Home : Blog: Who's Who : Information : Entertainment : Publications : Fitness : Directory : Multimedia : MMA : Forums : Links

 

CompleteMartialArts.com - BeerTender from Heineken and Krups B95 Home Beer-Tap System

BeerTender from Heineken and Krups B95 Home Beer-Tap System
List Price: $400.00
Our Price: $249.99
Your Save: $ 150.01 ( 38% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Krups
Average Customer Rating: Average rating of 3.5/5Average rating of 3.5/5Average rating of 3.5/5Average rating of 3.5/5Average rating of 3.5/5

Buy it now at Amazon.com!

Binding: Kitchen
Brand: Krups
Color: Black/Chrome
EAN: 0010942125396
Feature: Home beer-tap system for use with a 5L Heineken DraughtKeg
Label: Krups
Manufacturer: Krups
Model: B95
Publisher: Krups
Studio: Krups

Features
Home beer-tap system for use with a 5L Heineken DraughtKeg
Silent cooling system allows for an adjustable temperature of 36,39 or 42 degrees F
LCD display with volume and temperature indicators
Maintains freshness for up to 30 days; easy-to-clean detachable parts
Measures 18 by 12 by 19 1/2 inches

Accessories
Heineken BT10001 BeerTender Tubes, 10 Count
Bormioli Rocco Amadeus 13-Ounce Palladio Footed Pilsner Glasses, Set of 4
Bormioli Rocco Amadeus Baveria Beer Mugs, Set of 4

Related Items

Editorial Reviews:

The B95 BeerTender is a stylish, high-tech countertop beer draughting system that uses the Heineken DraughtKeg patented carbonator pressure technology to ensure an authentic draught beer at home.


Spotlight customer reviews:

Customer Rating: Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5
Summary: Does what it says... if...
Comment: Simple things than can ruin your experience with the BeerTender. Follow these, and you should be able to pour perfect two-finger-head beers on one pull.

First, they sell these mini kegs EVERYWHERE. Many times they are not refrigerated. Put it in your fridge overnight before you transfer it to the BeerTender, or buy it cold.

The keg is small, and keg-shaped. It tends to roll all over the place when you drive it home, knock around, etc. Even if you buy it cold, if its shook, you will have a FoamTender.

Safe bet: Always put that mini keg in the fridge overnight.

DON'T use the hardware that came with the keg to put it in the BeerTender. You need to use the supplied tube, and they can only be used once.

Keep your temp at the lowest setting (why not?), and wait for the keg to reach that temperature.

Rinse out a glass sunder cool water before you pour a beer.

IMPORTANT: This isn't a full sized keg. If you have poured from a full sized keg and tap system, your first instinct might be to ease into the pour by going slowly on the tap. DON'T! You need to quickly snap the tap back, not violently, but don't ease into it. Do the same to close it off, and you will notice a much better pour.

Your first (and maybe second) glasses will be foam, just as it is for any keg. If it goes much past that, you might have done something wrong.

This is actually all in the manual, but who reads those ;)


Customer Rating: Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5
Summary: A Nice Beer Toy!!
Comment: Okay....I've read a lot of reviews (both negative and positive) on the BeerTender and now that I have gone through six DraughtKegs. I thought it's time to provide my own feedback.

First off...this is simply an expensive toy for beer drinkers. Anyone can open a bottle and pour it in a glass. Using the BeerTender takes some skill and a bit of patience. With that said, I would not recommend the BeerTender to people who drink a lot of beer. It will only frustrate them.

Yes...the BeerTender is expensive (I paid $299) and the Heineken DraughtKegs are also expensive ($19.99) considering they contain the equivalent of 14 twelve ounce bottles. And yes, you could chill a DraughtKeg in the refrigerator just as easily...BUT HEY....This is a fun appliance and that's what it's all about. I have always wanted a keg system for my bar but I don't have the space for one so this is the next best thing.

And yes...you can only use the BeerTender in Heineken DraughtKegs, so you better like Heineken if you buy a BeerTender. I hope Heineken starts producing Amstel Light in DraughtKeg. Or better yet, I hope Krups gets smart that starts partnering with Sam Adams and other domestic brewers.

Here are some of my random observations.

I found the BeerTender (model B95) to be a well built appliance. It looks nice and takes up about the same amount of space has a large coffee machine or KitchenAid mixer. It has become the centerpiece on my bar.

Setup is very simple. Follow all the instructions. The art is in pouring the "perfect" draught.

The LCD display is bright and on all the time. Now my bar has a pale blue nightlight.

There is a low fan sound when the BeerTender is cooling down a keg to the specified temperature. After that, it is very quiet. I recommend you purchase your DraughtKeg's cold if possible. It takes several hours for the BeerTender to chill down a room temperature keg to 36 degrees. And that's no fun because the first thing you'll want to do after hooking up a new keg is...start pouring. As with any keg system, the first couple pours will be mostly foam. Set them aside, they will settle.

I keep mine set to 36 degrees. For me, anything higher is too warm. I haven't measured to see if it is actually pouring 36 degrees, but it is cold enough even on a warm day.

If you are turned off by skunky Heineken in bottles...FEAR NOT. There is absolutely no skunky taste (or smell) with the DraughtKeg. However I have found the head has what I consider a slight metallic taste. I have found it to be present in both Heineken regular and Ultimate Light. This taste disappears as the head goes down. I suspect this taste comes from the built-in CO2 in the DraughtKeg. I prefer regular Heineken over the Ultimate Light. With the DraughtKeg system, it tastes like a full flavored domestic lager.

I can consistently pour 18 8-ounce pilsner glasses from a 5L DraughtKeg with little waste.

Yes it does pour a lot of foam if you are not careful when pouring. Follow the instructions carefully. Frosty glasses aid in minimizing foam.

I have read many complaints about the keg gauge on the B95 being inaccurate. I did not find this to be true except for one time when I installed a new keg and came back a while later to find the gauge reading half full. I followed the instructions for resetting the gauge and haven't had any further problems. The gauge measures the weight of the keg so it's only going to be so accurate. When the gauge is on the last of four bars and flashing, you better have another DraughtKeg chilled and standing by because it will run out after only a couple more pints. There are 168 ounces in a 5L keg. That equates to roughly 42 ounces per bar on the gauge. I always wipe down the inside to mop up the condensation when changing kegs.

If you have been patient enough to read all my ramblings, you will now be rewarded with a little trick I discovered to reduce excessive foaming. REMOVE THE POUR SPOUT!! The inside diameter of the pour spout is much smaller. Forcing beer through the pour spout agitates it causing unnecessary foaming. This must be by design, but I find it much easier to pour a pint without the pour spout. I poured my last two kegs without the pour spout and I was amazed at how much easier it was to pour the perfect glass (with two fingers of head). I tilt the glass at the recommended 45 degrees and slowly straighten it as I pour. I can pour a perfect pint almost every time without the pour spout and since the pour spout is the only thing that comes in contact with the beer, there is no longer a need to clean it. Voila problem solved!

All this typing has made me thirsty. I think I'll play with my beer toy now. Enjoy!


Customer Rating: Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5
Summary: Heineken BeerTender Tap System
Comment: I love this product. Some reviews have said it is difficult to pour without too much beer foam, but if you learn how to do it properly it works great. I take a very cold glass, or fill a glass with ice and water swished around for a bit and pour out the water and ice. Then with a cold glass place the glass right on the pour spout, about an inch down from the glass rim. Hold the glass any way you want as long as the beer comes out and into the glass without splashing. Hold so that it touches the glass as it pours. Works every time. Make sure to follow directions on handling the keg, it has to sit 10 hours I think. But I buy 2 at a time, keeping one in the BeerTender and 1 in the fridge. Love it! Love it! Beer on tap at home. Great.

Customer Rating: Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5
Summary: Awesome
Comment: The BeerTender has to be the best thing I have ever bought for my man (in his opinion) lol! And I want to state for the record that the reports of excessive foam are ONLY true if you shake it or DON'T let it get cold enough before trying to drink it! Patience pays off, and this time it pays off with a great ice cold beer (foam free)!

Customer Rating: Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5
Summary: If You Really Like Heineken and Really Like Draft Beer...
Comment: ...then you will probably like this product.

I've had the BeerTender for a few months and several mini-kegs so far, and will share some observations and experiences:

o The BeerTender is just a small refridgerator with a simple tap lever and spout. There is no CO2 system associated with the BeerTender; the special Heineken mini-keg has some kind of internal pressurization that is actviated when the keg is tapped.
o You do not need a BeerTender to get beer out of the special Heineken mini-keg. Each one comes with a manual tap that can be used if the mini-keg is stored in a normal refridgerator.
o The manual tap supplied with the mini-keg is not usable with the BeerTender. You must purchase single-use tubes to tap the mini-keg for use with the BeerTender. With some care, the tubes are re-usable (see product reviews for the BeerTender tubes).
o In addition to the initial cost of the BeerTender, the Heineken mini-kegs are not particularly economical. Where I live, Heineken in bottles and cans is usually less expensive, ounce-for-ounce, than the mini-keg.
o Despite being another plug-in appliance, the BeerTender does not appear to be an energy hog. Once a keg is cooled to the set point temperature, it only uses about 20 watts to maintain temperature (measured by a "Kill-A-Watt" meter). It seems well-insulated, though is not Energy-Star rated.
o Pour quality is very inconsistent. Some kegs have worked as advertised: first glass all foam, and the rest of the glasses 1/4 or less foam. Some kegs foamy for the first half, then OK second half of the keg. And one or two that produced 1/2 a glass of foam over the whole keg.
o I've tried many of the suggestions from Heineken and other reviewers for a good pour. This is my opinion what is important: beer temperature below 40 F, fully open the tap, tilt the glass at 45 - 60 degrees, use a clean/rinsed/cool glass, make sure the spout is clean, allow the mini-keg to settle after moving. I always have bad results if I don't keep the spout in contact with the glass and beer while pouring, which is contrary to Heineken's recommendation.
o On my last two kegs, I slightly kinked the tube from the mini-keg to the tap instead of trying to keep it mostly straight. This will happen if you align the opening in the top of the mini-keg with the BeerTender tap lever. Both kegs have poured very well - maybe because the kink in the tube goes down into a colder part of the BeerTender, or because of some flow restriction. In any case I hope it is not a coincidence.

The BeerTender is about as easy to set-up as a beer tap system gets. I have experience with other mini-keg taps using external CO2 cartridges, and they also take some practice to get proficient with. And "full-blown" tap systems are considerably more difficult to set up and use, but offer other benefits. Trying to compare these different systems is like "apples and oranges."

Overall, I deducted two stars for the inconsistent pour performance since that is what this whole thing is about. The unit itself has worked fine in terms of keeping the beer cold and indicating how much is left in the keg.


Buy it now at Amazon.com!




Top 50 Martial Arts Topsites List

Copyright � 1999-2008 CompleteMartialArts.com. All rights reserved.
powered by My Amazon Store Manager v 2.0, © Stringer Software Solutions