Customer Reviews

BeerTender VB2158001 T-fal Home Beer-Tap System

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I typically am not even a big Heineken fan, but my wife got this for me, and I figured what the heck. The 5L mini-kegs sell for seventeen bucks at my local grocery store, and you throw one in, let it cool overnight and you are good to go! It's not cheaper than buying 'regular' beer cans/bottles but the novelty, convenience, COLDNESS and a great draft pour are why I usually keep a second (or third) mini-keg in a small refrigerator just in case a party breaks out. The only reason this is not a 5-star review is because you can only get Heineken & Heineken Light currently...I hear Newcastle Brown is in some test markets though, so hopefully that will change soon.

The novelty of having "draft beer" on my counter has been a nice edition. As some of the other reviewers have said, I am not a Heineken fan (though I am aiming to try Newcastle next) but this system made the experience much more enjoyable. My theory, and I am not alone on this, is that the bottled version is way over carbonated and this system seems to have the right balance.

My biggest complaint is the lack of availability of accessories and beers. In order to extend beyond 6 rounds (which is typically less than a 12 pack of bottles each) I have to order tubes in packs of 6 at $9.45 per pack plus shipping. When you tack that cost on to the mini-keg cost (around $18-$20) your per beer cost has gone up to almost a bar price (ok, maybe at happy hour).

Will I continue to use it? Probably, the "fresh" beer is too enticing.

At the least Heineken should create a larger pack of these things so I don't have to keep adding up my shipping charges.

First off I will say that I have always wanted one of these but have always cringed at the price tag, now that the price tags have dropped on virtually all the Beertender models I feel this machine is a worthwhile investment. Besides the price drop another noteworthy update to this device is the fact that now other, non Heineken beers are available to be used with these machines, A VERY BIG PLUS. Go to any good beer store and you'll see differing kegs around, they just need to be 5L or lower & pressurized. I've heard here in MI there's even a couple smaller breweries with mini kegs becoming available (BELLS OBERON!). My next point is this, even with the price drop, stick with this unit. It does the same job as the more expensive Krupps models at a quarter the cost. Hey I admit the digital readout, clock and symbols on the Krupps models make the whole unit look more techy and futuristic but in the end they all cool to the same proper level and all dispense brew at its best. I'm not even a big Heineken fan, I always found it to be sort of skunky, but my bud had one of these and when I tried it I was hooked. There's just no substitute for that true Draught taste. Also if you store your keg in the fridge before you drop it in your Beertender it'll be at optimum temp in a couple hours, not overnight. It's one of the greatest new at home bar devices. Many will swear allegiance to the "kegerator" with its added CO2, gauges and tubes but they're just too big and bulky for me & my bar. This thing is perfect for me, drop in keg, attach tube and drink, SWEET! Don't get lazy and not look for deals on these too, I found one locally new, at a chain store for $55, yeah that's right, for that price you can't go wrong.

Amendment - 2/10/10: The Bells style kegs, and other kegs that use the "gravity" style spout (stand keg up and open spout at bottom) do not work with these units, MAJOR BUMMER. As previously stated the kegs have to be 5 Liters or less and be pressurized. Although that brands kegs are not compatible, now there are more choices to choose from than just Heinie, although I've found not everywhere sells them.

While I would never advocate disobeying the manufacturers recommendations, I bridled at the cost of replacing the tube with each keg. If you look closely at the attachment to the keg itself, the tube is held in place by three locking portions of the rim. Directly above each, is an open slot. If you put a small screwdriver into the slot and gently pry outward, the lock is released and the tube can easily be removed. There is no way to rinse out the tube, but this has not proven necessary. I have reused the tubes many times.

This BeerTender is a great value! My wife bought me one for a Christmas gift and I have to say it's one of the best gifts she has ever given me. I was even more impressed when I discovered that I could buy New Castle in the 5L keg for this machine. Nothing beats a fresh draft and with this machine you get a perfect one every time. I even found that although they recommend you use a new beer tube with each keg, if you are careful in removing the old one you can use it more than once without any leakage issues. Probably not a great idea from a microbial standpoint but if you go through a couple of kegs in a month, and the room temperature is not too high, you should be able to use the same tube two or three times.

I highly recommend this item to all beer lovers!

I am picky about the freshness of beer. I rarely drink beer unless it is out of a tap just because I don't like taking the chance of getting an old beer. Even worse is canned beer. So the Beertender is the perfect solution for me. Heineken has a reputaion of being skunky, so I was concerned the first time I tried one of these minikegs. The beer is perfecly fresh and tastes every bit a good as a draft beer from the local pub. No Skunky flavor and Heineken is actually very good when fresh. The temperature is also very cold, much colder then a typical fridge.

Always remember to use a cold glass to get less foam. Otherwise this is a simple as it gets. Chill over night and enjoy! Only downside I can see is having to buy the non-reuseable beer line that sells for about $1.50 each when bought in bulk. NEWCASTLE is also now available in Draughtkegs!

I love this thing!

I received my T-FAL beer tender as a gift for Christmas and now in June (6 months) it no longer cools the beer. So all I get is foam. I bought a Krups and it works a thousand times better for my other house. What a shame that T-Fal cant make an equally as great product. I will contact the manufacturer to see about a repair.

BeerTender VB2158001 T-fal Home Beer-Tap System
I really like this BeerTender. Does a great job keeping the beer/keg cold. This was not billed to make it cold - so make sure you chill your keg good up front. Tricky on the pour to avoid all head....my advice: glass tilted, touching the nozzle, tap full on, and slide the beer down the side. Center pour after a bit for the desired foam.

Both Heineken (reg & lite) available, as is Newcastle (swesome). So far nothing else - but - this will have to change. The shelf life of these pressure bladder kegs is far greater (3-4weeks) than they actually last in my home. The Heineken is so much better this way than from the bottle. I never really was fond of Heinies until I tasted this - now it's on my A-list. I feel pretty confident this is the mini-keg of the future and other brands will have to join in. Even using the top tube with no BeerTender still dispenses awesome beer over extended periods from a regular refrigerator. Gravity feeds are one sitting/24 hours and flat.

Trick for saving a little money - the BeerTender tubes are available for about $1.25ea (you buy in packs of 6) at Amazon. If you get a small reg screwdriver, you can slip the tube off keg one and re-use for keg two - snaps right back on. If you were letting it sit between kegs - then toss it for a new one, but, if you are like me and go from one keg (AWW SHUCKS IT'S OUT) to another - just pop the tube off and keep the flow going.

Cheers!!

It's a pretty good product. My only complaint is that even after the initial tap, there is still a lot of suds that comes out. I used a frosted mug and one not frosted with the same results. I have to pour some with the mug or glass tilted, let it wait a minute, and then finish it off. Other than that I am satisfied.

This product is very well made and the price was quite reasonable.
We have drank one keg of Heineken lite and loved the tap beer.
We are very pleased with the product and would recommend anybody looking for a 5 Liter mini keg cooler to buy this brand.