Anyone who loves a beer will tell you there’s a considerable difference between a fresh draft pint and a can at home.
It’s not just the taste; it’s the experience and satisfaction of that first sip that keeps many of us longing for that next pub trip.
PerfectDraft Black Home Beer Dispenser, £199
Luckily for those of us who are still craving that first sip, “ahh” moment from home, the PerfectDraft Beer Machine claims to bring that draft experience straight to your own kitchen.
To test whether or not these claims hold true, I got my hands on the PerfectDraft Black Home Beer Dispenser and a keg of Stella Artois to go with it.
Keep reading to find out how I got on.
How I tested the PerfectDraft Beer Machine
To put the PerfectDraft to the test, I acquired a PerfectDraft Black model along with a 6L keg of Stella Artois beer.
In addition to making notes about the machine, such as its ease of use, build quality, setup process, and overall functionality, I also focused on the quality and taste of the beer.
I spent approximately ten days testing the machine, and to ensure I got the full experience, I finished the keg in its entirety.
I then awarded the PerfectDraft Black a score out of five to determine how worthwhile it is.
Navigate this article
PerfectDraft Beer Machine: quick summary
PerfectDraft Black Home Beer Dispenser, £199
Pros:
- Dispenses quality beers at home
- Easy to assemble and use
- Plenty of beer brands on offer
- Returned kegs get you £5 in credit
Cons:
- Takes a long while to get cold enough to use
- Power cord is short
- No way to know when it’s running out
Rating: 4/5
Arriving in a large box, I found my new PerfectDraft Black beer machine nestled alongside a 6L keg of Stella Artois and two branded pint glasses.
Despite the lengthy instructions, I managed to assemble the machine in around five minutes, and after a brief fight with the short power cord, I was good to go.
According to the instructions, I’d have to wait ten hours for my keg to cool down until it was ready to drink, but by the end, I’d say it was closer to fifteen.
Admittedly, I did attempt to pour myself a pint before the LED light turned green, but after receiving half a glass of foam, I quickly learnt the error of my ways.
Thankfully, when I did manage to try the real thing the following day, I was delighted by the results.
Chilled to three degrees, crisp and full of life, each of the pints I had from the PerfectDraft Black was almost equal in quality to that of my local pub.
When you break it down, this particular keg of Stella Artois works out to around £2.76 per pint, so while it’s not the cheapest when compared to either bottles or cans, it’s a hell of a lot cheaper than 99% of pubs in the South.
Another thing to love about PerfectDraft is how the company incentivises returning your old kegs.
Kegs are free to send back via home pickup, drop off or partnered stores. For each one you send back, you’ll earn £5 in beer tokens to use on future orders.
Overall, if you love a pint, you’re undoubtedly going to enjoy the PerfectDraft as much as I did.
Keep reading below for the full review.
PerfectDraft Beer Machine: full review
PerfectDraft Black Home Beer Dispenser, £199
As a man who loves a beer, I’ve got to admit, you can never quite replicate that pub pint feeling.
Regardless of my Guinness NitroSurge and home-pouring efforts, I’ve never quite been able to match the same quality I’ve found at my local.
So, naturally, the next step was to bring the closest thing to the pub to me.
Introducing the PerfectDraft Beer Dispenser.
Just like the taps you find in the boozer, this nifty contraption uses actual beer kegs to deliver that fresh pint experience at home.
To hopefully level up my home beer experience, I got my hands on the PerfectDraft Black model, complete with a 6L keg of Stella Artois.
Upon arrival, I found the machine, the keg and some very handy pint glasses nestled in a large box.
Wasting no time, I got to work assembling the machine and reading the instructions.
Within just about five minutes, I had the machine up and running, and my keg was ready to be placed inside.
Annoyingly, the power cord was a little bit short, so I had to faff around for a few more minutes, getting it to sit at an angle where it did fit.
Little did I know, I could soon forget any notion of having a beer that evening after work, as I was going to be waiting a long time for it to cool down.
Out of pure curiosity, I did attempt to pour a pint before the LED light indicated the machine was ready.
But, due to the amount of foam caused by the temperature not being right, I quickly learned the error of my ways.
PerfectDraft Black Home Beer Dispenser, £199
Despite being somewhat pre-chilled and the instructions stating to allow up to ten hours, after putting the keg in to cool around 1 PM, it wasn’t ready until the early hours of the following morning.
I did discover a helpful tip somewhere on a Reddit forum to put the keg in the freezer for a couple of hours before inserting it, so I’ll certainly be doing that next time around to save some time.
After deciding that my office wake-up time of 7 AM was a bit too early to have a beer, I had to wait until that evening to use my new contraption properly for the first time.
Fortunately for me, when I did get home later that day, I was extremely happy with the results.
As usual with a new keg, I had to get through an initial wall of foam before the golden nectar started flowing, but once it did, I had a crisp pint in my grasp in no time.
The pint itself was cold (three degrees, to be precise), tasty, and full of life, with plenty of bubbles rising in each glass.
I did find that I had to let some of the pints stand for a while because of the amount of foam.
However, after a small top-up, each pint was still top-notch and close enough to what I’d expect from my local pub.
PerfectDraft Black Home Beer Dispenser, £199
After a solid few days of use, my keg abruptly came to an end after around 10 pints or so, which was pretty much bang on the amount I had anticipated getting out of it.
On the subject of kegs, PerfectDraft offers well over 40 brands to choose from on its website, the cheapest of which works out to around £2.70 per pint, and the most expensive to around £3.40.
While the quality is far superior, this does end up being a fair bit more expensive than enjoying a few cans or bottles of the stuff at home.
For this reason, I’ll likely stick to enjoying my PerfectDraft when I know I’m hosting guests for the football, boxing, or MMA.
PerfectDraft Beer Machine: the verdict
To summarise, the PerfectDraft beer machine is an excellent addition for anyone looking to bring that pub experience to their very own kitchen.
Overall, if you’re someone who loves a beer, hosts plenty, or simply wants an upgrade on the classic Friday night beer scenario, the PerfectDraft Black is absolutely something worth your time and money.
Though the wait to get started can be quite lengthy, once the keg is cold enough, you’re guaranteed crisp, cold and lively pints, all just at the simple pull of a lever.
I’m not sure I’ll use the machine itself all the time, simply because of the cost of the kegs, but when I’m hosting or there’s a big weekend of sport, I’ll undoubtedly look to get a fresh one delivered.
I’ll also look to offset some of the cost by making use of PerfectDraft’s £5 beer token per returned keg.
FAQs
Where to buy PerfectDraft kegs?
The best place to buy new kegs from your PerfectDraft is either directly from the company itself or through the brand’s very own store on Amazon.
Here you’ll find the widest variety of brands on offer as well as adequate levels of stock.
When ordering from Amazon, users will also be able to get next-day Amazon Prime delivery – perfect if you need to quickly stock up before hosting guests.
How many pints are in a PerfectDraft keg?
Each PerfectDraft keg is 6L, which means it roughly equates to 10.56 pints’ worth of liquid.
If, like me, you attempt to pour a pint from a keg that isn’t properly chilled, you’ll end up wasting a lot of it due to the amount of foam that comes out.
To ensure you get the maximum amount of usable liquid from your keg, always make sure you’re only pouring when the light on the top of the machine is green, indicating it’s ready.
How long do PerfectDraft kegs last?
Once fitted, PerfectDraft kegs are designed to stay fresh for up to 30 days afterwards.
For this to happen, the beer must stay cold and carbonated, which means the machine must be switched on at all times.
If your machine happens to get switched off by accident, wait for your keg to cool again completely and just simply conduct a smell and taste test to make sure it hasn’t gone off.
How long do PerfectDraft kegs take to cool?
Information typically varies regarding how long PerfectDraft kegs take to cool to the correct temperature, but according to Philips’ website, it will take 12–15 hours on average.
The instructions provided indicated that it would take around 10 hours, but personally, I found the 12-15 hour mark to be far more accurate.
To speed up the process, some users online have suggested refrigerating or even freezing their kegs for a couple of hours before placing them in the machine, but I cannot attest to its effectiveness yet.
How to return perfect draft kegs?
It is extremely simple to return PerfectDraft kegs since the company gives you many options to do so:
- Drop them off at a PerfectDraft community store: Find your store, drop off your kegs and receive your £5 credit on the spot.
- Yodel home collection: Enter your details online, package the empties and wait for pick-up (3 kegs minimum.)
- Yodel drop-off point: Enter your details, find your local drop-off point and drop your empties off at the store.
PerfectDraft ensures all returns are FREE, and will even pay you £5 per keg in beer tokens to redeem online.
These tokens last 12 months, giving you plenty of time to use them on your next keg.
It is worth remembering, you can only organise a home collection when you are returning a minimum of 3 kegs at once.
Find out more information on Perfect Draft keg returns.
For more sports, health and fitness content and buying guides, check out our dedicated talkSPORT shopping hub.
