HELP-what should I get?????

[4myhubby]

I am getting a kegerator for my husband for his 30th birthday and I want to have it all set up for a suprise party that I am throwing him. I don't have any idea what to get....... his friend just got a Sudsbuddy and my husband was saying that he thought it was pretty cool but I looked at the website and they are pretty different than anything I have seen. Does anyone have advise?

Thanks!

[jumper]

I know there are a lot of varying opinions out there so I'll throw out what has worked for me.

I bought a Summit single tap tower unit a few years back and had zero problems with it. Looking back I would upgrade the CO2 regulator and a tower blower. But, overall it was an outstanding unit.

My current tap fridge is a Nostalgia unit... steer far clear of this thing unless you're pretty handy and want to throw in about $100 extra to get it running right. It is not ready for prime time right out of the box. To be honest its really a piece of crap... but its cheap.

Depending on the budget I would look more at a commercial grade unit for less headache.

[jackstraw]

Is cost an issue?

If you are on a budget... get him the Summit/Sanyo.

http://www.micromatic.com/keg-refrigerators/kegerators-pid-BC-1206.html

Otherwise, check out the BevAir...

http://www.micromatic.com/keg-refrigerators/kegerators-pid-BM23.html

(which comes with a fan built-in)


If you get the Summit, you'll probably need to install a fan to cool the tower. But you could get him the kegerator, get the CO2 tank filled (it ships empty), buy him a keg and let him install the fan as a weekend project.

Sorry, I don't have any experiences with the Sudsbuddy.

[psychodad]

+1 on jackstraw's advice.

Also as you may have noticed, the Danbys are not really good performers straight from the box.

[mac114]

I prefer the Bev Air as it is right out of the box ready to go. No modifications needed like the less costly brands. Yes it cost more but well worth the money. I had a Danby and I will tell you what I lost in foamy beer has made up for the extra cost of the BeV Air. The one down side is the Bev Air does not come with the tapping kit. You need to order it separate. More cost. Hope this helps.