Beer coolers

A beer cooler chills the line between the cellar and the tap so the pint arrives at serving temperature rather than cellar temperature.

  • Match throughput to your busiest hour, not your average
  • Long runs need remote or python cooling, not a unit at the tap
  • Leave ventilation clearance u2014 a boxed-in cooler fails early

Showing 1–24 of 26 results

Showing 1–24 of 26 results

Coolers are rated by how many separate lines they can chill and how much beer they can handle per hour, which is why the same-looking box comes in several sizes. A cooler that is undersized for a busy bar will keep up for the first hour and then start serving warm beer at exactly the point you least want it to u2014 the specification to look at is the throughput, not the cabinet.

How to choose

What to know

Where the cooler sits matters as much as its rating. Under-counter and shelf units chill close to the tap and suit shorter runs; remote and python systems chill in the cellar and circulate coolant along the line, which is what long runs need if the beer is not going to warm on its way up. Ice bank coolers hold a reserve of chilled water so they can absorb a rush that would overwhelm a direct system.

What to know

Every cooler needs air. They reject heat into the room they stand in, so one boxed into a cupboard without ventilation will run hot, work harder and fail early. Leave the clearance the manufacturer asks for and keep the condenser clean.

Common questions

How do I know what size cooler I need?

Count your lines and estimate your busiest hour rather than your average trade. A cooler sized on average throughput will start serving warm beer exactly when the bar is busiest.

What is an ice bank cooler?

One that keeps a reserve of chilled water around the coils. That reserve absorbs a sudden rush of trade that would overwhelm a system chilling beer directly, which is why they suit busy bars.

Can a cooler go in a cupboard?

Only if the cupboard is ventilated. Coolers move heat out of the beer and into the surrounding air, so one with no airflow will run permanently hot and fail sooner.

Have a look at

Bottle openers & sealersCask cooling