BLADE Beer Tap Review: Proper Pints at Home in Your Man Cave
First Look: What’s in the Box?
The BLADE Starter Pack is basically a dream drop for anyone with a home bar, pub shed, or man cave in your house. Ours came with:
- The BLADE beer tap unit
- An 8L Birra Moretti keg (roughly 14 pints)
- A dome lid and drip tray
We also added on the Birra Moretti glasses and bar accessories — which is completely optional, but highly recommended if you are a big fan of the specific beer makers. If not we really like the chrome finish on the tap machine.
Unboxing was straightforward. The machine looks pretty cool and it's quick to set up — a solid, brushed metal finish that quietly demands respect. It’s compact enough to fit under shelves or on a corner of your bar, but it’s got enough presence to feel like a centrepiece when in use. when you turn the machine on with the light on the dome this will really stand out with the lighting in your man cave.
Setup & Ease of Use
The BLADE is genuinely plug and pour. No CO₂ canisters. No beer lines. No phonebook-sized instruction manual. Here’s how it works:
- Place it on a flat surface and plug it in, make sure the surface is sturdy.
- Slot in your keg either pre-chilled or straight from the box and pull the line through to the pouring tap.
- Make sure you lock it, turn the light on and close the dome lid and let it do its thing — the internal system cools the keg down to 2 °C.
- Wait 20 minutes, then pull the tap and enjoy.
As with all home beer taps the first pour was a both frothey but it gets smoother after that. It genuinely looks and tastes like a pint you'd get from your local — good head, proper fizz, chilled to perfection. Honestly? We were buzzing when we took the first sip as it tasted as good as any pub and it was sat right there in the cave.
The official noise level is around 70dB, it's about the same as your kitchen fridge, so it won’t interrupt movie night or drown out match commentary. The energy rating is A+, so if you leave it running for a weekender, it’s not going to obliterate your leccy bill. Once you open the keg you can still drink it up to 30 days later and store it in your fridge if you don't finish it all in one sitting.
Drinking Experience
This machine is all about quality draught beer at home, and it absolutely delivers.
Birra Moretti tastes exactly as it should — light, crisp, with that slightly bready malt kick at the end. But the real magic is the home draught experience. Pouring your own pint with a proper tap is miles ahead of cracking open a tin or bottle. It’s a small thing, but it adds ceremony to your pint — and that’s what man caves are about when you are having a few mates round.
One 8L keg pours about 14 full pints officially but it may vary depending on how big your glasses are, schooner scorers are allowed!
Variety & Value
We started with Birra Moretti, but the BLADE system supports a load of 8L kegs from big names:
- Heineken
- Brixton IPA
- Desperados
- Cruzcampo
- Tiger
- Heineken 0.0 for the designated driver
- Strongbow Dark Fruits
- Plus loads more options
At around £1.84 per pint, it’s proper value too. You're looking at premium beer for less than half the price you'd pay down the boozer — and no one’s trying to flog you crisps or kick you out at 11.
If you’re building out a home bar or upgrading your man cave, this is the kind of gear that turns heads and raises glasses. It's also perfect for barbecues, darts nights, or just quietly avoiding the pub crowd in peace.
The Verdict
The BLADE Beer Tap is one of those rare bits of kit that people remember.
It’s easy to use, great to look at, and delivers pub-quality pints in your own home. Whether it’s sat in a kitted-out man cave, perched on your garden pub shed bar, or acting as the crown jewel of your indoor bar setup, it just works — and makes everything feel a bit more proper.
Official Man Cave Geek Score: 4.3 Skulls out of 5 ☠️☠️☠️☠️💀
Recommended for anyone who takes their home drinking seriously.
❓ BLADE Beer Tap FAQs
Q: How many pints do you get from a BLADE keg?
Each 8L keg pours about 14 pints.
Q: Does it need a gas canister?
Nope — no CO₂, no faff. Just plug it in and pour.
Q: How long does the beer stay fresh once tapped?
Up to 30 days — though we’ve never managed to make one last that long.
Q: What beers can I use with it?
Lots! Birra Moretti, Heineken, Desperados, Affligem, and more. Check the full range of compatible BLADE kegs.
Q: Is it noisy?
Not really — about the same as a standard fridge hum.
Q: How cold does it get?
The BLADE chills your beer to 2 °C — the perfect pint-pulling temp.
Q: Is it worth it for a home bar or pub shed?
100%. If you love draught beer and entertaining mates, it’s a game-changer.
Q: What about warranty?
It comes with a 2-year warranty as standard, giving you peace of mind.
