The new Sanyo 4911 (and alternatives)

When I first decided to build a kegerator, everywhere I looked fellow home brewers were recommending the Sanyo 4910 (or, more precisely, the Sanyo 4910M). Right at that time, it appeared that the Sanyo 4910 was being phased out, so I rushed to my local Best Buy and got one of the last few on the shelves. The kegerator turned out great and I was wishing I had picked up another 4910 to do lagering. The faux brushed metal door, though actually plastic, looks really nice.

For those who want to carry on the Sanyo 4910 kegerator tradition, I'm pleased to report that Sanyo has released the Sanyo 4911 (pictured at right). According to a discussion over at the Northern Brewer forum, the 4911 is exactly the same at the 4910, except the inside is black plastic instead of white, which sounds pretty cool. They are on sale right now at Best Buy for $159.99.

If you don't have a Best Buy in your area, Sears has a two models that will work -- both have the exact same dimensions and interior as the equivalent Sanyo models (and are probably made by Sanyo). For a Sanyo 4910 or 4911 clone with the nice metal door, there's the Stainless Steel Kenmore Elite. Despite the name, it looks like the Sanyo, which does not have a real stainless steel door, though it can pass as one from a short distance. This one is currently on sale for $179.99.

The Black Kenmore Elite will also work, but won't look as sexy in your kitchen as the others. From what I can see in the picture on the Sears site, the inside looks exactly the same as the Sanyo. It's currently on sale for $159.99, but appears to be out-of-stock.

For all three, my photo-illustrated step-by-step instructions should give you the information you need to build your own kegerator.