Best mini fridge for kegerator?

I'm planning on building a bar for my basement, and want to build in a 2-tap kegerator. Best way I can figure to go about this is to use a mini fridge, capable of holding 2 corny kegs. I know the Sanyo used to be the go-to fridge of choice for this, but I don't think it's available anymore (at least, at a reasonable price).

What are the current popular mini fridges for kegerators?

Also, does anyone know if I need any special considerations for housing a fridge within a bar structure? Am I going to have issues with heat with a boxed-in fridge? Are there fridges that vent to the front?

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Danby-Designer-Compact-Refrigerator/5893621

170$ shipped to your house. I have one currently with a corny in it. So far it has been working very well for me. (only one keg as I have yet to modify the door) i am not sure what price range you are looking for though. Personally I like this one b/c there are no modifications needed and other has have had great success with it as well.

daugenet said:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Danby-Designer-Compact-Refrigerator/5893621

170$ shipped to your house. I have one currently with a corny in it. So far it has been working very well for me. (only one keg as I have yet to modify the door) i am not sure what price range you are looking for though. Personally I like this one b/c there are no modifications needed and other has have had great success with it as well.

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Thanks - I'll look into that one. Do you know if all 4.4cu ft Danbys are created equal? I found a Danby DAR452BL on CL locally for much cheaper, and it looks very similar (it's actually the predecessor to the Walmart model - http://www.kitchenlav.com/DAR452BLW.htm).

There's also the Best Buy Danby (DAR482BLS) which I may be able to get cheaper via a family discount...

The discontinued one looks to be identical to the one I have at home (as far as i can tell from the pics anyway).

The bestbuy one appears to be the same/similar as well.

I dont know that it matters to you but the entire back wall is where the chill plate is located. There also appears to be a plug hole on the back hump (havent gotten around to seeing if i can remove it or not)

Hope that helps!

I have the Danby DAR482BL. It has worked great for me.



This guy has a nice write up on the Danby conversion as well.

Cookiebaggs said:

I have the Danby DAR482BL. It has worked great for me.



This guy has a nice write up on the Danby conversion as well.

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Thanks! That's very similar to what I'm planning to do with my bar. Have you had any issues with the fridge being enclosed like that? What did you use between the top of the fridge and the bottom of the bar? Are you using anything to keep the lines out of the fridge cold?

The alcove I framed out under the bar allows for 4-5" on all sides of the fridge. So far no problems w/ventilation.

I used a 2' section of flexable pool pump hose I got at the hardware store to enclose the lines from the top of the fridge to the tower. I then bought some foam pipe insulation to wrap around the pool hose.

I have not installed a device to cool the tower. The 1st 1/2 pint is a little warm (foamy) but it flows great after that.

P.S. The pool hose was the same diameter as the hole saw I used to cut the top of the fridge and bar. The ribbed flexable hose basically "screwed" into the holes I drilled and fit very nicely.

I converted a Danby that had the upper chill plate. was successful in bending down the chill plate against the back. I can fit 2 corneys, and a 5 lb c02 tank on the back step. i removed the inner panel from the door. it fits snugly under my custom outside bbq/bar, and i had to put a 2" hole in the top to duct the beer lines up to the tower, which is fastened to the bar top. it works nicely, but i need to find a better way to get forced cold air up to the top of the tower to chill the lines

So, I can get a Danby DAR452BL for $50 or a Sanyo SR4911 for $100 (both from CL). Is there any major advantage to the Sanyo that would justify the extra $50?

not really. just verify for yourself that it does get cold before you complete the transaction

Along the same lines here, I found this model of Danby on CL http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007XKIP2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
It looks almost identical to the one that cookiebaggs used except that there is a compartment up top that might need to be removed and the thermostat is to the right... Anyone used or seen this one and know if its possible to remove the top part? Its about an hour drive to look at it, but for $75 (possibly talked down to $50-60) it might be worth picking up.

Yes, that is the one I'm using. You will need to remove the top compartment, and bend the cold plate so it is verticle against the back. It's not that hard to do with a Danby. In order to fit 2 Corneys, you will have to move the thermostat from the right side wall, back about 6 inches, and attach it to the top. It's not hard, just patience. Let me know if you pick it up, i'll walk you through the modofication.

Ok, well then here's hoping the guy's still got it, I just realized the CL posting is a few days old.


[edit] of course, its sold already, i really gotta stay on top of the CL from now on.

I know this is an old thread but I am trying to find a fridge that will hold at least 1 Corny keg with connections on top and maybe the CO2 tank. I found this one but like everything I've seen, the inner dimensions are not listed. The main thing that caught my eye is that it does not contain a freezer. It is 4.4 cu-ft.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Danby-4.4-cu-ft-Refrigerator/26065145#Specifications

Looks identical to my costco danby fridge. If so, with a few little mods (cutting the door panel out) you can fit 2 ball lock Cornys and your tank to boot.

Well, I ordered the Danby from Wally World. Should have it in a few days. I'll be needing some suggestions on the removal of the inner door panel but other than that, I think it will work just fine.

I got to thinking that maybe the only time I need to have CO2 connected is during carbonation and then when serving. Does this make sense?

I received my fridge yesterday and, after 2 hours I plugged it in. I set the thermostat to the middle and within an hour or so it read 11 degree F on my thermometer! I set it to about 1/4 of max and it is now hovering at about 34 degrees.
There is enough room for my 5 gallon fermenter so I can cold crash my beers if I want.
So far so good!