Why You Can Trust CNET Get a Fizzics Waytap beer system for $90.99
That's the lowest price anywhere for this magic gadget, which makes canned and bottled beer taste like it came from a tap. Plus: Fly around the house for $18.
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Know someone who loves beer? Then, ladies and gentlemen, I invite you to start your holiday shopping very early.
For a limited time (the deal expires at midnight on Aug. 10), you can get the Fizzics Waytap for $90.99 shipped. That's after applying discount code CHEAPSKATE$39 at checkout. Regular price: $129.99.
According to the Fizzics folks, that's the best price you'll find anywhere. Woo-hoo!
Mmm... beer
What the heck is a Fizzics Waytap, and what's it doing in a blog about tech stuff? It's a pretty little machine that makes canned and bottled beer taste like it came from a tap -- and uses science to do it!
I first spotted the Waytap on "Shark Tank" a while back, and I'll admit I was instantly intrigued. All the sharks seemed very impressed by the beer it produced, and its inventors walked away with a deal from Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner.
That deal was based on the original, larger, model -- the Waytap is its smaller, more portable sibling. (FYI, the discount code can be used on the original, too.)
It works like this: You put a can or bottle inside the machine, hold a glass under the tap and pull the lever. Presto: Out comes beer, followed by a rich, creamy head when you push the lever the opposite direction.
Mmm... this beer?
The question, of course: Is it any good? I'd advise you to read Andrew Gebhart's CNET review of the Waytap, which explains some of the science behind the process and comes from someone who's more of a beer aficionado than yours truly.
That said, I wasn't about to put my name on this deal without trying the product first. So I tested it with a few dozen beers. Conclusion: Wooooo! I lerve fizzy wayback! OK, I tested it with three beers, because I'm as lightweight as they come, and invited Mrs. Cheapskate to join me. She's the more interesting case study: likes beer at a bar when it comes from a tap, doesn't particularly care for cans or bottles.
Although we both agreed the Waytap doesn't make a huge difference in the way beer tastes, we definitely liked it. It kind of smooths out the carbonation, so you get less of that sharp, bubbly mouth feel and more of the flavor of the beer. Also, the head is truly heavenly. Mrs. Cheapskate -- who, again, would not typically choose beer to drink at home -- repeatedly remarked, "I really like this!"
This auto-hovering mini-drone comes with a remote.
This is, of course, highly subjective. As I said, read Gebhart's review, then read other reviews around the interwebs. They're mostly very positive, but there's one big complaint that has nothing to do with beer: The Waytap chews through batteries. Expect to need a new set of four AAs after roughly two dozen pours. (Fizzics really needs to update this thing to include an AC adapter.) Update: According a Fizzics rep, the battery issue affected only the first batch of machines. Current models should be good for up to 200 pours on a set of batteries.
Your thoughts?
Bonus deal: Time for discount rerun! (The product is discounted; the rerun is free.) There are mini drones, and then there are mini drones. I'm talking about impossibly tiny ones -- like the Aukey Mini Drone, which is roughly the dimensions of a stack of saltine crackers. How does it even fly? I don't know, but it does so amazingly well.
For a limited time, you can get the Aukey Mini Drone for $17.99, shipped free with Prime, when you apply promo code AUKEYUA2 at checkout (tested and verified at 6 a.m. PT). That's for the version that comes with a remote. You can also get the app-powered version for the same price using the same code, though I greatly prefer the responsiveness and simplicity of a handheld controller.
This is a really fun little flier for the price. Unlike a lot of tiny, inexpensive drones, this one auto-hovers, making flight a lot easier to master -- and more fun. It doesn't have a headless mode, though, nor blade guards, so it's not ideal for younger kids. But I crashed one into a hard floor from about 7 feet up, and it wasn't damaged in the slightest. Small equals tough, in this case. (YMMV.)