Which Bartesian^® Should You Buy? A Full Machine Comparison

Why Are There Four Bartesian^® Models?

Bartesian^® launched with one machine, the Premium, and expanded its lineup as the brand grew. The Duet came later for people who wanted a more compact, lower-cost option. The Professional was originally built for commercial use in hotels, stadiums, and cruise ships before being made available for home purchase. The Premier is the newest model, built on the Professional's frame but tuned for home entertaining.

As of 2026, the Premium is temporarily out of stock on bartesian.com. Bartesian has confirmed it will return but has not announced a timeline, and it remains available on Amazon in the meantime. We have kept it in this guide because it is still a fully supported machine and many people own one, are considering buying one on Amazon, or want to compare every model before deciding.

What all four models share: the same cocktail quality, the same four strength settings (Mocktail, Light, Regular, Strong), the same capsule system, and the same roughly 30-second pour. The decision comes down to how you use the machine: space, spirit variety, controls, and how often you entertain.

The Bartesian^® Duet: The Compact Option

The Duet is Bartesian's^® most compact machine, designed for smaller spaces and people who keep a simpler home bar. It does the same core thing as the larger models in a smaller package, with some trade-offs.

The Duet holds two spirit bottles at a time. You load it with your two favorite spirits, say vodka and tequila, and every capsule that uses those spirits is available to you. You can swap bottles whenever you want to change things up. The machine uses a rotary dial and LCD display rather than a touchscreen. Only the original Premium uses a touchscreen; the Duet, Professional, and Premier all use a dial, which many people actually prefer for its simplicity.

The Duet also has built-in LED lighting that highlights each cocktail as it is being crafted, a design feature it shares with the Professional and Premier but not the Premium. It gives the machine a stylish, modern presence on any countertop or bar cart.

The main trade-off is variety. With only two spirit slots loaded at a time, switching styles means swapping bottles. And the Duet cannot make Long Island Iced Tea, because that recipe requires three spirits simultaneously, which the Duet cannot accommodate.

The Bartesian^® Premium: The Original Machine

The Premium is where it all started. It was the original Bartesian^® machine that launched the brand and put "Keurig^® for cocktails" on the map. For years it was the only model available, and millions of people still own and use one every day.

The Premium comes with five 900mL glass spirit bottles and four slots in the machine. You load your four preferred spirits and keep the fifth bottle on standby. If you want to switch, just swap a bottle out. For example, if you do not drink whiskey you might keep vodka, tequila, gin, and rum loaded, then swap gin for whiskey when a guest wants an Old Fashioned. This gives you access to every Bartesian^® capsule including Long Island Iced Tea.

The Premium is the only model with a touchscreen. It does not have LED lighting, which is a feature the Duet, Professional, and Premier all carry. It also does not have the bottle lock found on the Professional. But it is a proven, capable machine that has made millions of great cocktails.

The Bartesian^® Professional: The Commercial-Grade Option

The Professional is one of Bartesian's^® most capable machines, and as of 2026 it is actively sold alongside the Duet and the newer Premier. It started life in commercial settings such as luxury hotels, stadium bars, and cruise ships, and has since been made available for home purchase.

Like the Premium, the Professional comes with five bottles and four slots. The key upgrade is bottle size: the Professional's bottles are 1L versus the Premium's 900mL. At a party, that extra volume adds up quickly. The 1.5-liter water reservoir means up to 60 cocktails before you need to refill. It uses a dial and display rather than a touchscreen, and adds LED lighting, a bottle lock with two keys for securing your spirits, and ETL and NSF certification to commercial standards.

At $399.99 it is $100 more than the Duet. The question is whether those upgrades, the larger bottles, water reservoir capacity, LED lighting, bottle lock, and commercial-grade build, are worth it for your situation. For frequent entertainers who want lockable bottles, the answer is almost always yes.

The Bartesian^® Premier: The Home-Entertaining Model

The Premier is the newest machine in the lineup, and it is the one I personally own and use at home. Bartesian positions it as the everyday, one-touch, home-entertaining machine. It is built on the same frame as the Professional, with five 1L glass spirit bottles (four in the machine plus a spare), a dial and display, LED lighting, and compatibility with all the same capsules. It lists at $399.99, the same as the Professional.

The big difference from the Professional is what the Premier leaves off: there is no bottle lock and no NSF commercial certification. In exchange, it is simpler to live with day to day. The most noticeable change versus the original Premium is the redesigned spirit bottles. Each glass bottle has a permanently attached plastic collar, the dispenser lid screws plastic into plastic with a washer, and the bottle clicks and locks into the machine when you load it. In my own use it feels more sealed than my original machine, though Bartesian has not stated that the design fixes leaking, so that is my experience rather than a guarantee.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Here is how all four models stack up across every key spec:

Is It Worth Upgrading?

Duet vs. Premium

The Premium gives you two more spirit slots, full capsule compatibility including Long Island Iced Tea, and a touchscreen. If you host guests with different spirit preferences, that matters. The Premium is currently out of stock on bartesian.com but available on Amazon, and Bartesian has confirmed it will return to their site. It remains a fully supported machine and a solid choice at any price point.

Duet vs. Professional

The Professional gives you four spirit slots instead of two, full capsule compatibility, a 1.5L water reservoir, a bottle lock, and commercial-grade construction, all for $100 more. If you host regularly or want access to every cocktail capsule, the Professional is worth the extra $100. If space is tight or you mostly drink the same one or two spirits, the Duet is the smarter, simpler choice.

Premium vs. Professional

If you already own the Premium, there is no urgent reason to upgrade, it is still a great machine. If you are buying new and choosing between them, go with the Professional. It is the same concept with larger bottles, a bigger water reservoir, LED lighting, a bottle lock, and the backing of Bartesian's^® current product lineup.

Professional vs. Premier

This is the closest call in the lineup, because the two share almost the same design and the same $399.99 price. The Professional adds a bottle lock and NSF commercial certification. The Premier leaves both off and is built for everyday home use. If you want to secure your spirits, for example with kids in the house, the Professional is the better pick. If you do not need the lock, the Premier gives you the same frame and bottles for the same money, and it is the one I chose for my own home.

Do the Pods Cost the Same for All Four Machines?

Yes. All four machines use exactly the same Bartesian^® cocktail capsules, sold separately at around $2.50 per capsule. You can buy individual flavors in packs of 6 or 8, variety packs, or subscribe for monthly delivery at a discount. The only difference is that the Duet cannot make Long Island Iced Tea, since that recipe requires three spirits at once and the Duet only holds two at a time.

Frequently Asked Questions