Customer Reviews

EdgeStar Deluxe Mini Kegerator & Draft Beer Dispenser

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The Background:

I first thought of the BeerTender from Heineken as the 5L kegs are simple, easy to use and a big hit at parties and keeping the beer cool and out of the fridge is a challenge. While in a specialty shop I saw several other foreign brands of beer also in 5L kegs, but to my surprise, their tap was at the bottom like a Gatorade cooler. I then learned that the Heineken Draft kegs have an internal pressure system and that the Beertender would only work with that particular type of keg.

The Search:

At first it didn't really matter that much to me because I love Heineken and Heineken Light. After seeing the variety of beers available in the 5L minikegs, I decided to start shopping for a kegerator that would work with more than just the Draftkeg line. A low price was important, but so was functionality and reliablility. While searching, I found several other options with most looking similar and having the same features. You can go crazy and get one of the $300+ models out there, but I'd only recommend doing that if you have that kind of cash-flow to spend on a counter-top beer dispenser.

The Product:

The EdgeStar Mini Kegerator jumped out at me first because of its low price, and second, because it's identical to the more expensive Avanti MBD5L Mini Kegerator. (Note: Although the Edgestar doesn't display a drip tray like the Avanti, one is included.) For about $50, you can purchase a CO2 kit to tap and use non-pressurized 5L kegs from any other brewer (I've even seen it suggested that home-made beer can be placed in such a keg.) The kit comes with three 16-Gram CO2 cartridges (the small silver ones that you can pick up at Walmart) which are enough to dispense 3 or more 5L kegs. If you don't feel like replacing the cartridge every time you change the keg out, the space provided for the CO2 canister is large enough to accommodate a larger (340-Gram) CO2 Cylinder which is enough to dispense up to 20 5L kegs! The EdgeStar comes with a direction booklet, a cleaner bottle to wash out the system, an AC cable and DC cable, and an adapter for the Heineken Draft kegs.

The Perks:

- Having draft beer right in your own home!

- Looks great and comes in silver or black

- Better than the BeerTender for the following reasons:

o Costs less even with the CO2 kit

o CO2 kit allows you to use any 5L keg

o Has a controllable temp fan (38-54 degrees Fahrenheit) for a variety of beer types

o Comes with a DC adapter for tailgate parties and RV use!

The Bad:

- Can be tricky for people who don't normally pour from a tap

- Pours a lot of head if not setup properly (I suggest coiling the tube and getting it as horizontal as possible to mitigate this.)

- Tap is plastic, not stainless steel

Five stars because even with the few shortfalls, it blows the BeerTender away!

As I'm sure with many people looking for a 5 liter keg unit I was torn between the various ones out there and the Krupps BeerTender. I chose the Edgestar due to the low price, looks and the additional ability to utilise a CO2 cannister, which the BeerTender cannot. As far as I know the Heineken 5L keg is the only keg to come with its own CO2 built-in and only such kegs are usable with the Krupps model. Therefore, whilst I'm a Heineken fan, the BeerTender completely limits your choice of drinkto Heineken or Heineken Light.

So I bought the Edgestar, sight unseen - and I'm very glad I did. It's a light-weight unit comprising mostly of chrome plastic and a few actual chrome parts, and overall looks great and feel sturdy. The drip tray (not shown in the picture but supplied) is well thought out and easy to remove when full. The door is opened by a small button on top and swings outward. You only have to open it a short amount to place a keg in it, offering a small footprint for the unit. The keg is cooled by a plate and you have a blue backlit display indicating current temperature which is adjustable using the chrome buttons. There is also a small blue led inside the cabinet which is nice although not bright - it can be toggled on and off using the lower button on the front of the display.

The tap is solid. I was completely surprised by how firm it is and it works a treat. The small black beer tap is removable and so you could replace it with one of your own if you had the right sized thread.

The unit is supplied with an AC and a DC lead so you could power it from a car/RV/boat. It also comes by default with a Heineken keg connector which was supremely easy to attach.

A final sweetner is the ability to clean the lines, which the BeerTender amazingly does not have (you have to buy a new line for each and every keg you use with the Krupps). The Edgestar comes with a small plastic bottle which I filled with 2 parts water and 1 vinegar and it clips onto the line and you simply squeeze it as you open the tap. Took 20 seconds.

Now I haven't purchased the optional CO2 kit yet, choosing initially to use up my Heineken kegs, but I have no fear that the kit will work as advertised. The small black circle to the right of the tap that you see in the picture is for a CO2 gauge to fit into, and the CO2 bottle sits inside the unit so it's all tucked away neatly.

Ultimately, very happy with the unit and had my first pint last night.

Cheers!

For a while now I've wanted a kegerator for the bar/theater, but I've lacked the space for a full- (or even mid-) sized one. So today, despite some iffy reviews here and there, I bought an Edgestar mini-kegerator to sit on top of the mini-fridge in my bar.

This little machine keeps a 5L beer keg chilled at 38 degrees and delivers the perfect amount of head for a pint glass...only you get used to the pour speed and nozzle strength. The unit is pretty much like the Krups BeerTender machines that support Heineken and Newcastle, but this one also supports non-pressurized mini-kegs. I have to admit that I'm not a beer expert by any means, but when I heard that Newcastle was FINALLY available in Atlanta in the 5L size, I jumped all over this.

After a short 4 hours with the unit, I'm breathing a sigh of relief (between beer pours, that is). As I mentioned above, reviews have been hit or miss. Some people complained the non-pressurized conversion kits weren't yet available. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I had no problem ordering the Edgestar-branded one two days ago, and it even arrived before the main unit itself. Some others complained Heineken was the only act in town. My local stores have all kinds of non-pressurized beers, in addition to the Heineken and Newcastle kegs, so again I'm probably just lucky to live in a fairly large city. Some folks said the unit was just cheap plastic junk. That last point will probably be true for me at some point, as the unit is just plastic and faux chrome, but at $140 I couldn't have expected too much more. Someone somewhere said that the door was constantly ajar and the cooling plate couldn't do its job. From what I've heard and now seen firsthand, this just isn't a problem. My mini-kegs set nicely on the cooling plate inside the unit and I'm able to close the door completely and securely.

My only complaints so far are 1) the internal fan or whatever parts make it go are a bit louder than I'd like, and 2) I dislodged a washer in the plastic cleaning solution bottle that came with it. The second part was just stupidity on my part when I first flushed the lines, and it's totally fixable, but the former point is indeed a minor inconvenience. It's no louder than my ice maker or mini-fridge, but it's something else whirring in the back of the theater. Oh well.

So at this point, my margarita machine quest is on the back-burner indefinitely as I work on my beer pour perfection and fish out that stupid washer in the cleaning bottle. But for anyone in my shoes who may be considering one of these units but afraid of the spotty older reviews of the unit, I'm pretty pleased so far.

Cheers.

We received the EdgeStar mini kegerator as a Christmas gift. The mini-kegerator works well and was easy to set up.

For the last month, I have tried to order the conversion kit so that we can drink other brands of beer besides Heineken. Sure, Heineken is great, but enjoying Heineken from a keg doesn't even require a kegerator (everything is included with the Heineken mini-keg).

The folks at EdgeStar say it will be "many months -if ever" before the optional attachment kit is available.

We are now considering purchasing the Avanti because it comes with the kit already. We'll just take the loss on this otherwise identical unit before I go insane drinking nothing but Heineken.

I ordered this unit because I was angry that Heineken & Krups effectively doubled the price of their plastic tap units, which must be used (a new one with each minikeg you use) with the Krups. The EdgeStar unit requires no replacement tap parts. It does require cleaning--a very easy process but you do need to be conscientious about it. It is superior to the Krups in nearly every way. The pour is smoother. Replacing the keg is easier. The refrigerated part of the unit is much easier to clean and dry. And of course you don't need the taps at nearly $2 a pop.

If you want your beer ice cold, this unit is not quite to Krups, as the EdgeStar goes to 38, Krups 36. Made no difference to me, might to you.

I did not try or try to buy the conversion kit. I just use this with the pre-CO2'd Heineken and Newcastle minikegs.

And, please remember: The kegs need to be cold when you put them in. Otherwise you need to wait 10+ hours. If you want your beer fast, icy cold and with no head--stick to bottles. If you want good keg beer, this is a good dispenser for it.

After one keg, the black plastic tap broke when disconnecting it from the keg. The directions indicate to squeeze the two tabs to disconnect, though one of them snapped off rendering it useless. One of the primary reasons I purchased this was for beer other than just Heineken. As many reviews indicated (subsequent to my purchase of course), Edgestar conversion kits are not available - despite their advertising and a slip in the box indicating how to order.

One of the main differentiating factors for this product over others is the conversion kit, and they seem to continue to use it as a competitive advantage even though they clearly realize it's not available. Yes, they provided an untested (and not guaranteed) alternate which costs twice as much as their branded conversion kit, but ethically, they should take whatever steps necessary to ensure consumers know their branded and much more affordable conversion kit is not available prior to purchasing.

I bought this mini kegerator for my husband for christmas and he LOVES it!!!!! He really isn't a heiniken drinker but he loved the kegerator soooo much that he is now. Coors light does make a mini keg that is compatable but thay are seasonal for the summer. My husband and I have a motorhome and a boat and he plans on taking this on both. I give this product a million thumbs up and one of the best presents i have ever given him!!!!!

tlc,poconos,pa.

I bought one of these and the accessory kit that lets you tap any 5L keg a few years ago. I really do like the fridge - enough so that when I started brewing my own beer a few months back, I decided to keg in the 5L cans that I've been using in this fridge. It seemed like the best of all worlds - a compact beer fridge/tap, quiet, etc.

It's great - when it works... Each time I hook up a minikeg, I fiddle with it for ~15 minutes to get a good seal. The connections frequently leak gas, resulting in flat beer. (Yes, I know how to seal systems - I build gas lines for lasers and chemical reactions... the part quality is just this poor.) I bought replacement parts from the company - the helpful person I talked to suggested I buy 2 to get the most for my shipping dollar, and I thought it was a good idea. Neither one worked - one just leaked and got beer all over (wouldn't hold ANY pressure), while the other wouldn't pass gas at all (I discovered this a week later - after I flattened my beer by dispensing it with it's own CO2 pressure and thinking the CO2 tank was refilling the keg!)

The killer: their support is really hit-or-miss. Some are nice and helpful, and will bend over backwards to help, but others act like you are trying to rip them off by asking that they sell you non-defective merchandise, or exchange it if it's bad. The person I spoke with today (asking to exchange the defective parts that I paid for) made it clear that while they were going to send out two replacements to replace the defective ones I -bought-, if these don't work I'll just have to buy more. Before you think that I've been on them for months for freebies or something, let me be clear - I bought a set of parts; neither of the two worked; I contacted the company (<2 weeks after ordering them originally); they immediately told me that if the next try doesn't work, I'm SOL. Hmm, I don't remember this being an ebay as-is sale......

I'm pretty sure that when someone sells you defective merchandise, they don't get to say they'll replace the defective item once from the kindness of their heart but otherwise tough-luck on you. You paid for working items!!!

So, I'm going to build my own metal tapping system,, since I've already got my homebrew sitting in 5L kegs. Don't bother buying one of these - you'll run out of gas constantly, have plastic parts snap off on you even if you're careful, pay for replacement parts that don't work, and get poor treatment from service. If you think I'm unique, check on rippoffreports to see how they play... :*(

Great product idea, poor quality company (with a few really good people hiding inside...)

Got this unit about a month ago after seeing it online. Its been a perfect addition to an otherwise typical bachelor pad. However I didn't realize the awesomeness until I read some directions..

For starters, after opening the unit and plugging it in, I immediately ran out to buy a 5L Henieken keg. After plugging the keg into the unit and waiting an hour or so I tried my first pull, which was 90% foam and 10% flat beer....this last for about 5-6 straight pulls. Freak out mode was in full-effect. After looking online, I discovered that the best results came after CHILLING THE KEG FOR TEN HOURS (it even says this on the side of the keg).

So after re-chilling the keg and re-insterting it, it worked like a charm. It looks good in the kitchen, and I'll probably get my pops one for the holidays.

I read several reviews prior to purchasing this product and the majority of reviews identified 2 areas of concern - foaming and the temperature of the beer.

Temperature - We purchased cold mini kegs and stored them in our fridge prior to putting them in the Kegerator. We found that the Kegerator kept the beer nice and cold, so we feel the temperature control works fine for our tastes.

Foaming - Now this is what is making me question if we will keep the Kegerator. In reading the reviews, several people suggested keeping the lines flat and pulling the tap completely forward to release a full stream of beer. Having waited tables in college, I know how to tilt the glass to minimize foam so that's not the problem. We also varied glass size, chilled glass versus room temp, etc. No matter what we have done, the pressure is too great coming out of the tap and we get 1/2 a glass of foam.

I will probably call the company as a last resort, but given that we've turned off the unit and went back to bottled beer, I'm suspecting our decision might be to send it back.

As an aside, the seller did a great job getting the product here in time for Father's Day and was great in responding to any emails. I wouldn't hesitate purchasing from them again.