Best beer fridges for 2020

You need a better place to store your beverages, and your standard fridge isn’t working anymore. A stand-alone beer fridge or beverage cooler can provide customized temperature solutions and a place to have your favorite beers right at your fingertips.

Beer fridges give you better temperature controls over your beverages. For different types of beers and drinks, you may not always want the same standard temperature. With the right fridge, it can expand your storage options and help preserve some of your more delicate beers. 

Our picks for best beer fridges could offer you exactly the fridge you’ve been dreaming of. The NewAir, for example, offers you great multipurpose storage for beer while the EdgeStar KC3000 provides storage for smaller kegs and can convert to a regular fridge later. Whether you need something that locks or one of the best coolers with lots of storage, this list has the right option for you.

At a glance

• Best overall: NewAir Beverage Cooler and Refrigerator 
• Best display: Piestina PH-CBR100 106 Can Compressor Beverage Cooler
• Best for kegs: EdgeStar KC3000 Full-Size Kegerator with Digital Display
• Best locking fridge: Whynter BR-130SB Beverage Refrigerator
• Budget pick: RCA Mini Refrigerator
• Best splurge: EdgeStar 80 Can Built-In Beverage Cooler

NewAir Beverage Cooler and Refrigerator — Best Overall

The NewAir offers you the chance to chill your beverages down to 34 degrees with space for 126 cans. It accommodates wine, beer, and even soda with a clear window on the door to provide visibility. 

It has five different chrome racks that you can remove to customize your interior storage. Metal construction ensures a consistent temperature and durability long term. It doesn’t have a digital temperature readout, but it does offer a low noise output (60 Hz and 35 dB). 

It uses just 110 volts and offers a freestanding design measuring 18.4-inches deep by 18.9-inches wide by 33.13-inches high. The temperature range is 34 degrees to 64 degrees Fahrenheit, and the NewAir fits in most decor with a simple stainless and black design.

Phiestina PH-CBR100 106 Can Compressor Beverage Cooler — Best Display

The Phiestina offers an advanced air compressor cooling system with air circulation to provide higher efficiency. It has space for up to 106 cans with six removable wire shelves to customize storage. The LED indicators show you on and off while the stainless-steel design looks great with any decor.

It uses touch controls to choose a temperature within the range of 38 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. It uses 110 volts of power and 60 Hz. The air compressor provides a uniformly cool environment to ensure consistent temperatures and more efficient operation.

The slim design of the Phiestina PH-CBR100 fits in well with size dimensions of 15.55 inches by 22.83 inches by 33.07 inches, and an LED temperature display always ensures you have the accurate temperature reading. Clear glass doors give you a full view of what you’ve got inside. 

EdgeStar KC3000 Full-Size Kegerator with Digital Display — Best For Kegs

If you’re cooling a keg rather than individual cans, the EdgeStar offers better capability. It provides a deep chill with a mode and a range of 32 to 50 degrees with a digital readout. It includes dispensing components and castor rails to help protect your floors.

It’s a freestanding-style beer fridge with space for half-barrel, slim quarter, corny, and sixth barrel kegs, giving you plenty of options for the types of kegs and amounts of storage. It also comes with two wire shelves if you need to convert it to a fridge style in the future.

Deep chill mode and comes with everything you need to get it set up, dispense beer from your kegs, and then convert it to store other beverages when your kegs are finished. The EdgeStar KC3000 is a great splurge option with flexibility and the ability to fit into smaller spaces at a dimension of 33.5 inches by 23.6 inches by 23.4 inches.

Whynter BR-130SB Beverage Refrigerator — Best Locking Fridge

The Whynter offers a locking mechanism with a clear window for visibility. It provides a temperature range of 30 degrees to 60 degrees and a freestanding design. The powerful compressor helps circulate cold air and ensure that temperatures remain consistent. 

The sleek design fits into most decor with black and brushed stainless details. It stores 120 standard cans with mechanical temperature control. The shelves are fixed but do provide plenty of space to organize your collection.

It measures 18.5 inches by 17 inches by 33 inches, and you can reverse the door for easier placement and setup. The locking mechanism is secure and helps keep unwanted visitors from helping themselves. The Whynter’s LED interior lighting is soft but helps showcase your offerings.

RCA Mini Refrigerator — Budget Pick

If you don’t have the budget for a full beer fridge, the RCA mini fridge can help cover you in a pinch. It features a standard mini-fridge setup with different areas for storing cans and bottles. You can adjust the temperature of the fridge separately from the small freezer section. The total capacity is 3.2 cubic feet. 

The two interior racks are adjustable to give you more space, and the door is reversible for better positioning. It has a flush-back design with a recessed handle. It measures 20 inches by 18 inches by 32 inches. It’s compressor-cooled for temperature efficiency and fits in most small spaces.

It comes in a variety of colors and weighs just 45 pounds, far less than standard beer fridges. The RCA Mini Refrigerator provides simple operation and a great way to store your beverages for a smaller investment than some standard beer fridges. 

EdgeStar 80 Can Built-In Beverage Cooler — Best Splurge

The EdgeStar holds fewer cans than some of the other options on the list, but it has some higher-end features that might be an interest. It features a reversible tempered glass door with a black dotted tint and LED lights. The digital temperature readouts provide accuracy at a glance while the slender dimensions fit more confined spaces.

The auto defrost function makes maintenance easy while fan-forced, front-vented ventilation allows you to use in an installation or freestanding. A compressor-based system ensures even cooling, and an adaptable soft-touch cooling system provides complete control.

The security lock provides safety from unwanted visitors, and the smaller dimensions with a reversible door allow you to place the fridge in quite a few different places. The EdgeStar 80 stores up to 80 cans, and the black and stainless design offers a pleasing design for most decor systems.

What is the best temperature for beer? 

You don’t have to refrigerate all beers, but if you want them to last longer, colder temps are one option. While recommendations vary, beer fridge that offers a range between 30 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit or so helps beer last longer and keeps the flavor fresh.

Beverage fridges allow you more control over these lower temperatures and provide consistent temperatures through air compressors and fan-driven circulation. It’s a good option if you tend to keep large amounts of beer on hand.

How do I store beer correctly?

There are a few different things you need to think about when storing beer. 

• Avoid natural light — natural light can cause beer to turn through a reaction between natural light and the compounds in beers. The result is a terrible tasting beer with an off-putting smell.
• Temperature matters — as we said in the previous question, getting the temperature of your beer right is a crucial component. Beer can withstand some minor temperature changes, but be sure you don’t leave it in high temperatures for long periods of time.
• Pay attention to expiration — beers have different expiration dates so that you know the limits of your storage choices. 

What’s the difference between a refrigerator and a beverage cooler?

Beverage coolers and beer fridges offer a customized storage solution for your beverages. While a refrigerator has different cooling zones for different purposes, a beverage cooler provides a way for you to store a large number of drinks at a consistent temperature.

Beer fridges also offer other features like temperature displays for accurate readings and locking doors to keep out unwanted visitors. If you want to keep your beers cool and ensure consistent temperatures throughout the storage area, it might be a good idea to invest in a beer fridge specifically.

How much electricity does a beer fridge use?

Many beer fridges are highly efficient. A few of our beer fridges are low wattage, and it offers a way to store your beverages without increasing your electricity load by a significant amount. If you’re worried about the load on your electrical needs, you can look up the energy requirements for beer fridges to help estimate how much it will add to your yearly electricity bill.

Do I need a beer fridge?

The beer fridge may be a good idea if you tend to get a lot of beer at one time. It will free up storage in your refrigerator while having consistent temperatures and leaving room for other things in your fridge compartments.

You may also want a separate beer fridge if you feel like you need to protect its contents. Some beer fridges offer locking doors that help you control who has access to the contents of the fridge and could give you better peace of mind with your storage options.

They aren’t very difficult to run, and many offer out of the box operation with easy setups and simple temperature controls. You may also want to invest in a beer fridge if you need to know temperatures specifics quickly. With digital readouts, you can keep an eye on the temperature with minimal effort.

How long does beer keep in the fridge?

Different beers have different expiration dates. A lot will depend on the type of beer. Canned beer can last up to two years if properly refrigerated, giving you quite an incentive to keep your beer at the proper temperature.

Bottled beer also lasts up to two years in the fridge, while both types of beer only last around nine months without refrigeration. Homemade beer will last up to two years as well, but a lot will depend on the type and your preparation and bottling method. 

How can you tell if a beer is skunked?

Skunked beer is pretty easy to spot. It smells and tastes a lot like skunk spray, and you’ll often spot the signs before you even open the beer. For example, if you’ve left your beer in your trunk for a few days in the summer, you may not even have to open the beer to know its gone bad. 

If you happen to leave a beer in direct sunlight while in a glass bottle or a growler, the light may have adverse reactions regardless of the temperature. Light and temperature both can contribute to the degradation of your beer, so your storage solution is really important. 

How long does it take beer to get cold in the fridge?

Beer can take quite a bit to go from room temperature to fully cold, especially if you want to set it at the bottom of the temperature range. It could take around nine hours for a beer to get sufficiently cold, so be sure you plan ahead for cold beers. 

With some fridges, there are turbocharged options for a temporary freeze option. That can help you get a jumpstart on chilling your beverages, but realistically, it’s not going to chill your beers fast enough if you don’t have a specialty tool. 

How did Digital Trends choose these beer fridges?

The fridges on our list offer you a reliable way to ensure that your beer stays at a consistent temperature. Our top pick is a great all-around option with plenty of customizable storage and dimensions that are easy to position correctly.

Other options on the list provide locking doors to keep the contents safe or digital temperature readouts with soft-touch controls designed to give you easy access to all your choices. The fridges use consistent design to ensure smooth operation, and they give you all the space you need to store your beverages.

We also looked at highly rated beer fridges. Each one is a well-rated choice, used by people in all sorts of cases from the real world. People enjoyed their designs, features, and capabilities. One of the most important things is the way people interact with the products themselves, and these products pass the test.