 compartment on the side is midly cumbersome. However, given the drawbacks I would still buy the tap if I had the chance to go back and decide.

This was a great Christmas present, or so I thought. Unfortunately, the thing broke right away. The plastic piece that holds the CO2 cartridge cracked under the pressure of the CO2. That is only half of the problem. It got worse after contacting Avanti to report the problem and seek a replacement part. Too make a long story short, I contacted them in January of 2009. Since then I have dealt with unapologetic customer service reps that have promised that the part would be sent the following day. I was told that for 3 weeks. No part ever showed up. Then was told a new order from china would be there in in 2 weeks. Been told that for 2 months. Still no part. Today is March 31, 2009. Still no part. No estimate of when I will get a part. No aplology or a care in the world from the customer service reps. Great product. Good idea. Delivered by a company that could care less about ripping people off. Shame on Amazon for selling this comapany's products. From reading other posts about [..], I am surprised the Florida Attorney General (where they are located) has not been contaced about this fraud of a company. Don't buy anything from Avanti. This is a true ripoff company.

Just like everyone else I read the reviews before purchasing this product so I was a little skeptical of what I was getting. This is what I have found:

Hook up was very easy. I am still on the first keg which is a Heinekin so I am not sure yet on other kegs, but all the attachments for Heinekin's new keg came with the machine. It literally was 2 steps, hook hose up to heinekin attachment and then push the heinekin attachment on to the top of keg. Not one ounce was spilled, couldn't get any easier.

Some people have said that the co2 attachment was built poorly which I would have a hard time believing. It is made out of very thick composite materials and is screwed on. My co2 wine opener has lasted for years and it is made out of very thin regular plastic. I am wondering if people are cross threading the co2 container and not getting it screwed on correctly. Sounds more like user error.

The co2 compartment on the side is kind of cheap and cumbersome. I have to give it a little tug to open up, but I don't have to get in there much.

It does do a very good job of keeping the keg cold, but I do recommend using your regular fridge to chill the keg, then put it into the machine to maintain temp.

The only issue that I am having with the machine is that the first glass of beer after it has sat for awhile seems to have a lot of foam. I haven't checked to see if there is any kinks in the lines so hopefully this is resolved once I take a look at it.

Over all I think it is a very nice well made machine, its quiet and it dispenses cold beer every time.

I got this for a Christmas present and it didn't work out of the box. After wasting a keg a beer, I tracked the problem to defective quick disconnect valve. I call Avanti and emailed Avanti and got no response. I purchased my own higher quality valves and dispensed one key of beer before the CO2 cartrige holder split open. I tried to buy my own replacement online, but can't find anyone who sells them. I again tried Avanti by phone and email and they continue to ignore me. They have a buyer beware warning right on their web site that says your warranty could be void if you purchase from an unauthroized internet dealer. Click on the link to see who is at the top of their unauthorized list.

I was given the Avanti Mini Pub as a Christmas gift from my wife. Along with the Mini Pub she also gave me a Heineken 5L keg. The set up was super easy and quickly I was enjoying beer on tap. Since then I've tried nearly 10 more 5L kegs from various breweries. The Co2 connection has worked very well and I'm finally an expert at pulling the "bung" from the top of most kegs. I've even mixed a few kegs of my own, pouring dark and lighter beers together to create my own taste of beer on tap. I have to admit that the Heineken kegs have given me the most problems. Most of the time my glass is 100% foam, even when trying to pull the tab slow, medium or fast - does not matter. I won't be buying any more Heineken kegs for this dispenser. I did encounter some minor issues with the dispenser at first and called Avanti for assistance. Although they did not offer much assistance, as long as I knew what I needed they would send me the part for free, no questions asked. Also, be sure to clean the lines after each keg to keep all the parts working properly. My wish list would include colder beer temperature and better variety of 5L kegs. If you are into beer like I am, you should be satisfied with this product, however don't expect perfection...

I enjoy a casual beer on occasion. My wife thought this would be a good Christmas gift for me, especially since she never got me that full size keg refrigerator she promised as a wedding gift... :)

I had a lot of hope for this item. I, too, spent considerable time attempting to get my Heineken keg connected. I learned from reading the other reviews that an adapter was available from Avanti. They quickly and without hesitation acknowledged the deficiency since Heineken redesigned the hardware supplied with their keg. My new adapter arrived within the 10-14 days they had promised.

On the day it arrived, I was anxious to get my keg connected. I followed the instructions but soon had beer spilling all over my kitchen counter. My best guess is that the pressure from the keg was too much for the beer line which popped loose from the connector that was inserted into the adapter. In my haste to stop the keg from becoming completely empty, I pulled the new adapter off which apparently broke it. It never re-attached properly for it to work. The adapter has 2 tabs which, when squeezed inward, should release it from the keg.

Frustrated and wanting a cold beer from my mini pub, I decided to "jury-rig" everything to get it to work. That was my final mistake. I took the hose and managed to insert it into the spout provided by Heineken. I used duct tape to keep the hose and spout in place. I also taped the handle to down to keep the beer flowing.

Almost immediately, I was able to pour my first glass. I was satisfied that I had finally gotten my mini pub working with the Heineken keg. WRONG!!! About 30 minutes later, my wife walked into the kitchen and found beer all over the counter and the floor. ALmost the entire keg had been drained.

Notwithstanding my attempt to circumvent the deficiencies with connecting the Heineken keg with the mini pub, I had 2 other concerns. First and foremost, the beer temperature was not cold enough for me. The mini pub may hold a temperature as low as 38 degrees but the beer did not seem to be that cold. It had been in the mini pub for approximately 2 days before I was able to pour that first glass so it should have had ample time to chill. Perhaps my taste for beer is limited to those that are served ice cold.

My other concern was with the availability of other beer brands. I do enjoy Heineken but I prefer Bud or Molson Ice. As mentioned in a previous review, other brands are not easy to find. I've tried 3 separate liquor stores to come up empty thus far. I can't justify spending $20 for 5L of beer that would cost me maybe $10 or $12 in bottle form for the same quantity.

I did have some other issues with respect to the design and construction of the mini pub most of which have been stated in other reviews. If I could have located other beer brands that I like and if the temperature got colder than my house refrigerator, I would have ignored the other problems.

If I'm lucky, my wife will be able to return the mini pub and get a full refund so I can put it towards something I know would work out of the box.

This product works, but it does create a lot of foam, and pours very slow when using the 'new' pop-on Heineken adapter. The problem is Heineken has redesigned their kegs, once again, to fit their new BeerTender.

The 'new' pop-on adapter was made for the keg before this. It worked great on those. Until Avanti designs another adapter, you will be pouring lots of foam or very slow. I have been drinking Heineken with this product for awhile and although it has it's faults, the beer tastes great! I drank Heineken from a bottle the other day and didn't like it.

FYI: If you have already bought this, I can tell you, if you barely and I mean BARELY pull down on the tap, you won't get as much foam, but it will pour very slowly.

FOR ALL OTHER 5L KEG BEERS: It works great with these. You get to use the CO2 cart. with these and monitor CO2 intake. Pours great too!

I'm quite impressed with the Avanti, having gotten it from my brother for Christmas. I'm currently on keg number five since the holidays, and now feel confident in sharing a review.

The instructions are surprisingly clear having been written by (apparently) a non-native English speaker. The illustrations are straightforward and the color-coded rings on the connections will likely assist those who don't understand male/female connector terminology. The tapping pin is solidly build and the locking mechanism sturdy for being plastic. The connectors are snug, though one of my release buttons is a little sticky. (Better too tight than too loose, to be sure.) The only complaint about fit and finish of the "guts" is the fact that the valve assembly is labeled backwards. (+ should indicate more pressure, not more closure.) The pressure gauge seems quite accurate.

I don't love the snugness (or lack thereof) of the cartridge stand, but once you've placed it in the housing with the gauge facing forward (don't try facing it to the side through the door) it doesn't really matter.

Our first keg was a cheap bunch of crap, but we wanted to experiment. Charging the CO2 line was cake, tapping the keg was cake, and voila: After a methodical initial tap, we had 5L of well-pouring no-problem cheap crap German something-passing-as-beer.

The next day, we tried it with the Heineken pre-charged keg. Total failure. Absolute disaster despite following the directions to the letter; the beer was (as the "how to fix your beer" troubleshooting guide branded it) "wild," or all foamy head and no actual beer. It was a huge disappointment.

However, the third, fourth, and today the fifth kegs, all REAL beer (specifically Bell's Best Brown Ale at the moment) have been flawless. My trick is to charge the keg to 0.5 bars, make the steady pour, then seal the CO2 valve again. The CO2 valve should really be closed overnight; the system is fine enough for home use, but it's not secure enough to prevent minute leakage no matter how exacting you are, so save those sixteen gram cartridges by shutting the valve when you're done with your pour. Your pressure will last for a little while, and you just end up "gassing up" the keg when you need to, in order to maintain the requisite pressure.

The temperature only goes down to 38 degrees, so real beer drinkers, rejoice that the average American swill can't be chilled to freezing temps! I've been very pleased with my Bell's at 39 on the nose, as the compartment isn't perfectly sealed and I'm sure it's a few degrees warmer. Cool, but not cold, and ideal. I'm getting a nice pour every time.

The cleaning kit is well-manufactured out of solidly-sealing plastic, just like the rest of the connection kits, and I was able to flush my lines nicely with no visible (or taste-able) residual after effects.

For the price, I'd say you'll be hard pressed to find a better set up if you can follow basic directions and have even a rudimentary mechanical aptitude. For people who can't figure out how to program their television remotes... better to get a gift card to the chain restaurants those people probably drink at anyways. ;) For those people that want a nice option for good microbrews or regional 5-liters, this is a great way to go.

It's one of my favorite Christmas presents so far, and it's the gift that keeps on giving!