Minggu, 18 April 2010

This kegerator may be small, but it works great

Nostalgia Electrics KRS2100 Kegorator Fridge

Nostalgia Electrics KRS2100 Kegorator Fridge

I knew going into this that the directions were not well written, but for the price - I figured I would give it a shot. Once the fridge is up and running, it is fantastic - I haven't had any issues with it. I have a keg in there now and it is hovering between 34 and 36 degrees without having to make any adjustments.

I am new to the kegerator game, so I wasn't sure how filling/exchanging CO2 tanks worked. The fridge comes with a tiny 2.5 lb capacity (5.2 lb tare weight) aluminum CO2 canister, which is cute, but pretty much worthless. I looked around in my area to find a place that re-fills CO2 tanks, but they all have to send them out to be refilled, and can't refill them at their shops. That turnaround time is 1-2 days. Not convenient. The beer distributor where I bought my keg has 5 lb capacity steel CO2 canisters on hand that they will do exchanges with. So rather than try to refill the little canister, I put down a deposit on one of their 5 lb canisters, and when its empty I just have to take it back and pay like $11 for a full one again. No need to send my tank out to be filled and wait to get it back. I was able to fit the 5 lb capacity steel CO2 tank and a keg in my kegerator without any issues. You can't use the little included tank strap (because the tank is larger in diameter than the stock tank), but a bungee strap will suffice to hold it in place.

As far as the unit itself, it did take a bit to set up, as I found myself cross referencing the written directions, the exploded diagrams and what I had in front of me. If I can offer any advice on assembly it would be this:

1 - Even though they are not well written, read the directions. There are parts you must remove for some reason. Not sure if that is because of packing for shipping, or because they are no longer used due to a redesign, but there are things in there that must come out for this unit to function properly.

2 - When in doubt, refer to the exploded diagrams in the directions. They offer more info than any of the written directions, IMHO.

3 - Anywhere you have metal touching metal, and you have to twist those parts together, there should be a gasket or o-ring involved in that connection. Most of my gaskets were pre-installed, however, I did need to install a few myself. No gasket means air leak, which means you lose CO2 and/or pressure.

4 - If you have a "wobbly tower", you did not install it properly. The unit comes with a "plug" that you can use if for some reason you want to remove the tap handle from the system - and make it into a normal fridge. Now this is completely undocumented, but if you look at that plug in its fancy little bag, it has a large gasket packed with it. You must remove that gasket from the plug and place that gasket between the top side of the fridge and the underside of the tap handle tower before you twist the tap handle tower into place. If you do not do this, the fit of the tower is loose and wobbly and you will lose cold air through this gap which is probably why most people have cooling issues. This part of assembly is not easy, and takes some force to get it twisted on correctly with the gasket in there. You can apply some soap to the gasket to make it easier to turn the handle tower into place. You will probably fail the first few times, the fridge will move around on its casters and hit you in the legs, and you will say to yourself that I have no idea what I am talking about - there is no way the tower will twist into place with that gasket in there. Be persistent and get it on there. Nobody likes a whiner.

Assembly aside, it works great. And remember, you only ever assemble it once. So once that is over with, you have a good product at a cheap price that works like a champ.

Get your Nostalgia Electrics KRS2100 Kegorator Fridge Now!

9 komentar:

  1. Purchased this kegorator late December 2011. The other positive reviews were accurate. I did have to remove the preassembled black washer at the bottom end of the faucet tower and move it to get a snug fit. A lot of extra small parts, so don't be surprised if you have a bag full of washers and extra pieces.

    On my second keg now. Beer is nice and cold. Around 40 degrees according to my thermometer. Had a small CO2 leak at first, but tightened up one of the connections, and no problems since. Be sure to run a soap test on all of the connections from the CO2 tank to the tap. Have my pressure set around 7 PSI. Pouring with just the right amount of head, not too foamy.

    I thought the instructions were pretty good. I would purchase again and do recommend. Easier than expected, once you know about the washer on the tower. Thanks to previous posters for that information. Very helpful. If I have a problem, I will report back.

    BalasHapus
  2. 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.

    BalasHapus
  3. 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.

    BalasHapus
  4. First, I want to comment on the price of this product. I bought it on a Friday for $347 and FREE SHIPPING! By Monday the price was $413 + $56 for shipping. Don't know if I got lucky timing or what, but $347 for this kegerator is outstanding!

    The kegerator was delivered within 5 days by UPS. Seemed to be packaged very well by the makers. However, upon opening I discovered the kegerator had 2 small dents on the lower left corner, I'm positive this happened during delivery. It wasn't anything major and I decided to keep it as I think something of this size runs a high risk of damage by UPS anyhow.

    First impression out of the box was great. Looks great and is easy to move around once the metal casters were easily assembled. After reading TONS of reviews about this model I decided to just go ahead and adjust the thermostat before getting it running. I also decided to just throw in the tower plug and let it run over night to check temp with a fridge thermometer. Glad I did it was 26 in there. Turned the dial down to just over medium and it is a steady 34. Had the included 2.5 lb tank filled and picked up a quarter keg of beer. I let them sit in the kegerator over night to settle down and tapped them the next morning following the instruction in booklet. I also watched the youtube video on setup. The you tube video was outdated and didn't quite match up, but the visual did help.

    I found the setup pretty straightforward and fairly easy. I was mainly concerned about the tower fitting properly as some previous reviewers stated it was difficult or wobbley when installed. I used the washer and a little WD40 and it twisted right on, nice and tight without much effort. After I secured all hoses to the CO2, keg coupler, and beer tap I tapped the beer. It leaked from the connection to the keg. I took apart the coupler and used a larger washer and problem solved! I did not use any plumbers tape as others reviewed they had, no leaks. The regulator needed a lot of tunning to get the pressure down under 10 psi. The only real negative I have about this unit is you need a wrench to turn the pressure knob on the regulator. I finally settled my pressure at about 6-7 psi and it pours GREAT! I did let the pressure out of the keg and regulator several times before getting it just right, but hardly any wasted beer at all.

    The dual regulator is nice and seems really strudy. Wish it had a 5 lb tank but leaves a little more room in the kegerator for frosted mugs. With a quarter in there you can still use the included shelves for storing several glasses or loose bottle or cans.

    I have only used this product for the weekend but wanted to post my inital setup and thoughts on the product's quality and value. I must say the value for the price of this kegerator is unreal. I am VERY VERY happy with my purchase and look forward to enjoying ice cold draft beers at home for years to come. I will definetly update this review in the coming months.

    BalasHapus
  5. 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

    BalasHapus
  6. 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!

    BalasHapus
  7. I knew going into this that the directions were not well written, but for the price - I figured I would give it a shot. Once the fridge is up and running, it is fantastic - I haven't had any issues with it. I have a keg in there now and it is hovering between 34 and 36 degrees without having to make any adjustments.

    I am new to the kegerator game, so I wasn't sure how filling/exchanging CO2 tanks worked. The fridge comes with a tiny 2.5 lb capacity (5.2 lb tare weight) aluminum CO2 canister, which is cute, but pretty much worthless. I looked around in my area to find a place that re-fills CO2 tanks, but they all have to send them out to be refilled, and can't refill them at their shops. That turnaround time is 1-2 days. Not convenient. The beer distributor where I bought my keg has 5 lb capacity steel CO2 canisters on hand that they will do exchanges with. So rather than try to refill the little canister, I put down a deposit on one of their 5 lb canisters, and when its empty I just have to take it back and pay like $11 for a full one again. No need to send my tank out to be filled and wait to get it back. I was able to fit the 5 lb capacity steel CO2 tank and a keg in my kegerator without any issues. You can't use the little included tank strap (because the tank is larger in diameter than the stock tank), but a bungee strap will suffice to hold it in place.

    As far as the unit itself, it did take a bit to set up, as I found myself cross referencing the written directions, the exploded diagrams and what I had in front of me. If I can offer any advice on assembly it would be this:

    1 - Even though they are not well written, read the directions. There are parts you must remove for some reason. Not sure if that is because of packing for shipping, or because they are no longer used due to a redesign, but there are things in there that must come out for this unit to function properly.

    2 - When in doubt, refer to the exploded diagrams in the directions. They offer more info than any of the written directions, IMHO.

    3 - Anywhere you have metal touching metal, and you have to twist those parts together, there should be a gasket or o-ring involved in that connection. Most of my gaskets were pre-installed, however, I did need to install a few myself. No gasket means air leak, which means you lose CO2 and/or pressure.

    4 - If you have a "wobbly tower", you did not install it properly. The unit comes with a "plug" that you can use if for some reason you want to remove the tap handle from the system - and make it into a normal fridge. Now this is completely undocumented, but if you look at that plug in its fancy little bag, it has a large gasket packed with it. You must remove that gasket from the plug and place that gasket between the top side of the fridge and the underside of the tap handle tower before you twist the tap handle tower into place. If you do not do this, the fit of the tower is loose and wobbly and you will lose cold air through this gap which is probably why most people have cooling issues. This part of assembly is not easy, and takes some force to get it twisted on correctly with the gasket in there. You can apply some soap to the gasket to make it easier to turn the handle tower into place. You will probably fail the first few times, the fridge will move around on its casters and hit you in the legs, and you will say to yourself that I have no idea what I am talking about - there is no way the tower will twist into place with that gasket in there. Be persistent and get it on there. Nobody likes a whiner.

    Assembly aside, it works great. And remember, you only ever assemble it once. So once that is over with, you have a good product at a cheap price that works like a champ.

    BalasHapus
  8. I ordered this from my phone while at a bar one night and the next day read the reviews and was kind of worried because they were less than favorable. Two things stuck out in my mind as being big negatives, someone said it only has a single stage regulator and doesn't get below the mid-low 40's for temperature. Both of these statements are completely false. Mine came with a two-stage regulator and when I first set it up didn't adjust the temperature gauge (it was at "Max" cool), and partially froze my keg. Since I adjusted the temperature my keg is steady at 38 degrees. Another nice thing about this is they give you a lot of extra gaskets and some spare parts, and it's compact (so much so that I was doubting a keg would actually fit in there!). One tip to help those putting it together is to use teflon tape to hold the gasket in place when you attach the beer line to the tapping handle, I actually used it on most of the threaded connections. I picked this up for $379 and for that price nothing else in a brand new kegerator could even compete, unfortunately as of the time I'm writing this they are out of stock though.

    BalasHapus
  9. Ok, First of all, like a couple of the other RECENT reviewers have said, disregard the old reviews. The reviews prior to 2010 need to be taken down because this is NOT the same product.

    This thing arrived in a box in a box, 100lbs. Shipping took about 4 days. My groomsman bought me this off my wedding registry so I was astounded when I got it. Everything comes packed nice.

    PROS-
    IT SERVES ICE COLD BEER
    Directions very easy to follow and put together.
    Fits 2 5.5 gal kegs (if you want to convert into dual tap) and the normal 13gal kegs just fine.
    Comes with a 2.5lb tank. I had a spare 5 gal tank and it fits in there with both kegs also just fine.
    Drip tray, tower and door are very solid (the door is swappable to left to right also)
    The tap handle is very stout and springy, which is good when my gigantic milled aluminum handle does not feel like its going to break it.

    CONS-
    It does not cook bacon
    The regulator is very finiky, the pressure on it goes from 0-150 which its like a 1/150th of a turn to move it a couple PSI up. I keep the keg right around 10lbs to keep the foam down, pours a little slow... but perfect head.
    As others have said, it comes with a gaggle of spare parts, which is cool if it breaks something ever, but kind of confusing at first.

    TIPS-
    The tower does not say to install the rubber washer which leaves the tower a little loose but it does come with one. It was VERY hard to get on, I took some silicon spray and wet both sides of the washer to get it loose and was able to push down hard enough on the tower to get it to set. Now its stout and keeps cold air in.
    I leave the temperature dial at about 3/4 which puts my beer right at 34 degrees. I had it set to 32 degrees which the dial was almost all the way up and it froze the beer line to the tower.

    For the price of this thing, you cannot go wrong, Im exited to try to get it converted to hold 2 5.5 gal kegs and have a couple of different brews. I will post back when I do!

    BalasHapus