These Kegerators Keep Your Beer Fresh and Your Party Going

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Whether you’re looking to upgrade your home bar, getting ready for a backyard gathering, or you just prefer the taste of beer on tap, a kegerator is a worthwhile addition to your home. These compact refrigerators are designed to store kegs of various sizes and dispense perfectly chilled and carbonated beer, giving you the taproom experience at home. Kegerators also cut down on the number of beer cans and bottles you have to pick up after the party is over (and please recycle those).

Kegerators come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, including oversized models that can hold full kegs to countertop options that work with mini kegs and growlers. They’ll keep the beer flowing and can help prevent keg stands—perhaps the most important feature.

The Best Kegerators

• Best Overall: Kegco K309SS-1 Kegerator

• Best Budget Option: EdgeStar KC1000SS Craft Brew Kegerator

• Best Countertop: Homecraft Stainless Steel Easy-Dispensing Kegerator

What to Consider

Keg Size

Consider your preferred keg size. The majority of at-home kegerators can fit standard 1/4 and 1/6 barrels, but you’ll need a larger model if you want to use full-size half-barrel kegs. Certain brands like Coors and Miller make make oversized kegs that don’t fit most home kegerators so check the keg compatibility before you buy. Other kegs like Cornelius and slim quarter kegs will also fit a kegerator that holds up to a 1/6 barrel.

Temperature Range and Control

The beer will be 4 to 5 degrees warmer than the temperature set in your kegerator so keep that in mind when shopping. We’ve listed the temperature ranges for each of our picks and our best overall pick has a wide enough range that it can be used as a fermentation chamber for home brewers, too.

A push-button control will set the temperature more precisely than a knob and a temperature display is a nice feature to have for at-a-glance convenience.

Other factors include how many taps your kegerator has and if it can be converted into a regular refrigerator when not in use—a useful feature if you only buy kegs for parties or other events.

How We Selected

To find the best kegerators for different homes, we researched top-rated models from reputable brands, reading dozens of customer reviews to determine whether the products are well-made, reliable, and easy to operate. We aimed to offer a range of options to suit every home, including freestanding, countertop, and built-in models at a variety of price points. We only recommend kegerators that fit common keg sizes you might find at your local beer store, with a few options for home brewers, too.

K309SS-1 Kegerator

This versatile kegerator is a favorite for both home brewers and taproom patrons. It fits oversized kegs all the way down to a 1/4 barrel so you can accommodate your favorite micro and macro brews.

The digital control panel allows you to precisely adjust temperatures with ease and this model has one of the widest temperature ranges on the market. It can go up to 75 degrees Fahrenheit to be used as a fermentation chamber and has a deep-chill setting to cool a warm keg down in 24 hours.

It comes with a complete keg-tapping kit and all the equipment needed for setup. The removable drip tray under the tap makes for easy cleanup and the guard rails keep your barware from sliding off.

KC1000SS Craft Brew Kegerator

This EdgeStar is a great value that’s easy to set up. It’s on the smaller side and can only hold 1/6-barrel or Cornelius kegs, but that'll suit fans of craft brews. The digital thermostat lets you easily moderate the temperature and the LED display gives you a read at a glance.

The freestanding model comes with all the equipment needed to set up and dispense a keg, and its stainless steel exterior has a sleek, modern appearance. Its interior capacity is large enough to fit a compatible keg, lines, and a tank. The reversible door lets you fit the kegerator into your space more comfortably and gives you the option to move it around.

Customers report this no-frills model exceeded their expectations with its construction quality and ease. The biggest gripe is that the temperature display isn’t always accurate and sometimes off by a couple degrees. Still, it kept beer cold and wasn’t too foamy when dispensed. We suggest placing a thermometer in your kegerator if you run into the temperature reading issue but deem this a great kegerator for the price.

Stainless Steel Easy-Dispensing Kegerator

This mini kegerator is the perfect option to display on the counter of your home bar. It’s compatible with any 5-liter pressurized or non-pressurized mini kegs, as well as the included growler keg. It runs on three 16-gram CO2 cartridges that can keep beer fresh for up to 30 days.

You’ll want to chill your kegs and growlers in a regular fridge before serving—this machine keeps your keg cold but isn’t the best at cooling it down fast. Some customers complained there was too much foam on pours but that’s likely because too much CO2 was being released. You can control the CO2 with a knob and there’s a bit of a learning curve with getting your preferred pour, but most customers were able to figure it out.

A mini keg will serve roughly 14 pints so its a good option for small gatherings or the aficionado that likes to try a different brew every month. You get the full draft experience without having to sacrifice the space.

Universal Refrigerator & Beer Kegerator

This sleek kegerator can serve as an outdoor fridge and includes three removable and adjustable shelves to customize your beverage storage. It’s designed to stand alone or be built into your patio cabinet system and the reversible door allows for easy placement.

Three taps and a spacious interior space big enough to accommodate one full-size keg, two 1/4 barrels, or three Cornelius kegs for a variety of beers. The LED display and push-button temperature controls are user-friendly. Temperature regulation is a standout feature on the HCK as well as its insulation, even on summer days. It comes with a keg tapping kit and empty CO2 tank but some customers thought the tap kit was flimsy.

1-Tap Cooler Kegerator

This no-frills kegerator is easy to set up and holds smaller kegs for those who like to rotate brews. The interior can hold a keg, a CO2 tank, and gas lines to keep everything tidy and removable shelves give you an option to store your favorite cans up top. It has wheels so it’s easy to move wherever the party is happening but can be built into a home cabinet system, too.

Insignia’s kegerator keeps beer cold but the the temperature control is a knob that uses numbers instead of displaying the actual temperature. Customers say this isn’t a deal breaker as the refrigeration works great and most just bought a thermometer to throw in there.

Build quality on the unit and parts themselves, like the tap tower, are great and customers frequently remarked that it exceeded expectations.

Copper Carbonated Growler Kegerator

Get the tap experience without the upkeep of a full size kegerator. This sleek growler uses CO2 cartridges to give you optimally carbonated beer. You can take it camping or on park days and have the perfect pour without having to worry about cleaning up cans and bottles. There’s a glass window on the body to show you how much beer is left and the tap handle can be swapped out to rep your favorite local brewery.

There’s no cooling system here, so make sure to refrigerate it before you use it. It’s vacuum insulated so beer stays cold for a couple of days and you don’t have to worry about it going flat.

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