Does an at-home beer tap actually save you money on pints?

Crisp, cold pints in the sun? Sign us up. At-home beer taps aren't cheap, but with manufacturers promising pints of beer for less than £2, it's potentially a smart investment for the summer.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) puts the average price for a pint of lager in the UK at £5.23 (as of January 2026), although this will vary hugely depending on where you live. 

Manufacturers, including Philips, promise ice-cold draught beers at a fraction of the cost of the average pub pint. We've taken a look to see if these machines are worth getting for your next barbecue or garden party.

Need to cool your cans quickly? We've tested the fastest ways to chill beers

What is an at-home beer tap?

It's simply any system combining a keg and a tap that you can have at home. They can range from standalone tabletop models, all the way to the massive lines of beer taps on a counter like you'd see in a pub.

Below we've taken a closer look at popular standalone draught beer machines, including Philips' PerfectDraft system, Beerwulf's Blade and Guinness's tiny NitroSurge device. 

These use smaller 'mini kegs' or special beer cans that are claimed to deliver pub-quality pints at home. 

The pre-pressurised kegs are combined with built-in air compressors and pump systems to automatically chill beer and regulate carbonation. Manufacturers such as Philips claim this mimics the fresh taste of a pub-pulled pint without the need for any extra CO2 canisters.

Popular at home beer-taps compared: PerfectDraft vs. Blade vs. NitroSurge

These three at-home beer taps are among the most popular in the UK. 

We haven't tested them yet, but we've focused on each one's capabilities:

Philips PerfectDraft

We like: Machine bundles start from less than £200 at PerfectDraft

Watch out for: Kegs are only 6 litres, which will only get you around 10 full pints

Formerly known as Beer Hawk, this at-home beer tap takes special 6L mini-kegs and can dispense a wide variety of popular beers, such as Stella, Camden Helles, Corona, Brewdog Punk IPA. To use it, you simply pop a keg into the machine and pull your pint. 

Once you open a keg, it should be good for around 30 days. When finished, you can return them to PerfectDraft to get £5 towards your next keg. The average cost of a 6-litre keg is just under £40, but some cost more.

You can choose from the PerfectDraft Black, the regular PerfectDraft, or the PerfectDraft Pro machines. Here's what you need to know about each one:

See the full range of beer kegs and machines from PerfectDraft.

Beerwulf Blade

We like: Larger 8-litre kegs

Watch out for: The more expensive option, keg variety is more limited

This countertop draught beer machine uses larger 8-litre kegs, which is just over 14 pints. You can choose from popular beers including Heineken, Red Stripe, Amstel, Moretti and more – although the overall selection of beer is more limited than for the PerfectDraft above.

Like other machines, you pop in a keg and pour. It will chill beer to 2°C, and you can swap out the top handle to match some of the beers you're serving. Its upfront cost is much higher, but with an average keg cost of just under £41, the price per litre of beer is lower than for other machines.

Once you open a keg, it should be good for 30 days. 

Take a look at the full range of machine and keg bundles from Beerwulf. Prices start from £507.

Guinness Nitrosurge

We like: The cheapest and smallest of the bunch

Watch out for: Only works with Guinness Nitrosurge cans, which are more expensive than regular cans

The dark horse of our bunch, this tiny device clips onto special compatible cans of Guinness to recreate the two-part pour at home. To use it, simply pop in a can, turn on the device and pour into a glass.

Although it's the cheapest gadget in our comparison, it only works with Guinness - and more expensive, special cans of Guinness at that. We'd only recommend picking it up if you drink tons of it. Otherwise, you're probably better off getting the regular cans from the supermarket.

You'll need to buy Guinness Nitrosurge cans to use with the Nitrosurge tap. Compare prices on a four-pack below:

Need a present for someone who appreciates wine? We've spoken with our experts to find the best gifts for wine lovers

Does an at-home tap actually save you money on beer?

We've taken a look at the numbers to break down average costs and how many pints you'd need to drink to start saving cash.

For this breakdown, we're using the ONS average cost of £5.23 per pint. 

The cost of a pint varies significantly depending on where you live, and prices in your area might be higher. 

So if you want to calculate the numbers yourself, take the cost of a starter bundle and divide it by the average pint price in your area. You can see how many pints you'll need to gulp before you start seeing a return on any investment. 

If you're looking to save money on draught beers, the device that will save you the most money is the Guinness Nitrosurge, as its entry cost is lower. 

It only works with Guinness, though, and probably isn't worth getting unless you're drinking lots of it. 

Otherwise, the Philips PerfectDraft is probably your best bet for an at-home beer tap. It has the widest variety of beer, and you won't need to drink huge volumes at home rather than down the pub before you start seeing some savings – even if those savings aren't as much per pint.

Best alcohol-free beer: See whether our panel rated Beck's, Peroni, Stella Artois, Aldi or Lidl

Are you better off buying canned beers instead?

Although you won't get a pub-quality pint, if you're looking to save cash, this is the best option.

The average can of lager (330ml) from a supermarket costs just 77p, which is more than £4 cheaper than a pub pint (558ml). It ultimately depends on the beer, but on average, cans of beer from the supermarket cost £2.33 per litre.

We've broken down the price per litre of beer, and compared it to the costs of each at-home beer tap.

Each month, our experts take a look into which supermarket is cheapest in the UK – we've also compared the best loyalty schemes

Our verdict: should you buy an at-home beer tap?

Our expert, Lars Stannard, was a bartender for six years before joining Which?. While he primarily specialised in cocktails, he's fixed more than enough drinks to know what's worth spending your money on.

'It's a fun and novel way to enjoy beer at home, but frankly, I'm not entirely convinced.

'If you're going to be hosting lots of people in the garden this summer or want to bring a slice of the pub home with you, these machines could be worth adding to your home bar. Even then, they won't save you as much money as buying cans of beer from the supermarket.

'I'd stock up on kegs though – six or eight litres of beer is a lot to take on solo, but a thirsty crowd can quickly work their way through that. If you've got multiple mini-kegs for a party, make sure you pre-chill your spares in the fridge so they're cold when they go into the machine.

'If you're truly looking to save money on beers at home, buy cans from the supermarket and keep them in your fridge or, if you're running out of space, pick up one of our Best Buy under-counter fridges and keep drinks in there.'

Read our full guide on the best under-counter fridges, or compare prices on popular Which?-tested models below: