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The Danby DKC5811BSL is my favorite low-cost kegerator. At 5.8 cubic feet, it is large enough to fit all full-sized kegs, including over-sized kegs from Miller Coors. Automatic defrost is one of the nicest features in this kegerator. That feature is typically reserved only for high-end and commercial kegerators. If you have ever had to move a refrigerator outside to let it thaw in the sun, you will know how convenient this feature is. An empty 5 pound C02 tank is included. 5 pound tanks save money over time when compared to the 2.5 pound tanks that ship with the Nostalgia and Igloo brand kegerators since it costs roughly the same to fill a 2.5 pound tank or 5 pound tank. A dual gauge regulator is also included. This means it will be cheaper and easier to convert this model into a dual tap kegerator in the future. The best selling point of this kegerator is the fact that it can be purchased for $499 with free site to store shipping at Home Depot.

DKC5811BSL Kegerator Overview

• 123 pound shipping weight
• 5.8 cubic foot capacity
• 35″H (without tower) X 24″D X 24.25″W
• 12 month in-home warranty on parts and labor (phone number is  1-800-263-2629)
• Reversible door helps accommodate right and left-handed owners
• Scratch resistant surfaces
• High-end spotless steel finish on the door (smudges less than traditional stainless)
• Black and chrome beer tower
• Casters are included for easy portability

Where Else Is This Kegerator Sold?

• Kegerator.com charges $659
• Amazon.com is out of stock but the price was of $722.35 after shipping
• Walmart is out of stock, but lists a price of $531.62
• AJ Madison charges $600 with free shipping

The $499 price from Home Depot is far and away the best available. God bless the buying power of the big box stores. The $600 price from AJ Madison isn’t bad though if they don’t charge tax in your state.

Appearance

This is basically a standard black plastic kegerator with a steel door. I actually like the way the contrast works, especially with the black beer tower. The spotless steel finish gives the same look as stainless, but smudges less easily. The four included casters are an optional feature, so you can elect to have wheels on your model or not. The safety railing to keep beer from spilling off the edge is the flimsier type and the drip tray is low-end. If either of those default features bother you, inexpensive upgrades are available.

Warranty

The full one year warranty on parts and labor is one of the nicest features of the DKC5811BSL. Many cheaper kegerators only come with a 90 day warranty or have 1 year on parts but just 90 days on labor. This latter warranty can lead to battles with a customer support rep about the semantics of labor versus parts. Not only is the Danby warranty longer than many units, it is also an in-home warranty. This feature is typically reserved for only the highest end models. In-home warranties are always a good sign that a company believes in their products. It doesn’t take many in-home service calls to erode profit margins.

Customer Support

Danby customer support is available from 8:30am EST to 6pm EST Monday through Thursday. Their hours on Friday are 8:30am EST to 4pm EST. The customer support phone number is 1-800-263-2629. You can also email the company using consumerservice@danby.com. Danby customer support is well regarded and based in Findlay, Ohio.

Capacity

Capacity is one of the best selling points of this unit in comparison to other cheaper kegerators. Units like the KRS-2100 and KC2000 will not support over-sized kegs from companies like Miller, Coors, and Yuengling. The 5.8 cubic foot capacity of this model allows it to fit these larger half barrel kegs.

Equipment

The DKC5811BSL comes with all the hardware you need to start pouring cold beer in the comfort of your own home in short order.  A dual-gauge regulator means it should be easy and cost-effective to turn this machine into a dual-tap kegerator in the future. It also includes a 5 pound C02 tank. You always want to check to see what size C02 tank ships with a kegerator. Try to find models that ship with a 5 pound aluminum tank instead of the cheaper 2.5 pound tanks. This difference has a negligible impact on the manufactures cost, but it will save you a lot of money over time if you frequently use the kegerator. It’s also important to note that the refrigerator unit on this kegerator has automatic defrost. If you plan to continuously use the kegerator, automatic defrost will save you hours of time and aggravation. Even though this model only weighs a little over 100 pounds and comes with casters, it is still a huge inconvenience to have to push a refrigerator outside a few times a year to let it defrost.

Reviews

Reviews on this kegerator are stellar. Be careful if you read the reviews on Amazon because wine refrigerator reviews are mixed in with the kegerator reviews. When you isolate the kegerator reviews, you will see that they are quite good.

Assembly

Putting together a kegerator is a pain in the butt if you have never done it. There are all kinds of hoses and washers. People who have assembled a kegerator before can do it in less than hour. If you have never done it before, you might want to set aside a good three hours before you invite your buddies. The instructions provided by Danby are well-written by a native English speaker. My only problem is they are unnecessarily wordy. My recommendation is they should include a quick setup guide in addition to the more expansive instructions.

Company Background

Danby is one of the best known names in smaller appliances. The company began in 1947 by selling hot plates and slow cookers. Over the years, the company has grown to more than 20 million dollars in sales with over 100 employees. Some of their products are good and others aren’t that great. This can be said for most companies though. Fortunately, a lot of thought and design was put into this kegerator. The substantial buying power of Danby has allowed them to offer features that would cost $200+ more with other brands.

Conclusion

The Danby DKC5811BSL is one of those rare models that combines low price, sleek appearance, and a long warranty. Many of the features, like a dual regular, 5 pound C02 tank, and larger capacity are not typically found at this low price point. For less than $500 from Home Depot with free site to store shipping, this is a heck of a good purchase.