18 responses so far ↓

• 1 VanHorn

  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.

• 2 Eng

  My husband bought me one of these but I have yet to use it!! Unless you like Hienken or some other imported beer, it’s a waste of money. You can’t find ONE domestic 5 liter beer keg to put in this thing!!!!!!! Until they make domestic 5 liter kegs – your up a creek!!! I am so very disappointed I could cry!!!

• 3 Maier

  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.

• 4 Hyatt

  This mini pub is great for this price point. The only thing I wish was improved is the seals on the CO2 lines. If you forget to turn off the CO2 valve between evenings, the CO2 will leak out. Other than that, I’m very happy. I love the digital temperature controls and the keg light inside the chiller.

• 5 Reisenbichler

  After reading the reviews I was nervous but I’ve been very happy with it since I received it. I’ve used it with the retail german minikegs and also my own homebrew using new minikegs. It works great on both and I’ve had no issues with flat beer or leaks. The cartridges work very well and have lasted the length of the keg. Beer could stay a little colder but it’s not a problem, and most Americans drink beer too cold anyway. For the homebrewer this is a good intermediate stop before full kegging.

  REVISED: Many people here have asked how to convert a paintball CO2 tank for use with this item. You will need to go to [...] and purchase their Regulator Converter for $[...]. The converter fits into the metal part of the Avanti regulator and then is screwed on the paintball tank. Works like charm.

• 6 Shelly

  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.

• 7 Quiocho

  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!

• 8 Passley

  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. Here in MI there’s even a couple smaller breweries with mini kegs 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.

• 9 Earnhart

  Loved this product this is the second one I’ve purchased. I had the B-90 model now I have the B-95 and I love them both. The only negative thing i would say would be that heniken needs to make their other beer brands such as Newcastle avaliable to use with the beertender other than that I would recomend this to every man out there unless you don’t care for the taste of heniken beer

• 10 Talley

  I received the order very rapidly and would recommend it to other buyers. I works well and is fine craftsmanship.

• 11 Untermeyer

  Bought this for my parents new bar last christmas. We’ve used it at many of their parties and it always works fine. When you are transporting your keg home from the store and into the house try to shake it as little as possible. Chill it down further in the fridge and pop it into the machine right before you need it. read the ENTIRE instructions BEFORE you start putting the keg in. we RARELY get a foamy beer. It’s all about the prep. Highly recommended for any beer lover.

• 12 Bush

  I recently purchased the BeerTender, I read several reviews stating that it poured too much foam. I have not experienced any issues with foam, even with the first pour. I am not a fan of Heineken beer, but I had heard that NewCastle is coming out with a DraughtKeg as well. I was actually surprised how good the beer was (I did get Heineken Light). Usually Heineken is skunky tasting, but the minikeg was really good. I would suggest this for anyone whom likes keg beer.

• 13 Hall

  I bought this beer kegerator for my husband for christmas. Only to find out that we can’t buy any beer for it! What’s up with Heineken! We’ve looked everywhere and nobody seem’s to have the kegs and they don’t know when they will get any. All they say is it’s a supplier issue! Very disappointed!If anyone knows what’s going on pls pass it along.

• 14 Driskill

  I cannot recommend this product at all. We had two occasions where it leaked badly for no good reason. It is now in the trash. For the safety of your hardwood floors, avoid this Beer Tender….and I really wanted to like this product.

• 15 Flanders

  I recently bought the C75 Beertender as we prepare for the fall football season and we love it- here’s why.
  * Heineken is the beer of choice in our house, so when we saw the mini draught kegs in the grocery store, we knew this would be a nice alternative to the bottles and cans we normally buy for our gatherings.
  * I am a big a fan of Krups products; I’ve always used a Krups coffee maker; I can’t live without the pannini grill and recently purchased the fully automatic espresso machine- which we love. When I saw the Beertender, I knew we had to have one in our house.
  * We have beer on tap all the time! Does it get any better then that? The beer stays at the perfect temperature, it doesn’t take up any room in our refrigerator and it tells us when the keg needs to be replaced, if we exceed the 30 day freshness period. (So far we have drained the kegs before that date happens but we have come close)

  I’m thinking this will be a great present for all the beer lovers in our families.

• 16 Kornfield

  Like a lot of reviewers, I initially loved it. About a year later and on my third (or fourth) keg (I don’t drink beer so much) the indicator lights stopped working and the unit stopped cooling. I’m going to dig up my paperwork and see if I can get some satisfaction. I see that the price is about 50% less than what I bought it for. It seems like a bargain but factor in that it likely will break with very little usage and it’s not worth it. Bottom line is it’s a toy.

• 17 Jhunjhunwala

  I bought the “Beer Tender for my son this Christmas and is is wonderful. I read the reviews before the first keg and chilled it over night in the fridge.
  After putting it into the Beer Tender we waited about half an hour to let it settle and had no problems with foam at all. Just wash your glass out with cold water, tilt it as far as possible and pull down the lever all the way, and there you have it: a perfect cold one.
  The only downside is that you have to drink only Heineken, and that the keg does not last very long, so you should always have an extra on in the fridge. Hopefully they will add their other beers to the list of kegs available for this machine.

• 18 Slaughter

  I’ll make this short and sweet. I have had the unit since last night- Christmas Eve. So, I cannot accurately comment on the longevity or reliability of the unit. I’ll update this review in 30 days.

  Last night- going against the grain of my normal regimen in sterling accuracy while brewing…I hastily set this up with naught barely a skim of the manual. Total time with a pre-chilled draught keg about 5 minutes.

  First pour after rattling the keg around in glee at my new found present from wifey- it was a glass of foam. To be expected.

  Second pour – a glass of foam.

  third pour- a glass of foam.

  Decided to read here on Amazon – found the “Perfect Pour” technique and tried it.

  (Assuming you pre-chilled your keg and let it settle 24 hours after it rolled around the trunk on the way back from the grocery store, like mine did.)

  1) Rinse your glass in cold water inside and out until it feels notably cooler. Had dry it upside down to let the glass clear of water.

  2) Tilt at 45 degrees, actuate the tap in a fast full pull. Do not let the tap spigot tip touch the beer in the glass.

  3) About 3/4 glass full or so, tilt to straight.

  With jaded thoughts, I gave it a shot. I can brew beer, but I have never poured from a bar tap…crazy, right?

  I watched in disbelief as a perfect 2 finger head appeared before my eyes. So easy a caveman could do it.

  Read my words and heed them- BUY THIS.

  I am in love…mmmmmnnnnn..beer.

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