Update two years later: I still LOVE my EdgeStar Kegerator. It still keeps my beer ice cold. I recently bought an AcuRite Deluxe Wireless Weather Center (atomic clock) at Costco (for about $30). The reason I bought it is that it has an outside transmitter that sends the outside temperature to the unit so you can tell what the temp is outside as well as inside. This unit also measures humidity and some other stuff I wasn't interested in. I wanted to monitor my beer temperature without having to open the fridge door. I simply put the outside transmitter inside the kegerator on top of my keg. It works GREAT! In fact, the unit I bought not only tells you the current temp (inside and outside) but it also registers the high and low for the day. It resets itself at midnight each night. So now, with the outside transmitter sitting on top of my keg inside the kegerator, I not only know the exact temperature of my beer at the time I'm pouring it, but also the range that my EdgeStar has kept my beer for the past day. Knowing the current temp was my target. Getting a 24 hour high and low is a real bonus. As said before, I like my beer near freezing. Several times I came up with frozen lines and had to let them thaw. Now, I can see the temperature range for the past 24 hours and monitor the low to make sure I don't freeze again. Still a very happy beer drinker.
Original Review: I did a lot of research on kegerators before deciding to buy this one by EdgeStar. I have wanted a kegerator for years to replace the system I had in an old refridgerator in the garage. What prompted me to actually pull the trigger is that I saw one at Costco for under $400. I came home and began researching that unit online. What a rip! Breaking down.....poor customer service....beer not getting above 40 degrees. Yuck!! Then I stumbled on this unit from EdgeStar. While there were no reviews for this dual tap model in Amazon, I was able to find plenty of written reviews on their single tap models. I called Edgestar to verify that the dual and single units were, in fact, the same fridge and they are. Several of the reviewers mentioned that they couldn't get the unit below 40 degrees (much like most of the other manufacturers I researched) but that just one call to EdgeStar customer service resulted in very detailed instructions on how to adjust the thermostat to get the unit to go lower. I put mine together in a matter of 30 minutes and had it plugged in and cooling down. I didn't put a keg into it for maybe 5 days wanting to see if it would be cold enough. Sure enough, mine got to 40 degrees and stopped there. I like my beer very cold......I mean near frozen.....so I wanted to get this new unit down to maybe 33 or 34 degrees. I emailed EdgeStar customer service one evening around midnight. When I got up in the morning I had an email response with an explanation of various factors that could prevent it from getting cold enough. For example, having it outside or building it in so there isn't enough space around the unit for the cooling system to operate efficiently. Mine is free standing so I didn't have any of the issues that would have prevented it from getting cold enough. The email went on to provice very detailed instructions on how to reset the thermostat to get it to cool down more. They even provide pictures showing the procedure step by step. The final step was to tighten the little set screw in "finger tight" then back it off 2 full turns. After reassembling the thermostat it suggests letting it work for 24 hours. I did and MAN! did it work a lot better. In fact, the instructions state that if it gets too cold you need to repeat the last step and back the set screw off 3 full turns instead of 2. Since my unit got to 30 degrees overnight (and froze the beer lines that lead to the tap tower) I repeated Step 5 and backed it back 3 full turns. Now, two days later, my beer comes flowing freely at 33 or 34 degrees. JUST AS I LIKE IT!!
If you are considering a new kegerator, EdgeStar units are GREAT!! Their customer service is lightning fast and very easy to deal with. Also, while you are spending $450 to $499 for a single tap unit, go ahead and get the two tap unit. It's only about $50 more and gives you plenty of options as to what beers you can enjoy. Two of the 1/6th barrel tall skinny kegs fit perfectly in there. There are lots of beers available in 1/6th kegs so you can be the King of the Keg in your neighborhood by having the only duel tap in your Man Cave!! Besides, you also have the option of putting a half or quarter barrel in there too. They all fit!!
So, don't just sit there reading and researching. Buy this unit and start enjoying an ICE COLD BEER!!!
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If you are a fan of craft beer (aka the good stuff), then this kegerator is perfect. Many of the negative reviews about this unit claim that it does not drop to a low enough temperature. I have mine set at 3 (the middle setting) and my beer pours at around 38*F (the optimal serving temp. for most beer types). The individuals making the claim that this kegerator does not get cold enough have generally indicated that they are specifically using it for Bud/Miller/Coors. The lower a beer's temperature, the less flavor/taste you will be able to perceive. With Bud/Miller/Coors, you want them virtually freezing because they taste awful.
One VERY IMPORTANT thing to remember when setting up the kegerator is to make sure you use the provided rubber gaskets when connecting the couplers to the beer lines. It's not explicitly stated in the set-up instructions, but if you do not do this, the lines will not be water tight and beer will drip down everywhere as soon as the kegs are tapped.
Lastly, if you will be using this unit for craft beer, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND purchasing two low profile couplers: Low Profile US Sankey Keg Coupler D System
While the unit comes with two regular couplers, many craft breweries use rubber-handle sixtels which are too tall to fit in the unit when tapped with the provided couplers.
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I am new to kegerators. I did lots of research.. on lots of websites... on lots of different products. This product seemed to have the best reviews. I decided to go with this unit. One common complaint that I found in all of the reviews on this unit is that the temperature doesn't get cold enough. Edgestar claims that this unit will get to anywhere from 37-41 degrees. For the most part, this is accurate. If you're like me, though, you want COLD beer (I mean real COLD). This unit is capable of getting colder. You just have to call Edgestar's customer service department, and they will email you instructions on how to make this unit colder (you can also find these same instructions in other beer forums if you search for them on google). Right now my kegerator is about 36-37 degrees. I would definitely recommend upgrading to a Dual gauge CO2 regulator as well as a better drip tray. Overall, I'm pleased with this product. I've had to learn a few things along the way as far as regulating the CO2 correctly, fixing CO2 leaks, etc; but I've been happy with this unit. I've learned everything through internet videos and forums. You just can't beat two beers on tap any time you want. If you're considering buying a kegerator or not, GET ONE! You'll thank yourself for it, and your friends will thank you as well. Whether or not you buy this unit or not... do your own research. Find a unit that's best for you and that fits your budget. I'll be happy to answer any questions, although I'm not the expert by any means at this point.
Honest reviews on EdgeStar Full Size Dual Tap Kegerator & Draft Beer Dispenser - Black
Directions stink... But set up is still simple. Big enough for two five gallon kegs and co2 in the fridge. Looks nice, no problems with to much foam or head which is a common cheap kegerator problem. Downside is it is loud... If going in a pantry I
Or garage it is perfect.... Would not want to have near my dinning table but it is party perfect
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for EdgeStar Full Size Dual Tap Kegerator & Draft Beer Dispenser - Black
So i've had this bad boy for a few months now and here are my pro's and cons.
Pros:
Cold beer on tap = happy me
Wasn't that difficult to set up
Got me to start brewing my own beer again.
Cons:
The regulator they shipped me had a hairline crack in it which burned through $40 of CO2 and ruined 2 corny kegs ($200+) worth of beer. My gut told me it was the regulator but instead I followed the advice of the air gas guy and replaced all my hosing.
Smelt heavily of tobacco when I first got it kind of like this thing was stored in a cigarette bar and uses as an ashtray in its previous live.
I found out after buying the EdgeStar, that a "sixtel" (a 1/6th) keg of beer costs a lot of freaking money. It is actually cheaper for me to just buy an equivalent amount of six packs from my local beverage depot than it is to buy a sixtel. A sixtel (which has about 52 12oz beers) in it costs me around $90-110. Comparatively a half barrel (full keg) contains 165 12oz beers at about 100-135. So if you're doing this for a cost savings consider opting for the single line. Hell even running two single line edge stars are more cost effective than 1 dual tap.
I've spoken to the manager of my beer spot about this and he's putting together a list for me of beers that come in sixtels that don't break the bank. This is something to seriously consider when consider dual tapping vs single tap.
Now i've posted a lot of negatives, but why did I still give it 5 stars? Because edgestar made a great product and it works exactly how I expected it to. Over all its pretty quiet (quiet enough to sit in my living room) and because of my cost analysis I've gotten back into kegging my own beer.
Now I brew one keg myself which costs about 30 bucks (after I got all the equipment) and I have one line of commercial beer flowing at any given time. So I'm a happy camper.
One other thing is when researching this product I found that some people said the beer wasn't coming out cold enough and I found this to be true too I contacted customer service and they gave me a guide (with a big old warning saying it will void my warranty) on how to drop the temp of my kegerator. Worth it.
