Company Background
Kegerator.com is one of the most popular kegerator stores on the Web. Their parent company was Living Direct Inc. Living Direct was founded in 1999 and is based in Austin, Texas. Living Direct specializes in smaller appliances, like the mini fridges that compose the core of a kegerator.
California based Build.com purchased Kegerator.com and the Living Direct Network of sites in October, 2015. It’s yet to be seen if the change in ownership will have positive or negative implications for their future. Build has it’s own layerers of ownership with it’s parent company being UK based Wolseley
What We Like
- Competitive Prices
- Fast Shipping
- U.S. Based Phone Support
- Informative Website
What We Don’t Like
- Restocking Fees
- Only House Brand Products Are Priced Competitively
- Drop Ship Items Ship Slower
EdgeStar Kegerators
EdgeStar is the house brand for Kegerator.com. By that I mean that EdgeStar and Kegerator.com are the same company. Much like almost everything else in the good old USA, these are actually sourced in China. Don’t be fooled by the American badges sometimes placed on these. The word to look for in that badge is assembled.
The KC2000 is the best-selling kegerator from EdgeStar. It fits most full sized kegs with the exception of oversized Miller and Coors kegs. It also comes in a stainless steel version (model KC2000SS). The stainless version currently only costs $20 more, so it would be a good upgrade for many, although keep in mind that only the door is stainless. Other than the size limitation, the biggest knocks on the KC2000 include cheaper components, no air cooled tower, 2 tap limitation, noise (older models had a popping issue) and can’t be used as a built-in. Despite these issues, if you are looking for an introductory kegerator, this is a solid choice.
On the surface the KC3000 might look identical to the KC2000. It isn’t. The KC3000 is large enough to fit all full sized kegs, including those from Miller and Coors. This is a huge advantge for many. The larger size of this model also allows for a triple tap version. This is a huge benefit if you are into homebrew or specialty beers. Another cool attribute is a digitial temperature display. Cheaper kegerators don’t tell you the temperature and your left twisting a non-descript dial in the back of the fridge to adjust the temperature. The KC3000 also comes in a stainless steel version (model – KC3000SS). As with the KC2000, the stainless steel unit only has a stainless steel front door. The sides are black. Overall, this is a solid unit with a more diverse use case than the 2000. It will work great for most people, but lacks the higher quality components found in the KC7000 or models from TRUE and Marvel. Of course, those all cost far more.
The KC7000SS is a great kegerator with all the bells and whistles. Unfortunately, you pay for every damn bell and whistle. This unit is the only EdgeStar kegerator with stainless on all sides. It’s also the only unit with an air cooled tower. This attribute is important for reducing foamy poors and wasted beer. Without air cooling, the beer that remains in the tower after a pour grows rank very quickly. The air cooling won’t keep it good indefinitely, but i definitely extends how long it lasts. Another high-end feature is front venting, allowing the unit to be used in built-ins. This is particularly useful if your wife wants that ugly ass kegerator to be as out of sight as humanly possible. The KC7000SS also comes with an unusually nice 1 year warranty with in-home service. If you’ve ever had to ship a broken kegerator, you’ll understand the value of this warranty.
Prices
Price is an area where Kegerator.com excels. The best deals are on their house brand EdgeStar products. Still, if price is the deciding factor, I recommend also giving Home Depot and Walmart a look. These latter stores frequently have better prices and return policies. It’s also sometimes nice to be able to inspect such a large appliance before taking receipt.
Shipping
Kegerator.com ships products they stock quickly. They’ll normally go out within one business day. Keep in mind that their main warehouse for kegerators is in Texas, so the farther you are from that location, the longer it might take to receive your package.
Issues with shipping speed can arise with drop ship items. Thousands of products on the site, and most ecommerce sites for that matter, are drop ship. This means someone else ships the items. Prices for drop ship items aren’t usually that great either.
The biggest concern when it comes to shipping such a large appliance is damage. Many a mini fridge has ended its journey dented to all hell. I recommend unpacking the kegerator as soon as it arrives. If there are problems with the unit, make sure to not throw away the box. One of the largest complaints on the Web about kegerator.com is from people who were hit with a hefty box fee.
Conclusion
Kegerator.com is a solid choice for kegerators. They ship fast, and their prices are usually near the lowest. Their best deals are on their house brand EdgeStar. The EdgeStar line runs the gamut from the budget model KC2000 with a skimpy 90 day warranty to the high-end KC7000 with most of the features you’d find on a commercial unit.
The biggest complaints with kegerators.com center on issues with returns. Namely, restocking fees and box fees can be a real kick in the nuts for such a high price item. If you are aware of these factors before placing your order, you should be just fine.
I bought a 2 tap Edgestar Kegerator from Kegerator.com which is Living Direct for my husbands birthday When he open it in December 2016 one of the shelves was bent from shipping. I contacted the company, and they said that was a common problem and shipped out another set. 2 months later the beer lines in the draft tower started leaking. My husband contacted them and the guy he talked to was rude. My husband sent him pictures and the guy never contacted him. My husband called back and spoke to a guy and he was going to send another draft tower and then came back on the line and said they would send out a tap shank instead. We got it a week later and it is the wrong part. My husband called back and they refuse to help us now. They have referred us to the manufacturer Edgestar and now we have to email pictures to them. The kegerator has been down for a month and it is only two months old. This is completely ridiculous. We have hired a local company to come out to fix it. Kegerator.com sells poorly manufactured products and has no customer service. To pay $500 for this and be treated like this is absurd. We will never buy anything from them again.
Bought something for my husband for Father’s Day hit ended up being in the wrong part it was a picture of a Kegerator the only thing I got was wheels and a handle so I called them sent it back they received it I spent $160 only got credited for $114 cuz they charge me for the shipping to send back which is a total of $45 for a 2 pound package the pre printed label said my package was 42 pounds so I am not happy and feel like they stole $45 from me so I will never order anything from them I mean they got their stuff back why shouldn’t I get my money back and why should I be charged for a 42 pack at 42 pound package when it’s only 2 lb ridiculous I would buy your kegarator or somewhere else