Turn the tap on and off fully. Flip the tap decisively when turning on and off so the beer can flow as intended and you don’t get excess froth. Performance: we tested the quality of the pint from each of the dispensers. If there was additional functionality or uses we tested these ,too. Let the beer settle. If you’ve had your keg delivered it may have been shaken about and that can make for a big old glass of froth. Let the keg settle for as long as you have time and when you’re popping it in the dispenser, do so smoothly to minimise shaking it up again. When you’ve filled the glass around 2/3rds full, it’s time to focus on the head. Lower the glass further from the spout or if using the Fizzics machine, flip the tap away from you for the final foamy flourish.

Start by holding the glass at 45 degrees, flip the tap towards you and let the beer flow down the side of the glass. Ease of cleaning: we looked for products that were easy to clean. No one wants their house smelling like a tired pub carpet! Ease of use: we judged the products on the clarity of their set-up instructions and how easy it was to carry them out. We were also looking for products that were going to require minimum effort on an ongoing basis.

verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ Chill the beer beforehand. Although beer dispensers can chill a keg from room temperature, this takes a lot more time and energy so if you do have the space, pop your keg in the fridge. You’re likely to want to chill it further in the machine. If you’re having a party you may need to chill more than one keg. Avoid trying to try serve the beer before it’s properly chilled as it will froth more. Value for money: we assessed whether the performance, ease of use and additional functionality justified the price. We also tested beer dispensers at a variety of prices to see if it was necessary to spend more money.