Customer Reviews

Nostalgia KRS-2100 Keg-O-Rator Refrigerated Beverage Keg Dispenser

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

For starters, stop reading reviews prior to 2011. The early issues with this kegerator have been addressed to the point Nostalgia really should assign it a new model number. As reported by others the regulator is now a pretty nice dual gauge unit, with a lockable output valve. Meaning once you get your CO2 settings dialed in you can lock the knob so it doesn't get changed accidentally while changing out a keg, etc. Also, the unit is dead quiet.

The instructions have been completely revamped and are very easy to follow. All the spare parts provided have been labeled in the manual, no mysteries there either. Before this arrived I downloaded a PDF copy of the old instructions, and it's true the early buyers were basically left in the dark.

I followed the instructions, charged my tank, threw in a 1/4 barrel, and no problems at all. The beer has a perfect head on it, and my monitoring of temps have been hovering around 34-35f. That's with the thermostat set to maximum, so I'll be watching that closely. I don't want my beer to freeze!

A few things to note:

1) The keg tower rubber washer (#5) was not already installed, and is not really mentioned in the manual. Be sure to install it otherwise there's not a tight seal between the tower and fridge and cool air will escape. You'll know if it's not on because the tower installs too easy and doesn't feel tight. The nice side effect of this design is that the tower is basically cooled, so less stale beer in the line.

2) A 5 pound CO2 tank will fit with a full 1/2 barrel, and can be bought at a local gas supply or welding shop filled for about 50 bucks. Refills on the tank are around $9. The 2.5 pound tank shipped is fine, and I'll be filling it so I have a full tank at all times. The 2.5 pound tank should be able to dispense 2-4 1/2 barrel kegs, the 5 pound tank 4-8 1/2 barrel kegs. Tighter fittings, lower CO2 settings, more kegs...

3) The casters are optional, and there are already self leveling feet installed if (like me) you prefer the unit to be shorter and stationary. Height to the top of the fridge door is exactly 31 inches without the caster installed.

Anyway, given all the features and the insane price of $380 shipped I can't see how anyone could be unhappy at this point. All the negative reviews made me really ponder this purchase, but I'm happy to report they're all talking about a different product. I'll post a follow up at 12 months, or before if I experience any problems.

And thanks to the early buyers who posted reviews! Nostalgia listened and thanks to you I have a really nice unit.

I ordered this item on September 14th. Didn't get delivered until October 4th. Way out of the time range that was initially given. Product information made it appear that all you would need to do is supply the Keg and get the CO2 tank filled. WAY OFF. The "regulator" that comes with the Kegerator doesn't regulate ANYTHING its simply an off on switch for the CO2. After spending 2 days wasting beer I took it to my local tavern and confirmed what I already thought. So I had to drive to my local Beer Supply store and spend an additional $50 for an actual regulator. Then I experienced the problem that any regulator you buy doesn't connect to the supplied air hose as it should. Next stop Ace hardware where i purchased new tubing and fittings (another $10 down the drain). Upon affixing my new regulator and air hoses I realized that the beer comes out WAY too fast causing an excessive amount of foam. Last trip to Ace Hardware and got a water flow restricter for another $3 and now at long last i finally have a fully operational kegerator. Cheers and have fun.

I was looking for an inexpensive kegerator and didn't give this unit much of a look because there were several unflattering reviews on various sites. The major complaints seemed to be:

1) The unit would not go below the low 40's
2) The package included a single guage regulator

However, there are various forums that gave detailed instructions on how to get around these limitations. First, the thermostat can be removed and with the turn of a screw the temperature can easily be lowered into the 30's. Second, a dual gauge regulator can be purchased and installed for about $50. I am hardly the handiest guy in the world but I had no problems doing this.

I've owned this unit for about 2 weeks now and with these modifications I'm now enjoying ice-cold beer. I base my rating on quality of the unit for the price that I paid for it. I also took the time to document my experiences with the unit - I hope this proves useful to someone that either owns one or is thinking of buying one.

[...]

I was a little hesitant buying this kegerator because of some of the bad reviews it received from this site and others. However, I trusted Amazon to take the return if it came in broken or did not perform. I've had this item for about 2 weeks now and I have to say it works beautifully. If you are concerned about the following items don't be:

Thermostat does not keep the beer cold enough - false, I've had to turn down the fridge because it was TOO cold. Did not modify it at all.
Regulator only has one gauge - false, this kegerator came with a dual gauge regulator.
Slow shipment - false, ordered with prime, shipped 3 hours after I ordered it, packaged very well.
CO2 tank held by cheap band - false, CO2 tank is held by a plastic mesh and fits very nicely in the back.

Overall this has surpassed by expectations for a kegerator under $400

I bought this for my hubby for Christmas from another store before seeing the bad reviews on this site. I was very nervous after reading them and thought about returning the keg before I ever received it. But, so far, so good. He DID have to do some work on the regulator. Sounds like that's a problem the company needs to address. Thankfully we have a neighbor familiar w/ regulators and he was able to take the thing apart the stretch the spring and get it working properly. We also have several friends w/ kegorators who warned us that there would be issues w/ a lot of foam initially -- just something that happens for awhile w/ a full keg and a full CO2 tank. After about 5 or so pitchers of beer it leveled out fine. I DID take the 2.5 lb CO2 tank and get it filled, but I also paid an extra $100 and bought a 5 lb. tank, which fits inside the unit just fine without any adjustments. So far it's working great. The beer is ice cold, the foam is at a normal stage, he just refilled the 1/2 barrel keg yesterday without any problems, and he's a happy man. I'm a little nervous about those who said their units completely stopped working, but we have at least one friend w/ the same brand of unit who's had his for several years and his brother has a newer one that seems to be working well too. We'll hope for the best.

The poor reviews for this product scared me to death!!! I took a chance and bought it anyway. The delivery for this product was quick. I also went to Youtube and found an installation video for this exact kegerator. I also followed the directions. Everything works great!!! I read the comments about the poor regulator, but the one that came with my kegerator looks like an upgrade from the one shown in the manual. If you follow the instructions and watch the Youtube video you can avoid the "foam problem".

PS I gave it four stars because I never give anything five stars!

I bought this at Fry's Electronics. It was on sale at the end of the summer, and was an impulse buy... A complete piece of garbage, this company should be embarassed! The regulator is cheap, and does not work at all. There is no way to control the flow with it.

The C02 tank is held in with a big rubber band (Actually, an O-ring) that broke the first time I took the tank out. I took it out because 1/3 of the way thru the first keg, the tank was empty... That's how bad it leaked... It came with a whole bag of "extra" seals and gaskets, and half of them do not exist in this product... I have no idea what they are for...

A real kegerator will have a C02 shutoff... This one does not. A real regulator will have two gauges, one for tank pressure and the other for line pressure... This "Toy" has only one, and it's the cheapest gauge I think I have ever seen...

The first beer out of the keg was fun... Until we realized that even turned to max cold, the beer was way too warm... There are some discussions of this thing on the internet where people have modified it so that it will get colder... I had not gotten around to trying it yet, since the summer was over and it wasn't a real priority any more...

Then the thing quit working entirely. Completely dead. I have it installed in our guest/pool house, and I had been out there a few times but never realized it wasn't running any more. (It's pretty cold out there in the fall and winter, so the thing wasn't working real hard)

Take my advice... Spend $50 more than this and buy at least a Haier... I have a friend with one of those and it's been working great for 6 or seven years... He keeps it outside in his barbecue island, (In the 110 degree heat) and it keeps his beer frosty cold!

This is the worst waste of time and money I have ever experienced... It lasted 2/3 of the way thru 1 pony keg! Absolute garbage.

So I was skeptical to order this kegerator, but after reading some of the more recent reviews I decided to take the plunge. Unit arrived in 3 business days, and didn't take too long for me to put together.

I ordered a 1/2 keg, and went to my local welding supply to get the CO2 tank filled.

When I put this kegerator to the test I was initially disappointed that it seemed to be hovering in the 46-48 degree range. I tried to pour a beer, but it just had too much foam.

After reading some recommendations on some forums, I took the faceplate off the thermostat, and then found the calibration screw. I gave it a few turns clockwise, and waited an hour. When I came back the temperature was now 42 degrees. With another couple turns of the adjustment screw the unit was staying in the 36-38 degree range no problem.

After attaining the proper temperature, the beer poured PERFECTLY at ~9.5 psi. Very excited I was able to get it working, and now I can relax and enjoy fresh draft microbrews at home :-D

P.s. As other reviewers have stated there is a rubber ring that goes under the tap tower, but it does not tell you to install it in the instructions. The tower isn't very sturdy unless you put the rubber ring under it. Once I put it under, and twisted the tap tower to lock it in, it was sturdy and solid.

After reading the older reviews of this product, I was a little more than leary to buy this item. I then noticed a trend that the more recent posts had nothing but positives to say about this kegerator. I realized that what ever early problems there were with this product, must have been corrected. I must have been a little intoxicated when I ordered it, because I thought that it was a double tap kegerator (my only disappointment was that it was a single, but that was my own fault). After spending a little more to order a double tap tower, and fittings to convert it to a homebrew kegerator; I love this thing. I am still in the process of brewing two batches to put in the kegerator, so I was in no hurry to plug it in. I waited almost 2 weeks before plugging it in. In less than half an hour, set on max, the temp inside was already at 34 degrees. After turning it down a little bit, and going out to dinner, 2 hours later it was at 28 degrees. I have to continuesly turn it down because it is too cold (definetly not a problem). There is a huge rubber strap that securely holds the 2.5# CO2 tank securely in place. Anybody that complains about too foamy beer, has to realize that is a problem with almost all kegerators, until you figure out how to set the CO2 properly. The regulator is a dual gage regulator now. This is definitely a great buy, now. I love this kegerator, and even after the mods I did to it, it's still a lot cheaper than anything else you can buy.

Positives:
-Was shipped 3 days early, and shipping was FREE
-Arrived in great shape, was easy to unpack
-Was very easy to put together
-Works GREAT - beer is cold, pours very well (little to no head)
-Comes with a great regulator: has two gauges, an easy-to-use valve adjustment knob, and a simple valve shut-off.
-Price is right!

Negatives:
-Only ships with 2.5# CO2. I already had a 5# CO2 and it is tricky to fit it in there, but you CAN get it to fit. use some of the hard packing material underneath the tank so it rests a little further back on the ledge. if you stand it up in the spot reserved for the 2.5# tank, you cannot close the door with a keg inside. If the fridge was abo 3 MM wider, it would fit perfectly. Foolish oversight.
-Confusing that they ship with so many extra parts. only a negative because I was quite concerned that there were FAR more spare parts when I was done assembling than went into the assembly itself. is nice to have extra, backup parts, though!
-Is small. my old kegerator could fit a six pack and some extra bottles while a keg was in there. not such a big deal though, as the price is cheap, and it pours great beer!

NOTE: They send an extra rubber 'washer' that can fit around the base of the stem for a tight seal, but instructions do not tell you to use it. I couldn't get the stem to lock into place until I removed the rubber ring sandwiched between the stem and the base (have to unscrew 4 screws and remove it). after that there was a very tight seal and the stem was a lot more sturdy.

Don't worry about the negative reviews. I set this thing up in abo a half hour, and after one or two foamy beers (POUR YOUR FIRST FEW BEERS WITH GAS TURNED OFF! You really need to release the pressure from within the keg first, THEN turn on the gas with very low pressure, slowly increasing as needed), every pour after that was simply perfect. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!