Perlick faucets, compared?

[whatsleftofyou]

In a few months I'm going to start building a bar in the basement, complete with a built-in keezer (don't worry, there will be pics and another thread). I'm curious if anyone has any input as to if there are any advantages/disadvantages of the 425SS vs the 525SS and if the creamer function of the 575SS is worth it. I don't mind spending the extra few dollars per faucet if the removable spout ends up being that much of a feature. Thanks!

 

[strat_thru_marshall]

never used the 425's, but I love my 525's. A quick spritz with star san at the end of the night keeps everything nice and clean and they pour great.

 

[IrregularPulse]

I like my removable faucets simply because there is a member here that sells threaded hose barbs for them to allow for extremely easy bottle and growler filling. I don't have any yet but plan on picking 1-2 up and am glad I have the faucets to accept them.

 

[dinokath]

I love my 425SS's. They look great plus when you look at some of the photos of some of the more 'exotic' systems (i.e. expensive) that folks post, they are using the 425SS faucet.

Here the link to those machined nozzles. I bought the 8mm one and really noticed a difference in the pour. Also got the bottling one but haven't bottled anything yet. It's super nice to be able to 'field strip' the faucet at the end of an evening and give it a cleaning.

Here's some shots of mine. I bought some grey vinyl screw caps from Home Depot in the specialty screw section to use as faucet plugs and took a small hot nail and poked a hole to let the gas escape (they kept popping off due to air expanding). What is great is that the beer is right behind the plug when you remove the spout. Everything stays very clean!

425SS is worth the extra $$ in my opinion. If you want the 'creamer', just pull the handle forward slowly and it will dispense a head just fine.

 

[Baja_Brewer]

I had some 575SS's, I was excited about them so I snapped some up right when they came out. Over time I realized that I wasn't so into them as I thought I would be. I wanted a stout faucet for stouts, and I can pour a beer with a damn good head on my own once the lines are balanced. (Eventually I traded a NEW stout faucet for one of 575SS faucets, best deal ever!)

Also, the fact that you have to center the faucet when turning it off can be a PIA if new people want to try pouring... they try and push the lever all the way back and....bad news!

 

[Gritsak]

I've owned all 3 at one point or another. I thought the 575 was a bit gimmicky. The "creamer" function just pushes the beer through a bunch of tiny holes and sprays the beer all over the glass. You can essentially do the same thing with a regular faucet by partially opening it. The 425ss has a better "feel" than the 525ss, but functionally they are both fine. I traded my two 425's for a couple 525's and cash because i was adding additional taps and it was cheaper this way. I had the bottling spout and really never used it. It's really nicely made though.

 

[bad coffee]

I have both the 425 and the 525's on my kegerator. I like the look of the 425 better, they're just a little more 'refined' looking. The 525's are kinda blocky.

That's just the designer in me. Both types of faucets work great.

B