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The Best Draft Beer Taps and Faucets For Serving Your Homebrew
If you are a serious homebrewer, you probably already know why you should keg your beer instead of the tedious and time-consuming task of bottling.
Although you will be keeping your beer cold and fresh in a kegerator or keezer, you need a quality and reliable beer tap and faucet to serve up the perfect pint.
Draft beer faucets will come in a variety of styles, made from different materials, and are available in all price ranges. If you are looking to buy your first beer tap and faucet, or wanting to swap out an old one, have a look at our reviews before you buy.
Table of Contents
If you don’t have time to read our reviews of each draft beer faucet, here are the ones we recommend you have a look at.
- Intertap with flow control valve (Best Flow Control)
- Perlick 630SS stainless steel (Best Standard Faucet)
- CRBrewBeer – Stout/coffee faucet (Best Stout Faucet)
- Perlick beer faucet with flow control – 650SS
- Nukatap beer faucet – matte black finish
- MRbrew commercial grade beer faucet
- OneBom beer tap kit
Intertap Beer Faucet
This Intertap stainless steel draft beer faucet with a valve to control the flow of beer. It’s a high-quality product, and a popular choice among homebrewers and commercial establishments.
This faucet is interchangeable with all standard shanks and beer dispensing systems. The threading for the tap handle is also standard so you can attach other custom or branded handles of your choice.
A neat feature of this faucet is the nozzle is removable and can be replaced with a different style nozzle, or can be used as a growler filler with the optional growler spout that will fit on all Intertap faucets. There is also an optional faucet spring that can be installed to make this model self-closing.
Pros
- Removable and interchangeable nozzle
- Flow control valve
- Optional self-closing spring is available
Cons
- Does not come with a warranty, but has a 30 day refund policy
Perlick 630SS Stainless Steel
When it comes to dispensing beer in a commercial pub, or from a kegerator at home, Perlick has it covered.
This beer faucet is constructed of 304 grade stainless steel, which means it won’t pit or tarnish, and will always look new. It is more reliable because it is manufactured with less internal parts.
The angled spout and forward sealing design allows for better draining and prevents the beer from collecting in the faucet, causing the lever to stick.
Perlick is often the go-to choice for both homebrewers and brew pubs. There is also a 1-year parts and labor warranty on Perlick products.
Pros
- Widely popular in the beer industry
- Easy to clean
- Stainless steel construction
Cons
- Handle and shank is not included
Stainless Steel Stout Beer and Coffee Faucet
This nitrogen faucet from CRBrewBeer is designed to dispense any beer, especially stouts and coffee.
It is made with heavy-duty materials like food-grade 304 stainless steel, with is a must when serving coffee, due to the acidity in the coffee. This stout faucet is durable, won’t leak or rust, and should last longer than similar models that are made of chrome-plated brass, which can pit and corrode over time.
This attractive nitro stout faucet has been tested not to leak at 40 psi, which is perfect for stouts and cold brew coffee if you choose.
The threads on this stout faucet are also compatible with most standard shanks and beer towers on the market. The restrictor disc can also be easily removed so the the faucet can be converted to a CO2 gas system to accommodate other types of beer.
Two things to be aware of. The package only include the faucet, coupler ring, and the handle. Also, this faucet might have a tendency to drip for a few seconds after closing the tap, so you might want to keep a drip tray or glass under it just in case.
Pros
- Specifically designed for nitrogen beers and coffee
- Can be converted to dispense lagers and ales
Cons
- Holes in the restrictor plate can clog, restricting the flow of beer
Perlick 650SS Stainless Steel
This forward sealing beer faucet from Perlick is comparable to Intertap, and features a unique flow control valve to help control the flow rate of the beer through the beer lines, instead of adjusting the line pressure, no matter the length or diameter.
It is made with high-quality 304 stainless steel inner construction, and the chrome-plated brass exterior finish gives it a premium and professional look.
It also has a short 1-inch dispensing nozzle, which will cut down on contamination when the faucet is not regularly cleaned. This faucet does not come with a shank or tap handle, but it will fit any beer tower or shank with standard threads, and most dispensing tap handles.
Although this is one of the highest-rated flow-control faucet available, Perlick hopes to have a full stainless steel model on the market soon.
Pros
- Valve to control the flow-of the beer
- Short dispensing nozzle reduces contamination
- Fits standard shanks and beer towers
Cons
- Not all stainless steel construction
- Valve control is not intended to be used as a shut-off
Nukatap Beer Faucet - SS Stealth Bomber/Matte Black
This forward sealing Nukatap draft beer faucet is easy to clean, and one of the most sanitary faucet on the market because of its seamless single piece design.
Too much foam and wasted beer is often a problem with most faucets, but this model is manufactured with a lower thermal mass which reduces “first-pour” problems. It also weighs 20% less than other similar types of faucets.
It is made from a food-grade, durable stainless steel with a matte black finish, and compatible with all Intertap faucets and shanks.
Pros
- Reduces excessive foam on first pours
- Black matte finish is a nice alternative to chrome
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Shanks and coupling nuts and rings not available in the black matte finish
- Surface can scratch and chip
MRbrew Upgraded Beer Faucet
This MRbrew beer faucet is comparable to a commercial grade model, so you know it is built to last.
Every part is constructed with 304 grade stainless steel, which ensures the highest quality and performance.
The stainless steel construction not only looks good, it prevents against air corrosion and unwanted flavors in your beer. It is also easy to disassemble for easy and regular cleaning.
The faucet is easy to use, won’t easily stick, and doesn’t foam and drip like some other faucets that are made of brass.
It doesn’t come with a shank, but it versatile enough that it will fit most standard shanks, tap handles, beer towers, and kegs.
Pros
- Great price for stainless steel
- Commercial grade faucet
Cons
- Heavier tap dispensing handles can cause valve to open
OneBom Beer Tap and Faucet Kit
This flow-control faucet and kit from OneBom also comes with a tap handle, shank, along with a barb and ball-lock connector for your keg.
All of the internal parts are made with food-grade 304 stainless steel and the body is chrome plated which prevents pitting and tarnishing. You also won’t get the metallic taste along with your beer.
The flow-control valve lets your pour a variety of different styles of beer, while controlling and eliminating excess foam, even when hooked up to shorter beer lines.
Unfortunately the spout is not removable if you were wanting to replace it with a different dispensing nozzle. Also, this particular model comes with a short 1-1/2″ shank that is not removable, so just make sure this set-up will work for you.
However, there are other options with longer 3″ and 4″ shanks available, but without the flow control feature.
Pros
- Includes the shank and tap handle
- Will fit custom or personalized tap handles
- Good price for what’s included
Cons
- Not all stainless steel construction
- Standard tap cleaning kit will not fit
- Nozzle and shank cannot be removed
Types of Beer Faucets
Although all beer faucets are designed to dispense your favorite beer from a keg or beer tower, there are few different styles to consider before you buy.
There are basically three types of beer faucets to choose from.
- Standard
- European
- Nitro Stout
Standard
Most homebrew kegging systems and commercial bars and restaurants use “standard” or North American taps and faucets to dispense their draft beer.
This style is designed to work with just about every kegerator or beer tower, and accommodate a personalized or custom tap dispensing handle. These standard type faucets and shanks are also made to easily swap out if needed.
The common standard version is one of the most widely used beer faucet styles on commercial draft systems, as well as personal kegging systems too.
European
European faucets work much the same way as the standard beer faucets, but there are a couple of distinct differences between the two.
These European beer tap look a bit different because they are often designed with a long and skinny nozzle instead of a shorter spout. This design is intended to reduce the overall amount of foam in your beer glass when dispensing from the tap.
Also, the European type is not interchangeable with the North American style, so if you want to buy one of these to use on your existing standard setup, you will need to find a conversion adapter.
Nitro Stout
Unlike traditional beer faucets that use CO2 to dispense the beer, a stout faucet is much more narrow and uses nitrogen instead. The thin and narrow nozzle along with nitrogen, is what produces the smooth and creamy pour of a stout.
Stout-type beer faucets are very efficiently designed with a nitrogen-based draft system to provide precise quality performance. Since this type of beer tap is not very large, their unique opening has been constructed so that the beverages are poured very slowly.
Taking Care of Your Beer Tap and Faucet
To maintain good hygiene of each beer tap and faucets, you want to clean your dispensing system on a regular basis.
While many faucet styles are designed to prevent beer from “pooling” in the nozzle, a bit of beer residue will always be left behind. This can lead to a variety of bacteria and mold. Also, if the taps and faucets are not cleaned regularly, the buildup of beer can cause the valve to stick.
And finally, beer and other acidic beverages like coffee can cause certain types of material to corrode and discolor over time, unless the faucet and all internal components are made from stainless steel.
Final Say
Although any beer faucet on this list will do the job of serving your beer, our favorite and the best beer faucet is the stainless steel with flow-control beer tap and faucet from Intertap.
When it comes to reliability and reputation, both Intertap and Perlick are two of the most used beer tap and faucet in the industry, but the one from Intertap gets our vote for a few reasons, none which was due to the overall quality.
Not only does it have the valve to control the flow of beer, we also liked the fact that the nozzle could be removed and used as a growler filler or a “stout spout”. Also when comparing to Perlick’s stainless steel/flow control version, the overall price was also a factor in our decision.
The one drawback with Intertap is the lack of any kind of warranty, although there is a 30-day refund period.
Happy Brewing!
P.S. Have a look at our draft beer tap and faucet guide if you want a little more information about the different types and styles that are available.
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