On a serious note Simon have you ever took the plastic lid off the blade and put it on your head and pretended you're a spaceman? I know I definitely would have if I had one.
My opinion, Blade is for commercial purposes, beer selection is not good and usually UK brewed so get rid. Sub, great range of beers most of which are brewed in their original country, however torps are too small and too pricey so get rid. Fizzics is just a novelty and waste of time so get rid. Perfect draft for me is perfect 10 pint kegs, great range of beers nearly all of which are fantastic, average price when you take discounts and keg return scheme into account is very reasonable and the quality of beer in the glass is brilliant so that's a keeper for me. Not sure about the others but recently the PD has had a new keg nearly every week so variety isn't an issue there either. Cheers 🍻
I’ve got the sub and the Pd. Got them both 2nd hand super cheap (got the sub to have some variety as 8 pints of the same was boring). Yes expensive to fill and on occasion they to clutter the counter when not in use for long periods. But if I had 4-5 machines and none of them were getting used as how much beer and 1 person drink then yes sell the most impractical ones. Worst case scenario - you miss them, buy them back second hand or just buy cans/go to the pub.
I used to have a Pint365 hand pump and regularly purchased 20L beer-in-a-box during the bad old days of 2020-2022. However, once everything opened back up again the choice was simple: Every pint of beer I pulled and drank at home was missed revenue for my local pubs which need my business more than ever right now. For an outlay of £4.50, I got 15 minutes of exercise whilst I walked from my house to the pub, a pint of well kept & well served real ale and some great company. In the end it was a no-brainer. I love British pub culture and I recognise how important pubs are to towns, villages and our amazing brewing industry. I would much rather support the pubs directly and help keep them afloat, than stay at home pretending to be a landlord in the town's smallest, saddest pub with no other customers.
You ought to get in to home brewing. I can make 20 litres of delicious beer for £5-£10, and serve it using co2 for a quid or so. All fermented and served from a £35 plastic keg thing which will last at least 2 years. Yes it takes most of a day to brew it but it's a pleasure and is a background activity. I'd sell all those machines for £750 (for a quick sale) and buy a really good home brew system.
Same I brew 40 pints every week, have 8 19ltr Corney kegs so I can condition in keg for at least 8 weeks before putting a keg on. I have a beer fridge which holds one keg, job done 😊
The main reason I watch is to see the Perfect Draft and Krups Sub reviews. There's more kegs coming out on PD now than in recent years and mine is getting more use than ever.
The sheer amount of quality kegs coming thick and fast for the PD this year has been fantastic. In my opinion I would sell off the lot of your machines and get the PD PRO it's worth every penny for the temp control. Better chilling and all the other bells and whistles.
Why note pick your favourite and keep that one, then sell the rest? I'm not sure they'd sell as a bundle though; I can't imagine many people need so many systems!
I've been thinking about getting a machine of some sort for quite some time. But then I realise that I prefer to drink canned or bottled beers, and just try as many different beers as possible. So I just can't be bothered with 5 litres of the same beer (which I probably woudln't be able to drink before it goes flat). So I think I'll stick to cans and bottles. Also, it's hard to find kegs in Sweden where I live.
The Sub is only 2 litres and lasts 2 weeks once opened, so pretty good. The problem I've found is you have to buy 8 torps for free delivery (I share with a friend so we don't end up with tons of beer) and the beer choice is rarely updated. It's been a great system but I'm tempted to sell and just keep my perfect draft that keeps the keg fine for 30 days, but yeah if you have a lack of kegs I'd stay away from them.
perfect draft have had about 5 new kegs over the past 2 months, and a few you would be really interested in, franziskiner kellerbier, camden marzen, mont blanc la rousse, ninkasi flower lager, mahou and camden ipa. getting more expensive but some good deals on atm, get a few of them for review! full price kegs are 35-42 quid, but not on deals
The perfect draft machine is the best out of all of them. Keg size is just about right. Choice is good (need to do deals with non inbev brands) and the system of buying and returning is good. The thing that let's it down, like the others, is the price. That's what will kill any of these machines off.
Sub i would say has best quality ie craft torps unpasteurised also 2 litre great for changing & also great for strong beers PD also great would re purchase one if they brought back franzikaner dunkel
You being realistic and rational, if you not moving in to a larger place in a foreseeable future you're thinking correctly, when and if there is a time you need a beet machine in the future there are probably new and better systems out there and guessing here, the beer machines probably have parts and gaskets that don't age well standing unused?
my friend donated me his torp machine before he moved abroad. ive only made a drinks purchase once. to be fair the Heineken tasted far superior to the stuff you get in the UK, and like a proper pint.
Whats going to happen when you get some free beer sent to you? You wont have a system to put it on. I would not want to pay 900 for those...expensive. Put them in storage, the ones you dont use much, and get the Perfect Draft PRO...Cheers...plus, if you say the systems are going out of style, the prices might come down.
I have two blades Si and love them. I use them both regularly. One has lager and one has craft beer. Really nice to have a choice. I wouldn't be without them for me.
I use my krups and perfect draft every week, mainly PD, the torps are getting Abit pricey but if you like to taste different drinks it's perfect for that. Watching that felt like you was saying goodbye. Also there doing 2 kegs for PD for £48 at the moment, I ordered 4 last night
All of the kegs across all dispensors are regularly discounted. I pick up deals all the time that make the price per pint around £2. Sometimes, to get the best savings I need to buy 6 Blade kegs at a time, but this isn't always the case. Torps are routinely discounted as are PD kegs. Yesterday, X2 PD kegs were available for £55 delivered. There are more than 20 kegs across all of the formats that you haven't reviewed.
I recently bought a Fizzics, and I absolutely love it. I've found that my PerfectDraft is almost always switched off ever since. I recall from your review that you really liked it, so how come you don't use it more frequently when you're drinking bottles and cans?
I use my fizzics every time I have a beer at home. So versatile. I only drink stouts, the amount of time you've said a stout was thin , just run it through the fizzics and it'll help. Keep that use it on the dark stuff
I own the PD, Sub, and Fizzics. I got the Fizzics a year ago, and I've used it daily. It is so good. It's that good I haven't used the PD or Sub since.
I’ve got the blade and I love it. The cost increases in the kegs is a bit meh but I just go with what’s on offer. Similar to you though, I don’t use it as much as I did in the past few years. Would love for you to keep the blade as I have in the past used your reviews to help me decide on a keg to try.
I did consider getting a beer dispenser - both the Perfect Draft and the Beer Monster - but decided against it in the end. I don't have a big enough kitchen to stand one up without losing valuable worktop space or a large enough fridge where I could cool down the kegs before installing them. Price is a big issue too. Also It would commit me to drinking the same beer for too long! I like variety and its easier for me to stock a selection of cans and bottles in my attic which is insulated but still nice and cool in winter. I then take what I want down to my fridge. You have had to get these to review on the channel but I'd just keep the one which offers you the best range of beers.
Si, you won't get more than about £600 all in (based on current Ebay/Facebook Marketplace prices ive seen). I'm looking at getting the Krups. If you're interested, I'll take it for £50
Would love one of these especially the Brewfitt but as a single dad of three my deep pockets are now sewn up 🤦🏼♂️ I always looked a buying a second hand one but it was the price of the kegs that put me off
Also to add, I'd very much like to see many more beer machine keg reviews from you like you used to do. Having at least the blade and the perfect draft pro is a must in your work surely?
I think with the popularity of the PD, Blade and Krups it would do the channel a bit of a disservice not to review the new offerings on each. I'm a PD user and the first thing I do when they release a new keg is watch RU-vid reviews! I think the Fizzics is a bit of a waste of time tho.
I found u through Perfectdraft all them years ago but never use to talk same as Bazza I do get where your coming from. As a RU-vid reviewer though like yourself your better with all the other options. I so same reviews of same keg in different ways. Trouble is nothing is cheap now. But your PD reviews always gonna be huge...
Post covid I hardly ever use my Perfect Draft. Just on special occasion now. Reasons being: It's not the most cost beneficial way to buy beer in volume for drinking at home. In some pubs the prices are not much more than a PD pint. Cans and bottles are convenient and taste fine. Plus as you said the pubs are back open 😊.
Think you're missing the point here with these comparisons? The pubs have fake branded UK brewed beers like Stella, and many others. The PD you get keg beer brewed in the country of origin.
Think you’re being slightly harsh with the sub prices. 3 Heineken kegs = 3 litres cost you £30.87. A 6l becks perfect draft keg costs £34.90 just for example of basic lagers. I got given a sub as a gift. Used it but always wanted a perfect draft, even beforehand. Like you, haven’t used it in many many month and have it stored away until someone gets me a couple of kegs for Christmas 😂
I've used my PD all year.- just tapped a Spaten for the weekend. If I had all the machines you had I would definitely think I had too many. I always look forward to your PD reviews
We have a Krupps one that has stood unused for a while, beer was expensive but the biggest nightmare was getting it delivered because you couldn't get in the shops, you had to be in to sign for the beer, neighbours weren't allowed to take or any other option! Then we'd get deliveries that were close to being expired and the beer would be pretty flat. The initial novelty wore off when it was realised to be a pain in the arse.
Love my PD and recent second hand Krups. Beer in my local is dreadful plus two young kids which doesn't really allow for it! Beers on these machines are top quality. Keep!
I got the Krups for christmas 2 years ago, which is how I found your channel. In 2 years I've only had 12 torps. I wish they were easier to find locally. The beer has always been 10/10. These machines definitley have their place though.
I moved from the Sub to the prefect draft for more choice and price years ago but I miss tiger, morretti ect from it . But i have only bought a few kegs this year for the pd because of the price. It’s not a luxury anymore I don’t care what anyone says the value isn’t there anymore.
Bought a Perfect Draft last week from someone for £60 so obviously a bargain at that price ! But looked at the other machines first and I'd always decided that was the better choice
I love my blade and PD Pro, i don't drink during the week so look forward to a beer on a Saturday, so i quite often love to have a keg on the go in machine machine, local pubs where I live are full of idiots so I'm quite happy to stay at home and chill on the Xbox with some draft cold pints 🍻👌🏻
The brewfitt was the best consumer unit for people serious about mainly drinking at home, the rest a waste of money, now over taken by the Kegland Carbon. Imo the one you siad you use the least, the fizzics, is actually the one thats the most usable for how you drink 😂
Average price of a PD keg now will be nearer £40 than £30. The reason why i dont buy kegs more often is mainly due to lack of carbonation. Most kegs arrive with the lagers practically flat
I really like my Perfect Draft but use it less and less. I like variety and don't want an entire keg of the same beer. Also I find beer at 4 degrees just too cold.
I love my PD I use it all the time, I think it’s the feeling you’re getting a proper pint at home which makes you think it’s more like the pub. Your right about the Krups been expensive as well, sadly mine is in the shed and not seen the light of day for over 2 years. Maybe at Christmas I will dust it down and buy a few torps for over that period.
I love my sub , but main reason for not using is the current pricing , I understand prices have to go up but some of these are ridiculous if they dropped the pricing and offered free delivery on 4 torps.instead.of 8 I would use again.
I've got the sub & perfect draft. Don't use the sub much since getting my perfect draft 2 years ago. I use my perfect draft every weekend without fail, mainly drink Stella from it which is in a different league from UK brewed Stella that you get down the pub.
There's a pub here on the TT course on the island that has a Blade they keep loaded with Heineken 00. Nice to have an alcohol-free people can enjoy and still drive home, wish more pubs did this, just to give people the option of zero ABV beer on draft.
Pubs, bars, and taverns were shuttered three or four years ago. We made due by learning to cook and getting beer machines. Now, it's three years later.
Hi Simon. I have had a perfect draft for two years and also had a sub for a period of time which I sold. Personally I’d keep hold of the perfect draft. I found the torps to be very costly and limited choices. The perfect draft on the other hand has a great selection and they seem to be going in a great direction with it. Plenty of new keg releases and stock issues seem to have been resolved now. As other people have said, when multi buy discounts and keg returns are taken into consideration it’s not bad value for money. It’s always good to keep by just in case something new comes out or even if it’s just for Oktoberfest and Christmas.
Unfortunately the Torps / Subs are pretty expensive and so I use it just for special occasions BUT I still love em cause it is soo much fun to use the SUB and also good (but I really should make a blind test😅)
I have never said hello to beer machines, shortage of space in a useable place plus I like to change beers quite often. I prefer the beer fridge option (mine is in the summer house in the garden) and quite often drink half a case of beers and keep the rest in the fridge to switch back to a later date. I like to mix it up with beer selection.
As someone without a beer machine let me just say, for some reason, I just love the videos you make on them. I’d miss the content. I’d think at least the Blade and PD for making videos would be worth keeping. Just my opinion.
I've got a mancave and the Blade looks great behind the bar light up. It's a great looking machine. I enjoy Gozzer Marzen, Villabacher Marzen and odd Zipfer. Occasionally on offer on Beerwulf. 8 litres for 14 pints. All depends if you have the space. Love my blade but yeh more variety would be nice. But heh I think Blade is the good value.
Only one I have is Sub Compact, once the price of torps went up about 18 months ago I give up on them, only going back on near out of date offers a couple of times, but had a recent look, and no, not at those prices! Clear the space Simon, Mel needs the room for another Fish Tank!
Yep, get rid. Not worth the dosh IMO. If I’m hitting the beers with friends etc I’ll go to a local brewery and get bag in box ale… or hit my local pub for Hanlons Simcoe on cask for £3.20 a pint. Incredible.
No one been sending you any freebies lately eh Simon?! 🤪I use my Krupps every weekend, and they've recently added some new beers too. I never get the bog standard beers on this, as it works out too expensive compared to the bottles in the supermarkets, so I tend to stick to the belgian dubbels+tripels and IPA's that you cant get easily in the shops. The Fizzics I tend only to use for non-nitro stouts.
I started with the Sub and liked the range, but found I was swapping kegs too often. I invested in a Blade and for 6 months loved it. Then we had issues with the Moretti being bad. Then I decided it was getting too expensive (I was drinking too much lol), so I put it in the loft and went back to cans & bottles. I'm much happier that way to be honest as I'm not stuck with 10 pints of one beer. Blades are great, but they aren't a cheap thing to run (to me anyway). Sure they are slightly cheaper than pub prices, but I don't use pubs so I'm not really saving there. I did enjoy the ice cold beer that it served, but I can chill cans just as well.
Maybe just keep the one that gives you the most choice and the one that gives the best results? Personally I only have one old manual pump for an original 4 and 5 Ltr keg/tin, aquired in Germany in the early eighties. Looks like something they used to advertise for "male enhancement"!!!
It’s really all about the practicality of them for you! For me I bought a PD shortly before my Mrs told me she was pregnant with our daughter so having that in my kitchen and spending £35-40 a month on a keg has been a god send as I can stay at home with them and still have a draught pint of Camden Hells or Lowenbrau on a Saturday night. However if your circumstances are otherwise and your more edging towards going to the pub as you say having so many systems is probably illogical. I’d say keep your Blade and your PD as especially with PD there are loads of new kegs coming out now and when summer rolls you can have a pint in the garden.
Since COVID has calmed down and the pubs have reopened I've barely used my perfect draft or krups... shame coz I love my perfect draft but find myself falling back to my old ways of grabbing beers from tesco or going to the pub
They're just like a toasted sandwich maker... Great when you get them, but after the novelty wears off they just take up space in a cupboard. Bottled beer is just better.
I haven't used my PD in about 6 months. It's just sat on my kitchen worktop unplugged. Find that it's easier to buy cans and bottles than buying a keg for 30 something £. It's sad really
Got rid of my PD last year, got fed up with the money grabbing. Don't get me wrong having a pub pint at home was amazing and you can't get the same taste from a can or a bottle, you just can't but it is just a novelty gadget enhanced by the pandemic so what do they do when the pandemic is over and pubs are back open, put the prices up. Strangest business decision I've ever seen.
The price of everything went up, even in the pubs and supermarkets!.. What you're missing here though is that it's 'continental' pub quality beer... UK pubs serve up UK brewed under license generic beer, with a badge slapped on it passing it off as the overseas namesake!!
Get what you are saying but get the blade kegs when they are on sale can get for 30 pound some times 8 litres of beer 🍻🍻🍻 . Use my blade alot due to having multiple sclerosis .. so still have the same use for some
I'm devastated at the lack of kegs on the blade. It looks amazing all lit up. Alas, I think Heineken have been exceptionally greedy with beer on offer and only want to push their own, quite poor beers.
I've found myself getting back into home brewing again always fancied one of those beer machines but just never got around to it my brother has the perfect draught and it's brilliant, especially for a party in the summer but he doesn't use his all that often.
Im in the same boat mate, I havent used my blade for about 5 months now, spent most sunny days in beer gardens this year, I’ll probably use it over xmas a little id imagine with having family over then im thinking about getting rid of it
got a blade si great bit of kit ,still get loads of use from it ,if i were you id keep the blade ,PD and the brewfitt nice to hava change ,if i had them 3 id never leave the house lol
I'd keep the Perfect Draft for the summer 🏝️ I purchased one from your recommendation I'm really enjoying mine. 👍 The pub's are starting to get more expensive now. I do love a local but nearly 6 English pounds a pint.
I agree Simon. The krups smaller torp pricing makes it not economical to drink - working out at £3 a pint minimum. The big Blade is the Daddy and fab for Christmas or friends over, but as you say no innovation in range or new beers. I’d ditch the three in the middle and hold the blade and perfect draft for now. Cheers.
I have the Krups Sub. And although I kind of love it, I have stoped using it as the Torp,prices are just ridiculous now. They put them up massively twice in close succession. Now some Torps work out at £5 a pint…at home! It is just not worth it.
I've stopped using my Krups due to price and lack of choice. I loved the Gandalf and they stopped stocking it - some 4% beers are now at 5 quid a pint so it's a no go for me when I can try all sorts of beers from supermarkets. Abbots Reserve for instance is often on offer at about £2.40 per bottle with a buy 4 for price of 3. Fantastic beer and amazing value. The Krups is now a bar ornament!!!
Perfect Draft kegs have got far too expensive (I have 2 machines) and never been a real quality IPA on it, got rid of my Krups Subs ages ago as they were plain rubbish, got a 2 line Lindr which is great for parties
I use my perfect draft every week... There is so many new kegs that come out.... That's you haven't tried but I get that you have one pint and stuck with 9 after ... I have just dusted the krups off I only use that for BBQ,s and parties and Xmas because of the variety where we can have the perfect draft on and the krups .. yes it's expensive but it's still cheaper than the pub but pub quality... It's a tough one I get space is key ..
I like my blade good for barbecues where people can help themselves , and no space taken in the fridge , Its down to choice at the end of the day mine was Blade .
I sold my Krups Sub machine recently - wasn’t using it. The subs are too expensive in my opinion, especially for the speciality beers. The fact you can only really order online is inconvenient too if you don’t plan ahead. Also the subs are too small for any kind of social gathering.
I paid £50 for my Perfect Draft off Facebook marketplace a few monts ago. Love the machine but its not always on. Probably put a keg in it once a month.
Has anyone else had similar issues with the low carbonation from PD kegs? I drink pilsners/lagers. But often find them flat. Nothing i do to the pour or the glasses makes a difference
I sold my Krups last year, not enough beer for my consumption. My PD2, I tend to only use on holidays and about 2 times per month due to the constant risinf costs of the kegs and, of course, electricity bills. I had an offer on the Blade during the summer, but decided against it as only British Brewed Heineken, Irish made Heineken 0.0, and British Brewed Amstel were available. In Ireland we used to get Austrian beer like Gösser & Villacher Märzen beers, and they were great and probably would have bought the Blade if they were more available. But with electricity bills rising, I couldn't do it to myself.
I still use my PD fairly regularly. There is so much more choice coming on the PD regularly. But I understand your point about reviewing cans and bottles as much as you do leaving you limited time for the machines. So that make sense. I have always felt the fizzics is a gimmick and i wouldnt use it. The blade is a great machine but limited kegs, the krupps is now pointless. I would like a brewfit, it would only get used a couple of times a year when i have big bbq’s for a lot of people, it would keep things simple for me. But it all comes down to you Simon, if you are not using them then there is no point hanging on to them.
Final comment... Keep the perfect draft.... The blade is too much for a single household.. the krups isn't big enough the perfect draft is what it is... Perfect...😊
I was so tempted by the Blade for it’s engineering prowess - it’s a work of art, but like most say, and I totally agree it’s too commercial and the end product for the user is not brilliant. UK brewed Amstel is not what I want, the end result of the PD is a pleasure. However, i have recently purchased a Leffe Blonde and it is brewed in the Netherlands - hopefully not the start of outsourcing and UK Leffe. Simon a couple of them machines were gifts, keep them and enjoy.
I've got a sub which has been sat in a cupboard for months.. only because I hate having to buy 8 torps at a time from Beerwulf. I would use it more if I had a shop close by where I could buy one at a time. I wish more places stocked them.
I still have my blade machine and I definitely don’t use it on a regular basis but love it for the holidays and having mates or family over to watch the footy. I’ve got 4 kegs in the shed for Xmas already 😉
Not used my Krups in over a year. Far too expensive and doesn’t pour that well either. Still used my 2 PD machines but not as much as I was just because of price and the cost of living at the moment. I have been thinking about the lindr machine or a blade to be honest to go with the 2 PD’s. We built a pub shed during lockdown like many others. We don’t go out to the pub as we have 4 young kids so the bar is a great escape for us to watch the football etc. I love the machines apart from the cost.
