I have a confession to make. Before this review, I’ve never consumed wine from a cardboard box container. It’s not that I’m a wine snob, it’s just that the limited number of wines I enjoy, only come in bottles. So, the makers of the Boxxle provided me with their 3 liter bag-in-box dispenser so that I could expand my horizons. First stop was the State run Liquor store to get some samples.
Coincidentally with the arrival of the Boxxle, I was scheduled to attend my annual family reunion. What better place to test the wine dispenser using about 30 adults as guinea pigs.
To make use of the Boxxle, one removes the 3 liter bag from the cardboard box. The next step is to press down on the spring-loaded plate until it latches at the bottom of the dispenser. After inserting the bag in the dispenser and arranging the spout in the cutout in the front, you then close the lid which releases the plate to compress the bag.
It’s not a bad looking device and aroused the curiosity of the party goers. All was going well until…..
Disaster struck! The bag of Sangria started leaking all over the table in a fairly steady stream. I’m not sure what happened. We removed the bag and examined it for any punctures, but could find none. My best guess is that there was a small tear in the bag which was not an issue until the spring-loaded dispenser compressed it. The spring in the device is rather strong. Nevertheless, the experiment was over for the day, having run out of box wine.
Because the leak may have been due to something I had done wrong, I secured another bag of wine, this time a Cabernet Sauvignon from Chili, not that the type of wine should make a difference. This one however, was in a plastic bag and not foil like the Sangria.
Because of the leak at the reunion that destroyed my hostess’s table cloth, the person who runs things at our home made me do the testing outside at our summer home. Luckily the weather was nice and we had a steady stream of visitors to experiment upon.
A feature that wasn’t apparent at first, is the ability to fill your wine glass using one hand. If you use the box, you need two hands because the spout is on the bottom and is gravity fed. With the Boxxle you get a fast pour and a free hand.
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n this second test there was no failure of the dispenser. It was sitting outside for a couple of days and didn’t leak. I’ve now been allowed to bring it inside.
The Boxxle dispenser worked as advertised, but truthfully why would anyone pay $100 for a cardboard box wine dispenser. Isn’t the point of box wine that it’s cheap and doesn’t require a sophisticated device to consume it? For me, until they dispense Nuits-Saint-Georges or Saint-Émilion wines in boxes, I’ll give box wines a pass. If you’re into box wines, you decide if it’s worth the money to fill your glass faster.
Product Information
| Price: | $100 |
| Manufacturer: | Boxxle |
| Requirements: |
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You got that right – why would you?
Who paid to have the table cloth replaced? Actually there are some fairly decent wine in boxes with the idea that if you don’t finish the wine right away, it will keep longer as the bag collapses as the wine is dispersed and so no air touches the wine, reducing possible spoilage. Still no justification for a device to dispense it. Buy a bottle. I’ve been known to pour that with one hand.
Used to drink from these when I was younger. You can get some good wine in boxes in Australia. Biggest catch is it’s easy to lose track of how much you drink because you can’t see the level going down and there is a lot in one box.
Hello. I had never had boxed wine before either. The occasion to try some was a large family picnic at a lake over Labor Day weekend. I was asked to bring several reds and whites and thought why not try some boxed wines, perfect occasion. I went to Total Wine and was advised to get a Maipe Malbec, a Black Box Chardonnay (sp?), Black Box Merlot (Fantastic!!), and a Cab. I bought 2 of each, which turned out to be 36 bottles worth!!! at an almost impossibly low price. Then I went on line to find a bag or server of some sort to spruce things up and chill the white. I ended up at Brookstone and found the Boxxle Premium Wine Dispenser. The wine was a total success! It was fun and easy to serve. No bottles to break. I got many complements on all the wines. That was a surprise! I served them, one chilled and one room temperature from the two Brookstone Boxxles so maybe no one knew they were boxed wines. Anyway, it all went well. The Boxxles are beautiful and worked as advertised. Very elegant and I paid for them with the savings on wine. Great family gathering! Thanks!
When I read your story I’m gonna laugh when I saw the box machine looks like a trash can. It designed for everything not only for wine but also for home usage.
I love this product, it’s easy to operate and affordable.
Greetings – I frequently use boxed wine as an everyday wine for meals, entertaining and etcetera. Boxed wines have really come along — Franzia varietals are the same stuff you find in many 5 -12 dollar (US) wines at various places, for example, Trader Joe’s. At the bottom of these boxes, in small print is the origination. They usually come from Chile, Argentina, Australia & sometimes California or France. Anyway, I can see this being useful for a bar’s ‘house wine’, for-hire bartenders that cater to parties, weddings, etc, people and people who like to entertain. Not sure about the $ 100.00 price though.