'I tried a gadget that pours pub-quality pints at home and it's perfect for BBQs'

I would struggle to name a better feeling than that first sip of a crisp and creamy beer on a hot summer day. And now, I can enjoy perfectly chilled pub-quality pints from the comfort of my own home (or garden) thanks to my newest kitchen gadget.

While I do enjoy a trip to the local pub beer garden for a social tipple, one drink leads to another, which has me spending more money than initially intended and having to walk home. But my new PerfectDraft Pro machine promises to deliver a professional pint experience without leaving the house.

The appliance comes complete with app controls, variable temperature settings, and compatibility with over 40 beers and ciders. Whether you’re hosting a BBQ, watching the football with friends, or just fancy a pint after work, it’s a machine that can transform your space into a personal bar. But, is it worth the money?

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Pros and Cons of the PerfectDraft Pro

Pros

• Pub-quality experience - Crisp, perfectly chilled pints at home

• Intuitive app control - Control temperature, track freshness, and monitor volume remotely

• Variable temperature control - With recommendations for different kegs

• SmartPour technology - Ensures smooth pours when beer is at the right temperature

• Wide selection of beers and ciders - 40+ options including Stella, Leffe and Budweiser

• Reusable kegs - £5 back per returned keg

• Fun extras - Magnetic medallions so guests know what’s on tap

Cons

• Pricey upfront - At £329, it’s definitely an investment

• Kegs have to be PerfectDraft - you can’t purchase kegs from elsewhere

• Setup takes time - Beer needs hours to chill before serving

• Foam issues if impatient - Pouring too soon wastes beer

• Space required - Bulky countertop machine

The PerfectDraft Pro is the most advanced of the PerfectDraft machines, boasting faster cooling time, Smart Pour technology and a handy app that tells you everything you need to know about your beer. You don’t have to be a tech-wizard to set it up, with the compatible 6L kegs clicking in and being ready to pour after being chilled.

The countertop machine works with over 40 beers and ciders, including renowned brands from Stella Artois, Budweiser, Corona and Leffe, cooling pints to a perfect 3°C for a premium at-home experience. We opted for the Camden Pale Ale, but there’s also Jeremy Clarkson’s own Hawkstone Lager available as an option, which excited my Clarkson’s Farm and Grand Tour-loving partner.

We’ve finally completed the outdoor bar at my parents’ house, so what better way to celebrate than by testing out the PerfectDraft Pro machine? Ahead of the bank holiday weekend, we got the family around for a tipple in the sun - but I made a bit of a rookie error.

On arrival of our guests, I started to set up the machine and inserted the 6L keg of Camden Pale Ale only to realise that it can take around 10 hours for the keg to chill to the optimum pouring temperature. In my impatience, I figured the temperature can’t be *that* important, but I soon came to realise that it really is integral.

Pouring the beer from the machine before it had time to properly cool resulted in some extremely foamy pours and around a litre of Camden Pale Ale wasted as a result. But once we let it chill properly, it was a game-changer.

I found the Rapid Cool option on the integrated app to be incredibly handy, cooling the beer much quicker. However, this setting is slightly noisier as it gets to work chilling the keg. The LED screen on the front of the machine lets you know the temperature and when it’s ready to pour, and when we got it down to the app-recommended 4°C (it’s different for every beer) it really did pour what can only be described as the perfect pub-style pint. Crisp, cold, fresh and as to be expected from Camden Town Brewery, delicious, too. Its head was perhaps a little on the large side, but I’m sure practice will make perfect in that regard.

The app is perhaps one of my favourite features of the device. As well as the nifty rapid cool setting, the app can also tell you how much liquid is left in the keg, as well as recommended snack pairings for each different beer.

It also shows how many days of freshness you have left. Each keg is good for around 30 days, which is ideal if you’re throwing a gathering and it’s expected to go quickly, but less ideal for individuals looking to savour their keg to keep costs down.

Speaking of costs, the PerfectDraft Pro would typically set shoppers back around £350 on its own, costing £348 at Argos, while on offer for £329 at Currys. At PerfectDraft Pro, shoppers can get it as part of a bundle for £319 with two glasses and a bar mat, or £329 with two glasses and a 6L keg of Camden Pale Ale. At Amazon, the device plus a keg of Camden Hells lager is £350.

The kegs then start at £26.95 for alcohol-free Stella and go up to £44.55 for Kwak, while the Camden Pale Ale is £39.55. The Camden Pale Ale keg works out at £3.08 per pint, but when you return your keg to PerfectDraft, you get £5 in credit to spend on your next one. This would take the cost per pint down to £2.70 per pint, with around 12-13 pints per keg.

By comparison, the average price of a pub pint is around £5 in the UK this year, making PerfectDraft pints cheaper. However, it’s worth noting that with the machine costing £350, divided by the average price of a pub pint, users would need to sup 1,750 pints before it paid for itself.

Similarly, a crate of 12 x 440ml cans (around 5.3L) cost around £12–£15 at the supermarket That’s about £2–£2.30 per pint equivalent, which is cheaper than PerfectDraft, but less fun and less ‘freshly poured.’

The PerfectDraft Pro isn’t the only machine that can deliver pub-style pints at home, however some can prove even more expensive and be limited in their options. Blade Heineken Starter Pack comes in at £489 instead of £506.90, and uses 8L kegs of Heineken - ideal for superfans of the brand.

For something less bulky and more budget friendly, Amazon has this Draft Wizard Ultrasonic Frothing Beer Dispenser Battery Powered Home Draught Tap. It’s battery powered rather than mains, and instead of pouring from a keg, it takes individual cans and makes them into draft pours. This device costs £48.94 and is a great gift idea for beer fans, without a pricy investment.

There are also cheaper PerfectDraft machines, too with the PerfectDraft Black being available on Amazon for £159.99, down from £219.99. But the PerfectDraft Pro sits at the premium end, ideal if you want faster cooling and more control over app settings.

The PerfectDraft Pro isn’t the cheapest way to drink beer at home, but it might be the most enjoyable. Once you’ve let it chill properly, the pints are genuinely pub-quality, the app makes it feel high-tech, and the novelty factor is huge for hosting. If you enjoy a regular tipple or love entertaining, it’s a worthy investment.