Talking about beer dispensers at home has always been a constant battle between keezers and kegerators. Not to fear, though! This article has in-depth comparisons of the differences between the two.
Let’s dive in to find out!
Kegerator
First, let’s talk about a kegerator. A kegerator is a modified or custom-built refrigerator that can store beer for a long time, usually up to two months.
This is enough for people who make beer at home and businesses that sell beer.
Owning a kegerator is an absolute treat, so let’s discuss the pros of having one.
- It can keep beer fresh and bubbly for a long time, about two months on average.
- Kegerators can be used both at home and in a business.
- There are many ready-made kegerators on the market.
- You can turn an old fridge into one with a kegerator conversion kit.
No matter how useful a kegerator is or how well it serves us, it still has a few problems. The bad things about kegerators are:
- First, you must have a stainless steel keg. You can’t use any other kind of keg.
- Ready-made kegerators are expensive and can cost you more than you can imagine.
- Old and used refrigerators use a lot of electricity, so even if you save a lot of money by buying a used one, it won’t help you in the long run.
Having a kegerator could be very useful, but it will cost you money, whether you buy a new one or change the way an old one works. You can use it for business and fun, but that’s all you can do with it.
Keezer
A keezer is just a little bit more than a kegerator. Let’s say that a kegerator combines a keg with a refrigerator.
A keezer, on the other hand, combines a kegerator with a freezer.
Most of the time, it is made by rearranging a chest freezer. The primary purpose of a keezer is the same, but there are still some differences.
There are many good things about having a keezer, such as:
- You can keep beer in a keg for a long time.
- You can use it both for business and pleasure
- A keezer can hold a fair number of beer kegs.
- Keezer is a redesigned chest freezer, so it is quieter.
- It looks very up-to-date.
Compared to kegerators, ready-made keezers don’t cost very much.
Keezer can be more modern and stylish and works just like a kegerator, but it still has its own problems that you can’t ignore.
- Even though it can hold many kegs of beer, it’s hard to replace one when it runs out because a full keg is heavy and hard for one person to lift.
- Since storing multiple kegs takes up more space, a keezer takes up a larger area.
- You have to build a collar to drill into. If you don’t, you can’t finish a keezer.
- Keeping your beer in a keezer is a great way to do so. If you add a dispenser to it, you can use it for business or your own use.
Of course, changing the keg every time one runs out is hard work. You’re good to go if you have a healthy back and can lift a full beer Keg to shoulder height.
Comparisons and Observations
Kegerators Are Slimmer
Since a kegerator is just an altered fridge, it is taller than it is wide. A keezer is just the opposite. As its chassis, it uses a chest freezer, which is longer in the horizontal direction.
A kegerator usually takes up less space in your home.
But because keezers have more space, they can store more kegs at once than kegerators. Most beer lovers find that a kegerator can hold at most two or three slim quarter kegs.
That’s fine, but if you want a bar with 5 or 6 taps, you’ll need a keezer.
Keezers Are More Efficient
In order to store food for a long time, chest freezers need to keep it cold. That means they keep heat in much better than fridges do.
As a result of their larger walls, keezers consume a significantly lower amount of electricity than kegerators do. Neither device will put you in debt, but a keezer is better if you want to use less power.
How you construct can have a significant impact on this. If you drill through the top of your freezer to add a draft tower, you’ll make a big hole in the insulation.
You can add more padding or a fan to the inside of the tower to keep it cool. But you will still lose some productivity.
Many people who make keezers like to add a collar. This thick wood square frame sits on top of the freezer box.
People also opt to move the lid from the freezer’s main body to the collar. Then, instead of punching holes in the freezer wall, you can drill holes in the wood for your taps.
If you build a strong collar, your keezer won’t waste power.
A keezer also saves time because you don’t have to open the lid as often. Since you can have a lot of kegs on tap at once, you can wait longer before you have to switch to a new one.
A Keezer is Quieter
Because kegerators have less insulation, they must work harder to keep their beer cool. That means its compressor turns on and off more often, making a noise that can be annoying.
Keezers aren’t as noisy. This might not be a huge concern depending on how you set things up.
But if you want to put a bar in your recreational room or theater, this could be important. You don’t want to hear a fridge humming during a movie or game’s quiet, dramatic parts.
Worth Buying?
Ultimately, what you want to do will determine which drink dispenser is best for you. A keezer is a perfect choice if you want to make something that looks different and will serve your drinks.
You can make a keezer out of almost any insulated cabinet that will keep your keg or kegs at the right temperature. This gives you the most options for making changes to your home or business.
Some people will say that a keezer is the cheapest way to get a kegerator, but that will depend on how much your freezer cabinet costs.
The cost of building a keezer will increase as more customization you do.
But a pre-built kegerator is much easier for many people to own and keep up with because it only needs simple assembly. The parts that come with it are made to pour your drink perfectly.
This makes finding the correct pieces for your kegerator easier, and you can still change and improve the parts to fit your needs. With a kegerator, you don’t have to do much work, but the drinks you get from it are of excellent quality.
For many families, this will be the most practical and inexpensive option for acquiring a beverage dispenser for their home.
Related Reading: What Is Craft Beer? – Check Them out Here
Final Thoughts
If you are truly set on obtaining one of these, it will depend on your budget, living conditions, and preference. Stay safe during the installation, and enjoy the beer!
