[ChadS13TDI]

I Need help! Is there any manufacturer that makes a decent 24" unit? every one I'm finding has terrible reviews, not keeping drinks cold, loud, broken within the first year, etc etc..


I had put one of these in our plans and I really don't want to have to adjust the plans at this point.


I didn't see any recent threads on this subject. What are you guys using??


thank you!

 

[jautor]

Went through the same process, and changed my bar plans to incorporate a 'real' fridge instead. While you lose the nice display and under-counter form factor, you gain cold, plenty of space, a freezer, and ICE! And in real-life usage, the number of times the beverage center display would look nice is very, very low - half-empty it's not impressive!

Real fridge for around ~$600 with an ice maker wins... Look at counter-depth dimensions if you need it - also see if you can just recess a fridge area to help it blend in (and get a black model).

Jeff

 

[epetti]

Yes, but at a price. Both Perlick and True make excellent beverage centers that are reliable, stay cool, and are well built. But they also run about $3000.

 

[jrm21]

I really like my Marvel under counter unit. Of course, the beverages it keeps cool are two sixtel kegs with a line running out the top to my beer tower.

I guess if you skipped the beer lines, it would also be a good refrigerator. No ice maker, no freezer - but it is quiet and made for under counter use.

 

[ChadS13TDI]

Went through the same process, and changed my bar plans to incorporate a 'real' fridge instead. While you lose the nice display and under-counter form factor, you gain cold, plenty of space, a freezer, and ICE! And in real-life usage, the number of times the beverage center display would look nice is very, very low - half-empty it's not impressive!

Real fridge for around ~$600 with an ice maker wins... Look at counter-depth dimensions if you need it - also see if you can just recess a fridge area to help it blend in (and get a black model).

Jeff

Yeah. That would still end up costing quite a bit if we had more space I would for sure be going full fridge. I just think it would be an eyesore even if we got a counter depth one.

Yes, but at a price. Both Perlick and True make excellent beverage centers that are reliable, stay cool, and are well built. But they also run about $3000.

Yeah I wish. I didn't realize perlick made fridges. I did look at the True's but didn't see a price. I knew they would be spendy, but like you said. they work..

I really like my Marvel under counter unit. Of course, the beverages it keeps cool are two sixtel kegs with a line running out the top to my beer tower.

I guess if you skipped the beer lines, it would also be a good refrigerator. No ice maker, no freezer - but it is quiet and made for under counter use.

that marvel fridge looks really nice. Those were 1-2k right? how do you put the beer tower on it? did you drill it?


I have found a few other options today after doing some browsing. One is the dual zone magic chef unit and the other is a GE Profile via Home depot.


The GE unit retails for about $12-1300. the magic chef unit retails for $549. GE has a minimum temp of 41* yet nobody really complains about temps in the reviews. The GE Looks great and holds a lot. It is an undercounter design. overall it gets pretty good reviews. near 4 stars.


The magic chef has dual zone climate which I don't care about but I can work with it. It claims temps as low as 36*in the coldest zone. it's slightly smaller than the GE but a fraction of the price. It get's mid 3 stars with some complaints. Looks pretty good too.


at this point I'm planning to get an extended warranty through HD on the magic chef and give it a shot. I will try to remember to update this thread after I get some first hand use.


I'd love to hear any feedback or suggestions on other units?

 

[jrm21]

that marvel fridge looks really nice. Those were 1-2k right? how do you put the beer tower on it? did you drill it?

The unit I bought comes with the tower assembly. I upgraded to a dual faucet and brass, plus some other items. I think the basic package was about 1700... that included everything you needed to run a kegerator except the beer. The refrigerator alone would be much less than that. It has the hole in the top to mount the tower ("before" picture). I ended up incorporating the tower into my bartop but insulating and extending the lines from the fridge. ("after" picture). Got mine from "beveragefactory.com" - I was happy with prices and service.

I have found a few other options today after doing some browsing. One is the dual zone magic chef unit and the other is a GE Profile via Home depot.


The GE unit retails for about $12-1300. the magic chef unit retails for $549. GE has a minimum temp of 41* yet nobody really complains about temps in the reviews. The GE Looks great and holds a lot. It is an undercounter design. overall it gets pretty good reviews. near 4 stars.

My fridge goes down to about 36 degrees. I think 41 sounds a little high. Granted, I was shopping for kegerator setups, but the impression I got was to steer clear of "consumer" brands. Disclaimer - I have had bad luck with GE appliances over the years and am biased against them. Built in appliances are a different beast. You need to make sure they properly vent and can handle the stress of being in an enclosed space.

The magic chef has dual zone climate which I don't care about but I can work with it. It claims temps as low as 36*in the coldest zone. it's slightly smaller than the GE but a fraction of the price. It get's mid 3 stars with some complaints. Looks pretty good too.

I have no experience with Magic Chef. When researching my fridge, it seemed that you often get what you pay for. It may be a good unit, and the extended warranty may make is work for you. The one issue you should look into first is noise. I understand that noise levels among different refrigerator units can vary greatly - from barely audible to very annoying. Again - I have no idea where the GE or Magic Chef fall on the scale, but it is worth checking into if noise is a factor.

 

[tb151]

I just picked up a new Marvel beverage fridge.
http://www.us-appliance.com/ml24bcg0rs.html

I already have an Avanti dual zone which I have since moved into my basement, and put the Marvel in our kitchen. I certainly can't comment on the durability, but:

- It looks way better. Fills out the space so much better than the Avanti
- It's WAY quieter than the Avanti
- It will consistently keep the temps at 34 degrees even when it's almost empty which makes it work harder
- It's also not shabby that it fits something like 190 cans.


The short answer, as you know, is that there are no solid reliable options for reasonable prices because its such a niche market for the US.

 

[gcolby]

I have had the Magic Chef one installed for about 8 months and have not had any issues with it at all. Stays a constant temp in both zones. Have had numerous power outages since install and has not missed a beat....

 

[ChadS13TDI]

That's great to hear. Do you have it under counter mounted?

 

[olyteddy]

Have you looked at the 'drawer fridges' like this one: https://www.geoutletstore.com/GESto...&omni_key=prodfeed_ZIDI240BII&kpid=ZIDI240BII

 

[ChadS13TDI]

Have you looked at the 'drawer fridges' like this one: https://www.geoutletstore.com/GESto...&omni_key=prodfeed_ZIDI240BII&kpid=ZIDI240BII

I have not. I suspect the suffer from some of the same issues?


I'm going to give the magic chef a try. I have an ideal under counter situations so I'm optimistic I will be able to get good results.


I will report back in a month or two.

 

[Mr.Tim]

I did some research on the beverage coolers and I think the big difference is the method of cooling.

The better coolers use a compressor (just like a refrigerator), while the lower end use a thermoelectric cooler (which is more energy efficient..)

I narrowed down my search to the Summit brand. It's a commercial cooler but not prohibitively expensive. Even then there are some Summit models that work well and some that have issues. That, and ust as with the Magic Chef et al it's at a pricepoint we can justify. I am sure the $1500 coolers are much nicer

Tim