[redrocker652002]

Howdy all,

I am new to all of this, but enjoying learning as I go.  My question this time is pretty simple.  I bought a used mini fridge and turned it into a kegerator.  Like most of the used ones out there, it isn't very nice to look at.  My thought was to go to a local home improvement store and find an inexpensive base cabinet that matches my already existing cabinets and put the mini fridge in it to hide it.  And make it look a bit better in my kitchen.  My wife is pushing back because she thinks I will need an open back to help with the heat generated by the fridge.  I can get a base cabinet at Home Depot for about 150 bucks.  Any input or suggestions? 

Thanks for looking 

RR

[Richard]

Your wife is right. You can't put a refrigerator inside a small enclosed space. It needs some way to shed the heat it is removing from the inside compartment.

[redrocker652002]

OK, thanks.  I am not going to tell her that though.  LOL. 

[purduekenn]

I have a Magic Chief 4.4 cu. ft. fridge that I used to use as a kegerator it can hold 1-5gallon keg with a 5# CO2 tank. I put mine in the garage and that keep the wifey happy. I now use it for a fermentation chamber because I use a chest freezer to serve beer. Good Ideal don't tell your wife that she is right.  LOL!

[Village Taphouse]

Most of the better options here are expensive... place the fridge in a spot where the counter can overhang so taps can be mounted to the counter, etc. or else pick up an actual beer-dispensing kegerator from Kegworks, etc.  I am in the process of some life changes (long story) and have looked at kegerators.  There is a three-keg/1-tank jobbie for $699 that has a stainless finish.  On one hand I'm a guy and could see this in my kitchen but OTOH I have been married for 29 years and understand how it might not work.    I did have a bud who remodeled his kitchen and he worked with the contractor to have an open space with an outlet under the counter... basically leaving out a cabinet where the size could accommodate a fridge.  Then they drilled a hole for the tower, slip the fridge under the counter and plug it in, plenty of air around it to properly keep itself cool and install the tower.  It was slick but not something everyone can just do when they want. 

[ynotbrusum]

The longer I go with this hobby and the older I get, I just think that picnic tap lines and small refrigerators and/or chest freezers are just so much easier than the whole kegerator/keezer arrangement.  I put them in the garage and in the basement and get no complaints from my wife...but, if I were to suggest that a kegerator was going in the kitchen with a draft tower installed, it would result in a full remodeling project for the whole kitchen I am sure.  Besides, me and my friends already hang out in the garage during nice weather and in the basement during cold weather, so we are right near the beer.

[Village Taphouse]

The longer I go with this hobby and the older I get, I just think that picnic tap lines and small refrigerators and/or chest freezers are just so much easier than the whole kegerator/keezer arrangement.  I put them in the garage and in the basement and get no complaints from my wife...but, if I were to suggest that a kegerator was going in the kitchen with a draft tower installed, it would result in a full remodeling project for the whole kitchen I am sure.  Besides, me and my friends already hang out in the garage during nice weather and in the basement during cold weather, so we are right near the beer.

Yeah, honestly... beer in the kitchen is only really a good idea if you have nowhere else to put it. 

[tommymorris]

The longer I go with this hobby and the older I get, I just think that picnic tap lines and small refrigerators and/or chest freezers are just so much easier than the whole kegerator/keezer arrangement.  I put them in the garage and in the basement and get no complaints from my wife...but, if I were to suggest that a kegerator was going in the kitchen with a draft tower installed, it would result in a full remodeling project for the whole kitchen I am sure.  Besides, me and my friends already hang out in the garage during nice weather and in the basement during cold weather, so we are right near the beer.

Yeah, honestly... beer in the kitchen is only really a good idea if you have nowhere else to put it.

I would like beer on the main floor for when I have a party. Otherwise, my garage setup is great.

[chinaski]

I agree with others- save you and your family the $150 and put the thing somewhere else.  If the hobby sticks with you, you'll probably want something different later on.  Use the $ for ingredients!

[reverseapachemaster]

I kinda agree here about not putting it in the kitchen although I'd be more open minded to it if the kitchen is by where you normally hang out. In that cases it's not really different from going to the fridge for a beer.

A thought for you about the appearance no matter where it goes is that you can get contact paper and cover the fridge to give it an appearance in line with the room or just get a typical appliance color to make it look nicer. I bought an old fridge from I think the seventies that is a larger sized dorm fridge for fermentation. It's a gross brown color with a lot of scratches. I bought black contact paper to cover it and now it looks like a new black fridge minus all the beer stickers on it. I plan to build a keezer into a bar in the next year or so and rather than deal with putting the freezer in a cabinet I plan to build cabinets beside the freezer and then wrap the front with contact paper so it has a seamless appearance but leaves the majority of the freezer exposed to vent heat. If you search for contact paper refrigerator you'll find a lot of examples of how good this can look.

[purduekenn]

The longer I go with this hobby and the older I get, I just think that picnic tap lines and small refrigerators and/or chest freezers are just so much easier than the whole kegerator/keezer arrangement.  I put them in the garage and in the basement and get no complaints from my wife...but, if I were to suggest that a kegerator was going in the kitchen with a draft tower installed, it would result in a full remodeling project for the whole kitchen I am sure.  Besides, me and my friends already hang out in the garage during nice weather and in the basement during cold weather, so we are right near the beer.

I agree and I have a chest freezer that is temperature controlled in the garage. I use party taps for serving beer and it's not as cool looking as a tower but it's very practical.

[redrocker652002]

I agree with others- save you and your family the $150 and put the thing somewhere else.  If the hobby sticks with you, you'll probably want something different later on.  Use the $ for ingredients!

That is exactly what I was thinking.  If I get this to work out, I will spend the cash in my retirement to get a nice setup and really get into it. 

[redrocker652002]

I kinda agree here about not putting it in the kitchen although I'd be more open minded to it if the kitchen is by where you normally hang out. In that cases it's not really different from going to the fridge for a beer.

A thought for you about the appearance no matter where it goes is that you can get contact paper and cover the fridge to give it an appearance in line with the room or just get a typical appliance color to make it look nicer. I bought an old fridge from I think the seventies that is a larger sized dorm fridge for fermentation. It's a gross brown color with a lot of scratches. I bought black contact paper to cover it and now it looks like a new black fridge minus all the beer stickers on it. I plan to build a keezer into a bar in the next year or so and rather than deal with putting the freezer in a cabinet I plan to build cabinets beside the freezer and then wrap the front with contact paper so it has a seamless appearance but leaves the majority of the freezer exposed to vent heat. If you search for contact paper refrigerator you'll find a lot of examples of how good this can look.

I was thinking of going to a local cabinet shop and see if they have anything they have had rejected by the customer and just buy the door on the cheap.  Might still do that, it would certainly ease the pain of it being so ugly.  LOL. 

[redrocker652002]

The longer I go with this hobby and the older I get, I just think that picnic tap lines and small refrigerators and/or chest freezers are just so much easier than the whole kegerator/keezer arrangement.  I put them in the garage and in the basement and get no complaints from my wife...but, if I were to suggest that a kegerator was going in the kitchen with a draft tower installed, it would result in a full remodeling project for the whole kitchen I am sure.  Besides, me and my friends already hang out in the garage during nice weather and in the basement during cold weather, so we are right near the beer.

I agree and I have a chest freezer that is temperature controlled in the garage. I use party taps for serving beer and it's not as cool looking as a tower but it's very practical.

That could be my next step as I get more into the hobby.  I bought the fridge and setup pretty inexpensive and thought it would be a good try.  If I don't enjoy it, I can sell it all and recoup some of my cash. 

[redrocker652002]

Thanks for all the replies.  I am going to look into maybe just doing something temporary, or maybe moving into the garage.  But my wife is ok with it being in the kitchen for now.  I just want to try and make it look a bit better.