There are many kegging systems available to the home brewer, from a mobile picnic cooler and bicycle pump to the glorious in-line chillers used widely across Asia for cold craft beer. For many, a compact and cost-effective system is ideal.
Enter the Kegerator
A kegerator is essentially a small refrigerator, modified or even purpose built to fit a beer keg inside and taps in a tower protruding through the roof of a fridge. There is a staggering variety of different professional builds and homebrew kegerator conversion kits available. Today I will cover the designs you are most likely to consider and some of the best kegerator brand.
Check out my list of suppliers when you make a purchase – the size and weight of a kegerator make international shipping really expensive.
The Kegerator Design
The main attraction of these systems is the simplicity – the very basic design is an electronically 
controlled cube with beer inside and taps on top. This means they are not only a great way to chill, carbonate, and serve craft beer or even cold brew coffee – they are also highly customizable for anyone who is even remotely handy.
Kegerators are extremely attractive for home use for a few reasons. First, the footprint and low height – your home bar only needs to take up a cubic meter or so. Second, the functionality is surprisingly efficient at both carbonating and dispensing in a tight space. For most models used by home brewers, you can usually fit two Cornelius kegs into a single unit.
If you value visual aesthetics or don’t have space for a full-size refrigerator to do your kegging in, the Kegerator is the best option for serving from Cornelius kegs. You just need to decide on the right model for you.
Homebrew Kegerator Conversion Kit
Conversion Kit from Homebrewing.org
This is a favorite for beginners and people on a budget. Conversion kits contain the basic fittings you will need, but you’ll need to source your own kegs, gas bottles, and refrigerator. An excellent option if you are good at finding second hand gear.
I highly recommend this approach if you enjoy making your own gear. Just read up on second-hand kegs for second hand kegs and gas bottles, beg your friends and family for an old fridge, and search for a conversion kit in your country.
If you are in the USA, check out Adventures in Homebrewing or Amazon for the best deals.
Dual Tap Kegerator
Getting a pre-made kegerator is a solid investment provided you have the funds to do so. They 
are built better than I can manage, sso I always prefer them to anything I make. Depending on the manufacturer, they often come with sleek, attractive designs and loads of useful features, like wheels and racks for your CO2 bottle.
When buying a pre-made kegerator, you will want to make sure you have a model that can keep up with your brewing schedule. Of course, you can always modify your system later, but if you are spending the money anyway, it’s better to look ahead and buy at least a dual tap kegerator.
The best range I have found are actually on Amazon – I’ve prepared a list here. If you live outside of the USA, try these links.
Who Makes the Best Kegerator
My absolute favorite is the Edgestar with two kegs, simply because I love a good bargain and having absolutely everything I need. Plus, Edgestar Kegerators look really cool!
Unfortunately, I can’t make the decision for you – I can only help inform you. That’s why I have developed this list of things to check before you make a purchase. You will need to decide which options are best for you, and this should cover the basics:
- Size: does this fit into your brewery? Be sure to make allowances for the tower, taps, and gas bottle.
- Is it mobile? Does it come on wheels?
- How many kegs can you fit inside?
- Does it include the gas and beer splitters for the number of kegs you will be using at once?
- Will it chill to a low enough temperature? For carbonation purposes, you will need to get your beer to 2ºC or lower (that’s 35.5°F or lower).
- Does it include space for your gas bottle?
- Can you modify it later if you have to?
- How sexy is it? (This one is important)
- What size kegs does it take? Will Cornelius kegs fit including the couplings?
- If buying a used model, was it a DIY or made by a manufacturer?
Available at homebrewing.org
Whatever you choose, you are going to have a great time with your kegerator. It’s a quantum leap in brewing – kegging takes you from having a rotation of bottles that take weeks to condition to pinpoint accuracy with secondary fermentation and packaging procedures.
Plus your friends will pretend you’re cool and come drink your beer from your professional bar setup.
CHEERS!
I hope you have found this guide useful.
If you need help with anything or you want to share your own kegerator, please leave a comment below!
Related: Common Mistakes When Keeping Beer Cold and Top 6 Craft Beer Industry Trends To Watch Out For In 2023
This one is absolutely nice. I own a big refrigerator in my home but i was searching for a handy one like this for my room. I will be switching places often so i was in search of something that can be easily portable. This kegerator actually suits to all my needs. I would definitely buy this one in a couple of months time.
Hey, I’m so glad to hear this info is useful for you!
When the time comes, please let me know if you need any help researching the right model. I’m always happy to help.
Cheers!
Hey Jesse,
Great review on the Kegerator. That makes me thirsty just thinking about them. I’m currently looking at building a man cave. This would be an awesome addition and it looks very professional. I may never leave. I like Michelob Ultra, is that the kind of beer I would have to get, or would I be able to make my own beer. I really want to try your Chocolate Porter recipe. I think that would be awesome to be able to drink beer that I brewed. Awesome site man.
Hi Billy,
Thank you very much for reading – I love kegerators too! You can make your own beer but if you want to buy kegs of commercial beer you can do that too – just make sure you have a big enough model kegerator.
You might also need to buy a different coupler, and a couple of quick-disconnects for your beer and gas line. Check out Homebrewing.Org to get the connectors.
Cheers!
Definitely need to get a kegerator! They are so great.My only problem is is that my house is so small that i don’t know how to store it anywhere. Can’t even fit a fridge in my kitchen it’s so small! Is it easy to set up? It’s just so ideal for house parties!
Hi Jenny,
Building your own kegerator is much harder to set up than buying one pre made. I recommend you try a pre made one for ease of setup and maximum space efficiency!
Hi Jesse,
Boy back in the day, (mid-late 70’s) when I was in college and the legal drinking age was 18, would one of these kegerators have come in handy in my various dorms that I lived in. Thursday night was party night up at my school! And in practically every dorm on campus!
Seriously the fact that so many models are now available to the consumer is amazing. They also just look aesthetically pleasing to the eye, compared to what those old, ugly kegs looked like at various college dorm parties years ago. And after several hours the beer inside those kegs, unable to be properly chilled over time had become too warm and quite unpleasant to drink.
Checking out the prices, especially of the advertised Amazon best selling model – EdgeStar coming in at around $460, is quite in line for the person/couple who host parties a lot.
Towards the bottom of the article when you discussed the various options that the potential purchaser needs to consider before buying the product was excellent on your part. Factors such as size, mobility, the number of actual kegs it can hold inside, and so on are crucial options that a person must consider before laying out the money.
Jeff
Hi Jeff,
I couldn’t agree more. It can be a reasonable outlay all at once, but for anyone who buys kegs of beer or makes their own beer in kegs, these kegerators pay for themselves many times over.
As to size and mobility, I always allow for at least two Cornelius kegs at once – one carbonating, one serving. The Edgestar is really popular for this exact reason.
Cheers!
Can’t believe they now make kegerators. I remember a time when every good home brew enthusiast had a big old fridge in the shed with the latest home brew keg inside and a convenient tap coming through a hole in the side. Definitely a case of adapting what you had. I can think of a number of mates who would be extremely envious.
I’ve had a couple of those myself – and a couple that just didn’t survive!