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Sunday, April 15, 2007

Review: Micro Matic Kegerators

(The following is a paid review solicited via ReviewMe.com.)

For my second ReviewMe mission, I've been asked to give my thoughts on the line-up of Kegerator draught beer dispensing units produced by the Micro Matic company. Although they didn't actually send me one for a test run, so I guess I'm really just giving my opinion on how they look on the website.

As with my first ReviewMe post (a review of the UK-based website Homebrew 4U) , I'm at a slight disadvantage because I'm not really in the Kegerator target market. As much as I like beer, the idea of having kegs on tap at home has never really appealed to me, probably because I rarely drink more than one of the same beer in a row.

That being said, if I was interested in getting a draught system for home, the Kegerator models look pretty decent. They come in a variety of sizes and prices, ranging from a US$495 unit that holds a pony (1/4 barrel) keg, to a US$1,470 professional grade unit that houses full-sized (1/2 barrel) keg. There are a couple of double-tap models available as well, for those who like a bit of variety.

Customers could also have some confidence regarding the quality of the products based on the fact that Micro Matic has been around since 1953 and is one of the world leaders in the manufacture and distribution of draught beer equipment. If the stuff they make is good enough for bars and restaurants in over 120 countries, it should be more than good enough for a home bar set-up. And the fact that all of the units have fairly detailed info and specifications available online makes comparison shopping easy.

So - I probably won't be buying one for myself any time soon, but if you're in the market for a draught beer dispenser for your own home bar, this site may be a good place to start, if only to get an idea of what's available from the pro-grade manufacturers. If you don't believe me, just ask Alan.

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