Black & Decker Dual-tap beer kegerator (stainless steel)

Why I brought this dual‑tap kegerator into my shop

I wanted a straightforward, freestanding draft setup that could handle two beers side by side and moonlight as an extra fridge when I wasn’t pouring. The dual‑tap kegerator checked all those boxes. After living with it for several weeks—moving it around the shop, tuning temperatures, and running everything from pilsner to stout through it—I have a good sense of where it shines and where it asks for a little patience.

Setup and first pour

Out of the box, assembly is uncomplicated. The cabinet footprint is compact at 21.1 in wide by 26.6 in deep, and the 33.2 in height keeps it comfortably below counter height while still tall enough for a draft tower. I installed the included casters to make positioning easier; at about 85.5 lb, it’s manageable with two people, and rolling it into place beats lugging it. Once parked, the adjustable legs level the unit quickly—worth doing carefully to keep pours consistent.

The dual‑tap tower mounts cleanly, and the removable drip tray snaps in below the faucets. Power is standard 115 V, 60 Hz (3‑prong grounded), with a 1.8 m cord that reached my nearest outlet without an extension. The manual temperature control is inside the cabinet; there’s no digital display, so I placed a small thermometer on a shelf to set and verify temps. I started at around 37 °F for lagers and bumped up closer to 42 °F for ales.

My first pours were what I expect from a compressor‑cooled draft box without active tower cooling: cold beer with the occasional foamy first pint after the faucets sat unused. A quick toss of insulation inside the tower helped. If you’re particular, a tiny tower fan (aftermarket) will solve that entirely, but even without it, day‑to‑day pouring has been steady.

Capacity and draft configurations

The 6.1 cu ft interior makes this more flexible than many budget units. It’s rated to handle multiple keg sizes—1/6, 1/4 (pony/slim pony), 1/2, and full‑size—and that tracks with my experience:

• Two 1/6 barrels fit comfortably, which is the sweet spot for the dual‑tap setup.
• A slim quarter works well if you’re running a single style through one faucet.
• A full‑size half barrel is feasible, but at that point the second faucet becomes more of a convenience for rotation rather than a true dual‑beer setup.

If you plan to mix and match keg sizes frequently, measure your kegs and plan your gas routing in advance. The interior is straightforward, so keeping lines tidy isn’t hard, and swapping kegs is about as painless as it gets in this class.

When keg season slows down, converting to a refrigerator is genuinely useful. The two removable wire shelves drop right in, and I’ve used the kegerator as an overflow fridge during a barbecue weekend. It’s not a gimmick—the conversion adds real utility if you’re short on cold storage.

Cooling performance and temperature control

Cooling is handled by a conventional compressor using R600a refrigerant (1.02 oz). The cabinet settles quickly and keeps a stable temperature in the 35.6–50 °F range. With a probe placed mid‑cabinet, I saw tight cycling around my set point, and more importantly, stable beer line temps. The manual control is a simple dial; it’s set‑and‑forget once you’ve found your number, but there’s no digital readout or lock.

A couple of practical notes:

• The coldest setting gets you into proper lager territory (mid‑30s) without freezing lines.
• Tower temperature can lag a bit without fan circulation, so insulating the tower or pulling a short “sacrificial” ounce after long idle periods keeps pours crisp.
• If you care about precision, keep a small thermometer inside. It’s a $10 add that makes all the difference with a manual control.

Noise, power, and efficiency

Noise is modest. The compressor hum is noticeable in a quiet room but fades into the background during normal activity. There are no odd rattles or vibration once leveled. Draw is rated at 1.1 A at 115 V, so the load is modest for a full‑time appliance. The UL energy certification is reassuring, and I didn’t see a meaningful bump in my monthly power bill during testing.

Build quality and design touches

The stainless steel door looks clean and is easy to keep presentable. I swapped the hinge to the opposite side to better fit my layout; the reversible door hardware is straightforward and holds alignment well. Fit and finish are solid for the price bracket—smooth edges, a snug door gasket, and a sturdy tower mount. The drip tray is removable and rinses clean in seconds, which you will appreciate after a foamy session.

Small design elements that stand out:

• Casters plus leveling legs: roll to position, then lock it in perfectly flat.
• Removable shelves: real fridge conversion, not an afterthought.
• 3‑prong grounded plug and sensible cord length: no adapters or cable juggling needed.
• ISTA‑6A packaging: mine arrived in good shape, and the protective materials were clearly designed to survive shipping.

Overall, it’s a practical, workmanlike build. You won’t mistake it for a commercial bar unit with heavy‑gauge stainless everywhere, but for home use, it’s sturdy and easy to live with.

Everyday use and maintenance

Daily use is pleasantly uneventful. Faucets operate smoothly, and the dual‑tap format encourages variety without crowding the cabinet. The temperature range covers everything I want to serve—from crisp pilsners at 36–38 °F to English ales in the low 40s.

Maintenance is straightforward:

• Clean lines regularly. I keep a small hand pump kit nearby and run cleaner/rinse every couple of weeks.
• Pop the faucets off for a soak when you switch kegs; it takes minutes and keeps off‑flavors at bay.
• Wipe the gasket and cabinet interior during changeovers. The smooth liner cleans easily.
• Empty and rinse the drip tray after sessions to avoid sticky buildup.

The 1‑year limited warranty is standard. I haven’t needed service, but it’s good to have the parts‑and‑labor coverage during the early break‑in period.

What could be better

A few areas hold this back from “no‑notes” territory:

• Manual temperature control: it works, but a digital readout and finer control would be welcome.
• Tower cooling: there’s no integrated fan or air return up the tower, so first pours can be warmer if the taps sit. Insulation helps; a small aftermarket fan fixes it completely.
• Interior layout with full‑size kegs: while it fits, running truly dual styles alongside a half barrel isn’t practical. The unit is at its best with two 1/6 barrels or a single slim quarter.

None of these are deal‑breakers for me, but they’re worth knowing so you can plan your setup and expectations accordingly.

Who it’s for

• Home brewers and enthusiasts who want two styles on tap without a large footprint.
• Hosts who appreciate the flexibility to switch between draft service and extra refrigeration as needed.
• Anyone who values a simple, reliable compressor system and can live without digital controls or built‑in tower cooling.

If you’re seeking whisper‑quiet operation in a studio apartment, a built‑in undercounter install, or precise, programmable temperatures, you’ll want to look higher up the range (and budget).

The bottom line

The dual‑tap kegerator nails the fundamentals: stable cooling down to the mid‑30s, a practical 6.1 cu ft interior, honest dual‑tap service with two sixth‑barrels, and an easy conversion to a standard fridge when draft duty is over. The stainless door, reversible hinge, casters, and sensible power requirements make it at home in a kitchen, garage, or shop. You give up some niceties—digital controls and tower cooling—but you get dependable performance at a size and price that make sense for most home setups.

Recommendation: I recommend it for anyone looking to run two beers at home without overcomplicating things. It’s reliable, flexible, and easy to maintain. If you’re the kind of user who wants meticulous temperature readouts and perfectly chilled towers out of the box, you may want to step up to a more feature‑rich unit. For the rest of us, this is a solid, value‑minded kegerator that pulls clean pints and easily doubles as extra cold storage when needed.