Kegco Kegerator Review

What it is

A finished serving appliance, done competently

The Kegco full-size kegerator is the straightforward version of this product category. It holds four 5 gallon ball-lock cornies or one half barrel, it has a digital thermostat rather than a dial, it rolls on casters, and most SKUs include a CO2 regulator so the box contains nearly everything you need.

That matters because the alternative to a finished cabinet is building a keezer, which is better value and a weekend of work. If what you want is draft beer in a kitchen this Saturday, with a warranty, this is the class of product that does it, and Kegco is the sensible pick within it.

It is available in single, dual and triple tap configurations. Our advice on multi-tap is in best dual-tap kegerators -- the short version is that two taps need a secondary regulator and the cabinet does not come with one.

Check this first

Internal height against a disconnect

The one specification to verify before ordering, and it is not the keg count. A 5 gallon corny is around 25 inches tall bare, but with posts fitted and ball lock disconnects pushed onto them the assembly reaches roughly 27 inches. A cabinet rated for a half barrel -- which is only about 23 inches -- does not automatically clear that.

Read the stated internal height, not the marketing capacity. If it is marginal, right-angle or low-profile disconnects buy you an inch or so, which is sometimes the difference.

The two things to upgrade

Faucet and regulator

The stock faucet

Budget cabinets ship rear-sealing faucets, which shut off behind the spout and leave beer sitting in the faucet body between pours. That beer goes sticky and eventually sour, and it is the reason stock faucets develop a character of their own. A forward-sealing stainless faucet shuts at the front and leaves the body dry. It is an inexpensive part and the most noticeable quality-of-life change available on any stock kegerator.

The single regulator

One regulator sets one pressure. With two or three taps that means all your beers share a carbonation level, and no two styles want the same one -- a stout wants roughly 1.8 to 2.0 volumes of CO2 and a saison wants 2.8 or more. A secondary manifold gives each keg its own adjustable body, and usually a shutoff valve per keg as well.

Limitations

Serving range, and the tower

It is a serving appliance. The temperature range covers draft serving and nothing more. If you want one cabinet that can also hold a fermenter at 68°F between kegs, that is a specific feature of wide-range units such as the KOMOS, and it is the main reason to spend more.

The tower holds warm beer. A tap tower sits above the insulated cabinet, so the last few inches of line sit in room-temperature air and the first pour of an evening foams. Mitigations are a small fan pushing cold air up the tower, an insulated tower, or a through-door shank arrangement on cabinets that support it.

Line cleaning still applies. No cabinet exempts you from this. Every two weeks of active service, with a proper alkaline cleaner -- best beer line cleaning kits.

Verdict

Who should buy it

Buy the Kegco if you want a finished, warrantied serving cabinet in a living space and you are content for it to do one job well. It is our best-value pick in best kegerators for homebrew. Budget a forward-sealing faucet and, at two or more taps, a secondary regulator.

Buy a KOMOS instead if dual-purpose serving and fermenting is worth the premium. Build a keezer instead if it is going in a garage and you want more taps per dollar -- kegerator vs keezer is the decision page.