Even Beer Enthusiasts Might Regret Splurging On This Pricey Accessory

Many beer lovers dream of a home bar where they can put up a few tin tackers from their favorite breweries, a pool table or dartboard, and a kegerator to pull a draft in the comfort of their own home. We're here to warm up the beer glass of your dreams with some real talk on what it entails to own your own kegerator.

A proper kegerator is expensive; they can cost from around $400 to over $1,000. Mini kegerators are cheaper, but some report difficulty finding good beers available in mini-kegs. If you buy a cheap or used one, you may want to upgrade the lines and taps to make sure the beer pours as well as it does at your local bar.

A small ⅙ keg yields 41 pints. Even the best beer can get old after a while, and you may find yourself drinking more than you'd like before you can replace a keg. Plus, a keg's advantage is freshness, so you'd better drink those 41 pints fast so your tapped keg doesn't go bad. A frequent selling point made by kegerator brands is reducing your environmental impact by eliminating beer packaging that ends up in the trash. This is a valid concern that can also be alleviated with recycling.

In addition to the cost of purchasing a kegerator, if it doesn't come with them, you'll need to invest in the components necessary to operate one, like cleaning equipment, CO2 tanks, lines, and tools. Over time, parts will need to be replaced — especially if you purchased a used one. Then there are the added costs and labor of cleaning the lines with the proper chemicals, sourcing and returning kegs, dialing in the pressure and CO2 for each new keg, and refilling your CO2 tank. 

Even with all that it entails, owning your own kegerator may be right for some people. One common reason people invest in one is that they make their own beer. Rather than dealing with the hassle of bottling it, they can keg it and have it on draft. Kegging homebrew and maintaining a kegerator are less of a hassle than bottling.

Another reason people spend money and time to have the option to pour drafts at home is if they frequently host other beer drinkers. If you often meet up with friends for pints at a bar, you can save money by setting up your own space. If you get a kegerator with two or three taps, it will be easier to offer something to everybody. In the summer, an outdoor kegerator will get plenty of use if you regularly host barbecues. A typical hand pump for a keg will significantly reduce the lifespan of the beer to about a day, giving the more sealed-off home system the advantage of a keg lasting most of the summer. Just don't forget to clean those lines for better-tasting beer!