2 gallon glass drink dispensers (2 pack) review
Two dispensers, one stand, and roughly sixty servings before somebody has to refill them.
Two 2-gallon lead-free glass dispensers with 304 stainless steel spigots, a metal stand, chalkboards and filter cartridges.
Check price on AmazonSpecifications
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 2 gallons each, 4 gallons total |
| Glass | Food grade, lead-free and cadmium-free |
| Spigots | 18/8 304 stainless steel with a 7-layer sealed connection |
| Stand | Metal, holds both dispensers |
| Included | 2 dispensers, 2 faucets, 1 stand, 2 chalkboards, 2 filter cartridges and instructions |
| Use | Cold beverages |
Specifications above come from The manufacturer's published product specifications. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.
What it does well
- Glass on a metal stand looks like a drinks station rather than like a catering urn, which is the whole reason to buy these rather than plastic jugs.
- Three hundred and four stainless spigots are the part that fails on cheap dispensers, and the seven layer seal addresses the other failure, which is dripping onto the table all evening.
- The filter cartridges keep fruit and ice out of the tap, which is what actually blocks a spigot mid-reception.
- Chalkboards included, so guests know which is lemonade and which is the one with gin in it.
- Self-serve drinks take pressure off a bar and give guests something to do during a photograph-heavy cocktail hour.
Where it falls short
- Four gallons is about sixty eight-ounce servings. At a hundred guests that is not one drink each, so plan to refill and plan who is doing it.
- A full two gallon glass jar weighs a great deal and it is glass. Filling it in place rather than carrying it full is the practical advice, and it is easy to forget.
- One stand for two dispensers means they sit together. If you wanted them at opposite ends of a room, you have one stand.
- Cold beverages only. Glass dispensers and hot liquids do not mix, and neither does a sudden temperature change.
- Ice in the dispenser dilutes the drink and takes up capacity. An ice sleeve or a separate ice bucket is the better arrangement and is not included.
What owners report
Owners consistently report that the spigots are the part that decides whether a dispenser is good, and that these ones do not drip, which is the most common failure elsewhere. Reports of the glass being heavier and better made than expected are common. The recurring practical advice is to fill in place and to have a plan for refills, since a station that is empty at the wrong moment is worse than not having one.
Drinks are one of the largest single lines in a wedding budget, and the wedding alcohol calculator is the honest way to work out how much you actually need. If you are self-catering the bar as well, self catering vs catered wedding covers what that really involves.
Who it suits
- Self-serve drinks stations at receptions and cocktail hours.
- Backyard and outdoor weddings with no bar.
- Welcome drinks, lemonade stations and infused water for a summer ceremony.
- Couples who want the station to appear in the photographs.
Who should skip it
- Anyone expecting four gallons to cover a hundred guests unattended.
- Hot drinks of any kind.
- Setups needing dispensers in two separate locations, since there is one stand.
Alternatives worth considering
The set includes 50 cups, and since the dispensers are cold drinks only, the two purchases pair naturally for a self-catered reception.
Check price on AmazonA drinks station on a bare hired table looks like catering. On a floor length cloth it looks like part of the wedding.
Check price on AmazonDrinks and fire are the two places guests congregate at an outdoor reception, and both keep people out of the house.
Check price on AmazonCommon questions
How much drink does a wedding need?
Far more than four gallons. As a rough guide, plan on more than one drink per guest per hour for the first hours of a reception, which for a hundred guests is many gallons. Our wedding alcohol calculator works from guest count, duration and drink mix rather than a single number.
Can you put hot drinks in a glass dispenser?
No. These are specified for cold beverages, and thermal shock is a real risk with glass. Hot drinks need a proper insulated urn, which is a separate purchase and one that self-catering couples routinely forget until the coffee stage.
Should you put ice in the dispenser?
It is better to keep the ice separate. Ice in the jar dilutes the drink as it melts and takes up capacity you paid for. An ice sleeve inside the dispenser, or a bucket beside it, keeps drinks cold without watering them down.
How heavy is a full 2 gallon dispenser?
Heavy enough that you should fill it in place rather than carry it. Two gallons of liquid alone is about 17 pounds before you add the weight of the glass. Set the stand where it is going first, then fill.
Keep reading
- Wedding alcohol calculator
- Self catering vs catered wedding
- Plastic vs glass champagne flutes
- Nervure gold plastic plates review
- White round tablecloths review
- Outland portable fire pit review
This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.