Kegco is one of the most popular brands of kegerators sold online. The are affordable and fit the needs of the vast majority of users. Kegco is the house brand of BeverageFactory.com. They have three main lines of kegerators. The K199 is the cheapest model with a starting price of less than $500. K209 is the next version up and has a starting price of $550. The K309 has the largest capacity and starts at $649.
Capacity
K199 models are not capable of holding oversized kegs from brands like Miller, Coors, and Yuengling. If you want a more versatile kegerator, spend the extra $70 to buy the K209B series. This is one of the cheapest lines of kegerators to hold all full-sized kegs, including over-sized kegs, or 3 corny kegs for homebrew. The 209B is just a little too small to hold the third sixth barrel. It’s limited to two sixths at a time. The 309B series has an identical capacity to the 209B series.
Weight
Weight is often one of the best ways to determine the quality of a kegerator. The heaviest kegerator I know of is the TRUE TDD-1 at a whopping 180 pounds.
- K199B – 86 pounds
- K209B – 96.8 pounds
- K309B – 96.8 pounds
Faucets
K199 models come in single and dual faucet flavors. The 209B and 309B lines can be purchased in single, dual, or triple faucet varieties. Monetarily there is little difference between the dual and triple faucet versions, while there is typically a $50 price bump to go from the single to dual tap version.
What Is the Difference Between the 209B and 309B Line?
The simple answer to this is not much. Here is an image of the black single faucet K209B-1 kegerator.
This is an image of the K309B-1 black single faucet kegerator.
The only external difference between these two models is that the K309B-1 has an external temperature display with push button controls. A K209B kegerator has a manual temperature control on the inside of the unit. Internally, the K309 models fan force cool air into the beer tower. This keep beer in the tower from spoiling as quickly. You will have to decide for yourself if these two features are worth an extra $100.
Customer Support
You can reach Beverage Factory at 800-710-9939 or using their contact form. They are open from 7am – 6pm PST Monday through Friday. Their Saturday hours are 10am to 2pm.
Appearance
All three lines (K199, K209B, and K309B) are available in black or stainless steel versions. The K199 is smaller than the other 2 models. It is also a cheaper stainless finish in the sense that only the front door is stainless. The rest of the refrigerator is black plastic. I personally prefer the higher-end look of all stainless models.
K199B-1 Kegerator
K209SS-1 Kegerator
The stainless steel version of the K209 still has the chincy stainless finish only visible on the door. The most noticeable appearance difference compared to the K199 is the much larger size.
K309SS-1 Kegerator
The external digital temperature display and push button controls along the top are the most noticeable difference between the K209 and K309. In terms of size they are identical. The unit might come with a slightly sleeker rounded logo. I’m sure few will notice and even fewer will care.
Temperature Comparison
Ice cold beer is the point of having a kegerator. Nothing is more disappointing than receiving a model that won’t get cold enough. The K309 series has the widest temperature range. It can reach the freezing point (32 degrees) and adjust all the way to 75 degrees. You might ask yourself why you would ever set a kegerator so high. There are two reasons. It saves energy when not chilling beer, and it allows it the chill wine without making it too cold.
- K199 – 34 degrees – 45 degrees
- K299 – 34 degrees – 45 degrees
- K309 – 32 degrees – 75 degrees
Kegco Warranty
Kegco’s long warranty is one of the best selling points. Many inferior brands and even well known brand new units from Edgestar have a mere 90 day warranty on labor. All three Kegco models have a 1 year warranty parts and labor with a whopping 5 years for the compressor. If you have bad luck with appliances dying on you, this warranty could be a real plus. Even if you never use the warranty, it is a definite indicator that Kegco believes in their build quality. Companies with too many returns seek to reduce their warranty duration to save costs. Unfortunately, many companies prefer reduced warranties to increased build quality.
