The Watermelon Keg

As you could imagine this isn’t an ‘everyday options’ such as the Danby or Keg O Mania, but I was surprised with the ingenuity (At about the 5 minute mark he installs the ‘tap’).

Now in the video he doesn’t use beer, but I’m sure you could come up with your own storage idea for making beer a possibility. Enjoy and happy Friday!

Keg O Mania Beer Dispenser Review

As I mentioned above, the Nostalgia Keg O Mania is compatible with a 5-liter mini keg or a Heineken DraughtKeg. This is a huge plus. There are a number of mini kegerators which only work with one style or the other.  The flavor of beer from a tap is better, fresher, and fuller bodied than beer that has been bottled, but nobody wants to buy an entire Keg for themselves.

The makers of the Nostalgia Keg O Mania understand this, and that’s why they’ve designed their system to work with smaller, more affordable kegs. The Keg O Mania is not to be confused with the Keg O Rator Keg Fridge which is a free standing kegerator which can handle up to half-kegs. Check it out if you are looking for a larger kegerator.

It also has a built in refrigeration chamber, so your beer is thoroughly chilled and is nice and cold, just waiting for you to pour a glass. The small design of the device makes it easy to transport, so you can take your beer with you camping, on an RV, or even tailgating.

The exterior of the Keg O Mania features chrome detailing for added style and sophistication. The beer dispenser will fit perfectly into your home bar, and will even fit in with your kitchen appliances.  Nobody can claim this beer tap is an eyesore.

The sleek chrome exterior is also surprisingly easy to clean. The instruments drip-tray is removable, so you can very easily clean out any drips or spills. Normal kitchen cleaners can be used to clean the outside of your new Nostalgia Keg O Mania.

Keg O Mania Price

Another thing you’ll love about this machine is its price. It is available for under 200 dollars! The Nostalgia Keg O Mania is cheaper than it’s Heineken counterpart, and it still works with Heineken DraughtKegs. It has all of the features other Keg dispensers have, and its lower price makes it the best value on the market for beer dispensing machines.

The bottom line is that the Nostalgia Keg O Mania beer dispenser is one of the best beer dispensers on the market. It is compatible with most 5-liter Kegs, as well as the Heineken DraughtKeg line of products.  No matter what type of beer you prefer, you can agree that it always tastes better on tap. Now you can enjoy that freshly poured flavor at home.

Be warned that if you buy a beer dispenser, your friends will all suddenly want to spend time at your house. A keg fridge is perfect for barbecues, parties, and just kicking back with a group of good friends and watching a game with a cold glass of your favorite beer. This isn’t the type of machine you would buy if you prefer drinking alone, as this can hold and chill a full sized keg.

Great Northern Keg Fridge Review

The Great Northern Kegerator is made of high quality parts and once it’s assembled, it feels like a quality piece of equipment. The sleek exterior with stylish trim adds to any decor, and is a lot better looking than a keg in a bucket of ice!

Getting it assembled can be a little bit of a headache, as the instructions aren’t very clear. However, once you pour your first glass of perfectly chilled, pub quality beer, you’ll forget all about the cursing and headaches that brought you to that moment of perfect beer bliss. Make sure to read all the directions before you begin, and use the tools the manufacturer recommends for the easiest assembly.

Like any beer dispenser, the Kegerator requires a CO2 canister to work. There’s an included gauge to tell you how much CO2 is left, and when you get low or run out you’ll have to have it refilled. If your local beer supplier doesn’t refill CO2 canisters, take it to a hardware store or a paintball supply store and they should be able to help you out.

There’s also a second gauge that displays the PSI. Setting the correct PSI is vital in getting the perfect glass of beer, instead of a glass of foam. You do have to adjust the PSI as the keg empties, but the company includes instructions on how to do that and the gauge to tell what you’re currently at.

The makers of the Kegerator also included four wheels in the kit, so you can easily move your Kegerator around, no matter how full the keg inside is. You may not think you’ll want to move it too much after you get it set up, but you’d be surprised how many times you’ll be thankful there’s wheels on it.

The Downsides Of This Kegerator

There are two major things you may not like about the Kegerator. One is the price. This kegerator is not cheap ( costs about $570 here), but it does deliver the quality and performance you would expect from such an expensive beer dispenser. You’ll get over the price the first time you pour a perfect glass of beer. If you wanted a keg fridge but didn’t want to spend as much, you can also check out the Nostalgia Keg-O-Rator.

The second major fault is the weight gain you will surely experience after drinking glass after glass of your favorite beer with the perfect amount of fizz. Maybe you can wheel the Kegerator around to keep from gaining too much weight.  Maybe not.

Final Thoughts

Basically if you’re in the market for a full sized beer dispenser, you’re not going to find a better one than the Kegerator. The price may seem high, but as the saying goes, you get what you pay for! If you are considering the Great Northern Kegerator, I would suggest first taking a look at this list of user reviews. In all there are about 20 reviews. Most of which are great reviews, however there are a few that mention that set up can be difficult as I mentioned above.

EdgeStar Mini Kegerator Review

The Kegerator is specially designed to keep the perfect amount of carbonation for your Heineken and similar pressurized 5 liter mini kegs. Equipped with DraughtKeg carbonator pressure technology, this beer dispenser’s creators guarantee the product will deliver pub quality beer time and time again. With the help of a simple accessory, the Kegerator is capable of tapping any mini keg.

That’s why the creators of the Kegerator perfected the refrigeration qualities of this beer dispenser so that you get the ultimate experience each time you or your guests draw from it. The Deluxe Mini Kegerator & Beer Dispenser will also keep your beer chilled at the temperature of your choosing – anywhere from 34 to 54 degrees F.

Encased in a stunning stainless steel presentation and also available in black, the beer dispenser is sleek, attractive, and easy to wipe clean (especially with the cleaning kit included with purchase). The user-friendly control panel and easy-to-read blue LCD screen display make operation a breeze and keep your party going all night long.

EdgeStar Beer Dispenser Dimensions

At only 15 inches wide and just under 15 inches tall, this beer dispenser is the perfect size for smaller apartments. It has the luxury of a gorgeous beer dispenser for parties or get-togethers, and is small enough to stay out of everyone’s way.

The Kegerator’s compact features make it portable as well. Take it from one room to the other or to a friend’s house. You will really appreciate the AC/DC connections and adapters that come with purchase, which make it super easy to take to the hottest tailgate parties or use with RV applications.

Comparable to similar beer dispensers, the Deluxe Mini Kegerator & Beer Dispenser tends to be much more affordable, a quality all customers can appreciate.

Don’t want to stop just yet? Check out:

• EdgeStar User Reviews (Amazon)
• Danby Tabletop Beer Dispenser Review
• Krups BeerTender Review Videos

Nostalgia Keg-O-Rator Keg Fridge Review

At home beer dispensers are a luxury which have become more attainable in recent years. From mini kegerators which cost under 200 hundred dollars to inexpensive larger units such as the Nostalgia, anyone can one their one at home kegerator. On the outside, the Nostalgia looks great i.e. it doesn’t look like a beat up frat house kegerator. Aside from the chrome tap, drip tray and rail guards, the outside is flat black.

Now this unit is much cheaper than the Durafied Kegerator, yet has a similar build and better reviews by in large. Below is a brief description of the Nostalgia Kegerator. You can read more about it here.

• Dimensions: 20.3 by 26 by 32 inches
• Built in chrome tap with removable drip tray
• Can hold one full keg, one pony keg or 2 5 gallon kegs
• Includes CO@ bottle (must be filled before use)
• 90 Day Limited Warranty

As per the latest reviews I found for the Nostalgia Keg-O-Rator Beer Dispenser were fairly positive.  Of the most recent 10 user reviews on Amazon, 8 were 3 stars or above. Again the beer dispenser does include a 90 day limited warranty and from my experience returning through Amazon it’s a breeze just in case you aren’t satisfied with the Nostalgia Keg-O-Rator.

If you are in the market for a larger keg fridge but don’t have a large budget, at the very least I would suggest looking at the Nostolgia as a point of comparison for other at home kegerators. Currently the price is at $381.97 and there are used units available for even cheaper.

http://www.amazon.com/Nostalgia-KRS-2100-Refrigerated-Beverage-Dispenser/dp/B000HJVYDQ/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1319809921&sr=8-7

Durafied Kegerator Description

Before we get into the two outside reviews, I wanted  to briefly go over the Durafied Kegerator. For a full review visit the blog post about the beer dispesner. Now the Durafied Kegerator is a free standing keg beer dispenser. It’s priced in the middle of the road when compared to other keg fridges. Amazon has it available for 50 dollars cheaper than Durafied’s web site which will help with the shipping cost. I like the Durafied Kegerator because it has features that are comparable to keg fridges that cost hundreds more. Here is a brief description for the Durafied Kegerator:

• Beer remains fresh for up to 3 months.
• CO2 system can accommodate up to 4 kegs before refilling is required.
• Can work with a number of kegs/keg sizes.
• Chrome tap and modern color/material selection.

Durafied Keg Fridge Reviews

So now its onto the user reviews. There are currently 2 published reviews. While both reviews are positive (4 star review average), the second review is a little more critical.

Review 1: Amazing Kegerator

“I bought a Durafied kegerator recently and it works seamlessly and way better than the last one that I bought. I use it all the time and it really has saved me money and time. ..” keep reading

Review 2: Great Kegerator, Parts Ok

“I recieved this beer cooler on time and in perfect condition. 1st keg run through it went ok, but had problems tuning the regulator for best flow. Even with the provided allen wrench to “lock” the pressure the regulator still seemed to keep pressurizing the keg above where I had it set…” keep reading

Thank you for reading and I hope you found this review style helpful. I am going to continue to add my own and outside beer dispenser reviews to the blog in order to provide the most complete reviews.

Danby Tabletop Beer Dispenser

Tabletop beer dispensers are compact enough to fit on any countertop, next to the grill etc. The Danby (model DBD5L) measures 16 inches by 11.6 inches by 22 inches. It weighs just under 40 pounds, meaning it is portable enough to take with you or store when not in use.

As you can see from the picture above, the beer dispenser has a gloss black and silver finish which looks clean in my opinion. The best thing of all is that it works with the wide range of beverages. This is a great home brewed beer dispenser as well. It includes a removable 5 liter plastic bottle. The included five liter plastic bottle is even great for wine, iced tea, lemonade, etc. The drip tray can be removed for easy clean up. The main features of this Danby 5 liter tabletop beer dispenser are:

• Mechanical thermostat which allows for easy temperature programming.
• It has sturdy chrome legs which keep the appliance steady at all times.
• There is a removable drip tray through which you can do cleanup very quickly.
• Drip tray, a five litre plastic bottle and a beer skimmer come with the unit so it is ready for use right out of the box.

Now the main difference between this beer dispenser and other mini kegerators is it isn’t built to use New Castle and Heineken kegs (read the review below). Essentially the Banby Beer Dispenser is not built for long term storage, instead it is an as needed/one day use type beer dispenser.

Danby Tabletop Beer Dispenser Reviews

Before concluding the post, I wanted to include some reviews I found helpful when researching the Danby DBD5L. The mini keg fridge has a 4 star review average overall. Below I’ve included two brief review quotes from two which I found helpful. Each reviewed can be viewed in its entirety by clicking on the link that accompanies the quote.

1.  Functionality

“My plans are to use this mostly for mini-kegs, but I am also hoping to use this to serve home brewed beer instead of bottling all of it. I did run into a problem with the first keg I bought, but it wasn’t the units fault. The local store that has mini-kegs has 3 brands(Newcastle, Heineken, and some random brand) and I chose the Newcastle. I quickly found out that I couldn’t put the Newcastle and/or the Heineken kegs in this machine because they are setup for different machines…” Read the review

2. Pros & Cons

The good:
Great design
Quiet
Keeps beer/beverage and a nice chilled temp.
Fairly easy to set up once you figure it out(first time hooking up can be a bit confusing, but not bad if you don’t try to over-complicate it)

The Bad:
Lots of plastic
Lack of information on the Danby website
Lack of accessories on the website
Drink dispenser hose tends to get in way of closing the lid
Lack of selection of mini-kegs(could be a local issue)
Quite tall

While I prefer reading product reviews, I also like to get as many points of view as possible when reviewing potential products. For this reason I continually search for video reviews. While pictures are great, video reviews provide a more in depth look. Below are two beer dispenser video reviews for the Krups BeerTender. Each of the video reviews is relatively brief. The first video is the longest at just over three minutes.

1. Krups BeerTender Beer Dispenser Review

2. B100 BeerTender Beer Dispenser Review

The Krups B100 BeerTender Beer Dispenser is one of the cheapest at home beer dispensers available. For the price it also has a surprising amount of features. Ream more about the B100.

Bottoms Up Beer Dispenser Basics

Sounds pretty cool but how does it work? It utilizes special made glasses which have a magnet on the bottom. This magnet it lifted during the fill process by means of the pressure coming from the actual dispenser. Once the glass fills up, the weight of the beer presses the magnet back down to seal the glass. As you’ll see in the first video below by placing the glass on the designated area, the beer automatically begins to pour. While this video shows a smaller unit which only serves four beers, the second video shows of the raw speed of the Bottoms Up filling system. The bottoms up beer dispenser in the second video can fill an impressive fifty-six beers in one minute!

Video 1: 4 Beer Bottoms Up Dispenser

This video is taken at Fenway Park. It is rather short but does a great job of showing how quick and easy the Bottoms Up works.

Video 2: Bottoms Up Beer Dispenser Fills 56

As I mentioned above the Bottoms Up system is fast. It also requires little work from a bartender to use. Below is one video I found of the Bottoms Up Beer Dispenser filling 56 beers in about one minute.

If that made you thirsty for beer after watching the videos, check out this beer dispenser review which goes over an affordable at home option or check out GrinOn’s web site for more videos.

How Does A Keg Refrigerator Work?

An at home keg fridge is a refrigerator which is designed specifically for draft beer that works as a beer dispensing appliance. The keg is stored within the unit and is connected to a spout that is usually on the top or side of the  fridge. So how does a beer dispenser work? So basically the main purpose of the home dispenser is to hold a pressurized keg at the desired cold temperature. The beer remains fresh by means of the keg fridge’s internal CO2 deliver system. There are three main reasons to consider an at home keg fridge:

1. Cost efficient- Over time a keg and kegerator will pay for itself when compared to the cost of bottles or cans.
2. Convenience- The ability to have draft beer on demand, enough said.
3. Environmental impact- Reduce use of plastic, glass, and aluminum.

Durafied Keg Fridge Review

This kegerator by Durafied has a slue of useful features. From the outside, the keg refrigerator has a great chrome and semi gloss black finish. You’ll notice the tap is located on the top of the kegerator with a large stainless steel spill guard located right underneath. At the bottom there are wheels which makes the unit semi-portable (weighs just under 100 lbs). More of the Duragied’s features include:

• Chrome pour spout
• Works with a variety of keg sizes
• Keeps beer fresh for up to 3 months
• Auto-regulates  head to insure a great pour
• CO2 system is capable of pressuring up to 4 kegs from one fill
• Additional storage space for mugs, water, etc.

The Durafied Keg Refridgerator costs $650.00 on Amazon and has features similar to kegerators which cost more than double. This is also about 50 cheaper than on Durafied’s web site. If you aren’t familiar with Duarfied, check out their about page. The company makes a variety of electronics including solar and air conditioner units.

If a keg fridge seems out of your price range, you may want to consider a mini keg beer dispenser. Check out this review of the Krups B100 Beer Dispenser.