SkyBox by Maytag Gets Fans into the Game

Every game or sports themed room isn't complete without a place to store cold beer or sodas for game time. Certainly no one want to miss the big play of the game while running to the fridge to get another brewski. While there are many mini refridgerators on the market, none of them cool drinks with the flare of the SkyBox Personal Beverage Vendor by Maytag.

The SkyBox is actually nothing more than a regular drink vending machine that has been modified for home use. The appliance has a few added features that make it a great novelty to own.

First, you need no coins or dollars to operate the machine. The machine has four vending slots and buttons to hold beverages. Each SkyBox is capable of holding 66 - 12 ounce cans, 32 - 12 oz bottles, or a combination of both. The SkyBox comes with beverage cards featuring popular beer and soda brands to label the vending buttons like a commercial vending machine. Other labels are available on the product's website www.skyboxbymaytag.com. The buttons also feature an indicator light to warn the owner when a particular beverage slot is running low.

The SkyBox has two safety features. The first is a child safety lock that enables the owner to lock individual drink buttons or all of them when not in use. This is a great tool in keeping children out of the slots reserved for beer, but still enabling access to the soft drinks. The second feature is an auto-off sensor that prevents drinks from vending when the machine is open for re-stocking to prevent injury.

One thing I've definitely noticed is my machine keeps my drinks ultra-cold. However, it runs on 120 volt power, so there's no need for a special outlet or a worry about a heightened electric bill.

The feature that attracts most consumers to the SkyBox is the fact that both the front and the side panels light up and come customized with your favorite professional or college sports team logo. Recently, Maytag added some NASCAR drivers to their long list of available panels that you can order. These panels are interchangeable so you can swap them from sports season to season to suit your taste. For the non-sports fan, there is also a private company Vernon Graphics that will make custom panels from your favorite photograph, company logo, or other image.

The SkyBox stands about 33 ½ inches high on its own. You can put it on a counter top or something similar to make it the right height for vending. However Maytag also sells separately the SkyBase, a stand that is made to hold the SkyBox which makes it resemble a traditional commercial vending machine even more. The SkyBase also opens up to reveal shelving perfect to store snack or other items.

While the SkyBox is pricey, about $600 with the panel and the SkyBase, I'm sure that it's worth it. It perfectly cools my beverages, displays my favorite sports team, and is an instant conversation piece any time someone comes over to watch the big game.