Matador vs BeefEater vs Gasmate vs Rhino: Outdoor Fridge Battle (2026)
Short answer: We put Bunnings' three outdoor fridge names — Matador, BeefEater and Gasmate — in the ring against the two brands we stock, Rhino and Schmick, with every number checked at bunnings.com.au, gasmate.com.au, beefeaterbbq.com and our own catalogue, July 2026. Schmick takes the entry fight: a lockable 121L with a published 2-year warranty for $16 more than the Matador single door. Rhino takes the outdoor test — 43°C+ rated alfresco two-doors and 316 marine-grade stainless against a trio where only BeefEater publishes a rating at all. Gasmate takes warranty with a limited 5-year, and we'll concede it beats ours too. Round by round below, every number checkable.
The Contenders
In the Bunnings corner: Matador, the house BBQ brand — two dark stainless bar fridges on the shelf at $998 and $1,398, double-glazed, marketed for outdoor entertaining. BeefEater, the Electrolux-owned marque, currently down to one outdoor beverage cooler. Gasmate, sold through independent stockists — four fridges, no published prices, and no Gasmate fridge in Bunnings search results (checked July 2026).
In ours: Schmick, Australia's largest bar fridge range, whose under-bench units run from a $1,014 lockable solid door to heated-glass fridges rated for ambient temperatures beyond 38°C. And Rhino, the outdoor and commercial specialist — GSP alfresco two-doors rated for 43°C+ and the ENVY range in 316 marine-grade stainless, the spec that decides what a coastal fridge looks like in five years. Same rules as every head-to-head we publish: verified numbers only, and we concede the rounds we lose.
Round 1: The $1,000 Entry Fight
| Matador single door | Schmick SK116 solid door | Schmick SK116 heated glass | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $998 | $1,014 | $1,156 |
| Capacity | 108L | 121L | 121L |
| Lockable | Not listed | ✔ Yes | ✔ Yes |
| Ambient rating | Not published | — | ✔ 38°C+ |
| Warranty | Not published | 2 years | 2 years |
Winner: Schmick. The round is decided by $16 — the gap between the Matador single door and the Schmick SK116 solid door. That $16 buys 13 more litres, a lockable door, and a warranty actually printed on the page; the Matador's Bunnings listing publishes neither a warranty, a lock, nor any temperature rating. Another $142 up, the heated-glass SK116 adds the spec that matters outdoors: a published 38°C+ ambient rating and a heated door that doesn't fog when the patio fills up.
Round 2: The 208L Double Door
Matador's double door and Rhino's GSP2H are the same size, fighting for the same alfresco wall:
| Matador MF228DS | Rhino GSP2H | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,398 | $2,325 |
| Capacity | 208L | 208L |
| Ambient rating | Not published | ✔ 43°C+ |
| Lockable | Not listed | ✔ Yes |
| Warranty | Not published | 2 years |
Winner: Matador on price, Rhino on every published number — and we'll say the first part plainly. At $1,398 for 208 litres of double-glazed fridge, the Matador double door is the best sticker in the Bunnings aisle, and if it's going under a fully covered patio and you're comfortable without a stated heat rating, it's a fair buy. The $927 step to the Rhino GSP2H buys the three things the Matador page doesn't offer: a 43°C+ ambient rating, a lockable door, and a warranty printed next to the price. An Australian summer against a west-facing wall is exactly the gap between "marketed for outdoor" and "rated for it".
Round 3: The Outdoor Test — Who Puts a Number on It?
Every brand in this article says "outdoor". Here's who backs it with a published figure:
| Brand | Heat rating | Water/dust rating | The fine print |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matador | Not published | Not published | "Installation in outdoor cabinetry" |
| BeefEater BS28130 | Tested to 43°C in the shade | IPX4 | See Round 5 |
| Gasmate Premium | Not published | IP24, undercover use | "Should be protected… out of direct sunlight" |
| Schmick heated glass | 38°C+ | — | From $1,156 |
| Rhino GSP / ENVY | 43°C+ | — | ENVY: 316 marine-grade stainless |
Winner: Rhino. The GSP2H matches the best number in the Bunnings aisle — BeefEater's 43°C — and the ENVY range goes where none of the trio follows: 316 marine-grade stainless, the corrosion spec for coastal and salt-air installs, at $2,610 for 148L or $3,655 for 248L, heated glass and locks included. Credit where due: BeefEater is the only Bunnings-aisle brand that publishes a real outdoor test figure, and its IPX4 rating is genuine. Matador publishes nothing, and Gasmate's own pages tell you to keep the fridge out of direct sunlight.
Round 4: Warranty
| Matador | BeefEater BS28130 | Gasmate Premium | Rhino / Schmick | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warranty | Not published on the Bunnings product pages | 2 yrs + 3 yrs sealed system only | Limited 5 year | 2 years |
Winner: Gasmate — and we'll say it plainly. A limited 5-year warranty is the longest number in this article, and it beats our 2 years as squarely as it beats everyone else's. If warranty length is your deciding spec and a stockist near you carries the Premium Alfresco range (triple glazed, IP24, heated lockable door — a genuinely well-specced sheet), Gasmate earned this round outright. What the spec sheet doesn't give you: a price, an ambient rating, or anywhere obvious to buy it — no Gasmate fridge appears in Bunnings search results, and Gasmate publishes no RRPs.
Round 5: Can You Actually Buy It?
Two facts from BeefEater's own website first (July 2026): the BS28130 scores 2.5 stars from 22 reviews on beefeaterbbq.com itself, and there is an active product recall — updated 7 June 2024 — for BeefEater single and double door refrigerators (models BS28200 and BS28130 in specific serial ranges, sold approximately July 2017 to November 2021): "The refrigerator may have a fault which can cause it to catch on fire… There have been multiple fires in these refrigerators causing property damage and injury." The recall covers those older serial ranges, not new stock — check your serial plate against productsafety.gov.au. And when we went looking for a new one: not stocked at Bunnings, Appliances Online or Barbeques Galore.
| Matador | BeefEater | Gasmate | Rhino / Schmick | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buy today | ✔ Bunnings shelf | Not at 3 retailers checked | Stockist only, no prices | ✔ In stock, delivered Australia-wide |
| Full specs + price published | Partial — no ratings, warranty or lock listed | Specs yes, price no | Specs yes, price no | ✔ Price, ambient rating, lock, warranty on every page |
Winner: Rhino and Schmick, with Matador the honest runner-up. Matador is the only Bunnings-aisle brand you can put in a trolley today, and that counts. But the round is decided by what's printed next to the price: every Rhino and Schmick unit publishes its capacity, ambient rating, lock and warranty on the product page, in stock and delivered — the full spec sheet the Bunnings trio doesn't offer between them.
The Scorecard
| Round | Winner | The number that decides it |
|---|---|---|
| The $1,000 entry fight | Schmick | $16 buys a lock, 13 more litres and a published warranty |
| The 208L double door | Matador on price, Rhino on spec | $927 between a sticker and a 43°C+ rating with a lock |
| The outdoor test | Rhino | 43°C+ rated, and 316 marine-grade above it |
| Warranty | Gasmate | Limited 5 year |
| Can you actually buy it? | Rhino / Schmick | Price + rating + lock + warranty published on every unit, in stock |
Browse the winners: outdoor & alfresco bar fridges · the full Rhino range · the full Schmick range · the Rhino range review.
FAQ: Matador vs BeefEater vs Gasmate — or a Rhino or Schmick?
Is the Matador bar fridge from Bunnings good for outdoor use?
It's the easiest of the Bunnings trio to buy — $998 for the 108L single door, $1,398 for the 208L double, both double-glazed with front venting for outdoor cabinetry. But the product pages publish no ambient temperature rating, no IP rating, no lock and no warranty, so there's no number telling you how it handles a 40°C afternoon. For $16 more than the single door, the Schmick SK116 solid door adds a lock, 121L and a published 2-year warranty; the heated-glass SK116 at $1,156 adds a 38°C+ ambient rating.
Matador or Gasmate — which should I buy?
Matador if you want a price tag and a shelf: Gasmate publishes no prices, sells through independent stockists, and no Gasmate fridge appears in Bunnings search results (checked July 2026). Gasmate's Premium Alfresco range has the best paper in the Bunnings-aisle fight — limited 5-year warranty, triple glazing, IP24, heated lockable door — but its own pages say to keep it out of direct sunlight. If the fridge will live outdoors in real heat, the published numbers to look for are Schmick's 38°C+ from $1,156 and Rhino's 43°C+ from $2,325.
Is the BeefEater outdoor fridge recalled?
Older units are. Electrolux recalled BeefEater single and double door refrigerators (BS28200 and BS28130, specific serial ranges, sold approximately July 2017 to November 2021) because a fault "can cause it to catch on fire", with multiple fires reported; the remedy is a full refund. The recall does not cover current-production stock — check your serial plate against the notice on productsafety.gov.au. Separately, the current BS28130 scores 2.5 stars from 22 reviews on BeefEater's own website, and we couldn't find it stocked at Bunnings, Appliances Online or Barbeques Galore.
What's the best alternative to a Bunnings outdoor bar fridge?
Step up to a unit with published outdoor numbers. Under the Matador double's $1,398: the Schmick SK116 121L heated-glass at $1,156 (38°C+ rated, lockable) or the SK156 164L at $1,175. At the Matador double's 208L format: the Rhino GSP2H, rated 43°C+ ambient, at $2,325. On the coast: the Rhino ENVY in 316 marine-grade stainless, 148L at $2,610 or 248L at $3,655. All prices are our current prices, July 2026.
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Matador vs BeefEater vs Gasmate vs Rhino: Outdoor Fridge Battle (2026)
Short answer: We put Bunnings' three outdoor fridge names — Matador, BeefEater and Gasmate — in the ring against the two brands we stock, Rhino and Schmick, with every number checked at bunnings.com.au, gasmate.com.au, beefeaterbbq.com and our own catalogue, July 2026. Schmick takes the entry fight: a lockable 121L with a published 2-year warranty for $16 more than the Matador single door. Rhino takes the outdoor test — 43°C+ rated alfresco two-doors and 316 marine-grade stainless against a trio where only BeefEater publishes a rating at all. Gasmate takes warranty with a limited 5-year, and we'll concede it beats ours too. Round by round below, every number checkable.
The Contenders
In the Bunnings corner: Matador, the house BBQ brand — two dark stainless bar fridges on the shelf at $998 and $1,398, double-glazed, marketed for outdoor entertaining. BeefEater, the Electrolux-owned marque, currently down to one outdoor beverage cooler. Gasmate, sold through independent stockists — four fridges, no published prices, and no Gasmate fridge in Bunnings search results (checked July 2026).
In ours: Schmick, Australia's largest bar fridge range, whose under-bench units run from a $1,014 lockable solid door to heated-glass fridges rated for ambient temperatures beyond 38°C. And Rhino, the outdoor and commercial specialist — GSP alfresco two-doors rated for 43°C+ and the ENVY range in 316 marine-grade stainless, the spec that decides what a coastal fridge looks like in five years. Same rules as every head-to-head we publish: verified numbers only, and we concede the rounds we lose.
Round 1: The $1,000 Entry Fight
| Matador single door | Schmick SK116 solid door | Schmick SK116 heated glass | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $998 | $1,014 | $1,156 |
| Capacity | 108L | 121L | 121L |
| Lockable | Not listed | ✔ Yes | ✔ Yes |
| Ambient rating | Not published | — | ✔ 38°C+ |
| Warranty | Not published | 2 years | 2 years |
Winner: Schmick. The round is decided by $16 — the gap between the Matador single door and the Schmick SK116 solid door. That $16 buys 13 more litres, a lockable door, and a warranty actually printed on the page; the Matador's Bunnings listing publishes neither a warranty, a lock, nor any temperature rating. Another $142 up, the heated-glass SK116 adds the spec that matters outdoors: a published 38°C+ ambient rating and a heated door that doesn't fog when the patio fills up.
Round 2: The 208L Double Door
Matador's double door and Rhino's GSP2H are the same size, fighting for the same alfresco wall:
| Matador MF228DS | Rhino GSP2H | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,398 | $2,325 |
| Capacity | 208L | 208L |
| Ambient rating | Not published | ✔ 43°C+ |
| Lockable | Not listed | ✔ Yes |
| Warranty | Not published | 2 years |
Winner: Matador on price, Rhino on every published number — and we'll say the first part plainly. At $1,398 for 208 litres of double-glazed fridge, the Matador double door is the best sticker in the Bunnings aisle, and if it's going under a fully covered patio and you're comfortable without a stated heat rating, it's a fair buy. The $927 step to the Rhino GSP2H buys the three things the Matador page doesn't offer: a 43°C+ ambient rating, a lockable door, and a warranty printed next to the price. An Australian summer against a west-facing wall is exactly the gap between "marketed for outdoor" and "rated for it".
Round 3: The Outdoor Test — Who Puts a Number on It?
Every brand in this article says "outdoor". Here's who backs it with a published figure:
| Brand | Heat rating | Water/dust rating | The fine print |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matador | Not published | Not published | "Installation in outdoor cabinetry" |
| BeefEater BS28130 | Tested to 43°C in the shade | IPX4 | See Round 5 |
| Gasmate Premium | Not published | IP24, undercover use | "Should be protected… out of direct sunlight" |
| Schmick heated glass | 38°C+ | — | From $1,156 |
| Rhino GSP / ENVY | 43°C+ | — | ENVY: 316 marine-grade stainless |
Winner: Rhino. The GSP2H matches the best number in the Bunnings aisle — BeefEater's 43°C — and the ENVY range goes where none of the trio follows: 316 marine-grade stainless, the corrosion spec for coastal and salt-air installs, at $2,610 for 148L or $3,655 for 248L, heated glass and locks included. Credit where due: BeefEater is the only Bunnings-aisle brand that publishes a real outdoor test figure, and its IPX4 rating is genuine. Matador publishes nothing, and Gasmate's own pages tell you to keep the fridge out of direct sunlight.
Round 4: Warranty
| Matador | BeefEater BS28130 | Gasmate Premium | Rhino / Schmick | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warranty | Not published on the Bunnings product pages | 2 yrs + 3 yrs sealed system only | Limited 5 year | 2 years |
Winner: Gasmate — and we'll say it plainly. A limited 5-year warranty is the longest number in this article, and it beats our 2 years as squarely as it beats everyone else's. If warranty length is your deciding spec and a stockist near you carries the Premium Alfresco range (triple glazed, IP24, heated lockable door — a genuinely well-specced sheet), Gasmate earned this round outright. What the spec sheet doesn't give you: a price, an ambient rating, or anywhere obvious to buy it — no Gasmate fridge appears in Bunnings search results, and Gasmate publishes no RRPs.
Round 5: Can You Actually Buy It?
Two facts from BeefEater's own website first (July 2026): the BS28130 scores 2.5 stars from 22 reviews on beefeaterbbq.com itself, and there is an active product recall — updated 7 June 2024 — for BeefEater single and double door refrigerators (models BS28200 and BS28130 in specific serial ranges, sold approximately July 2017 to November 2021): "The refrigerator may have a fault which can cause it to catch on fire… There have been multiple fires in these refrigerators causing property damage and injury." The recall covers those older serial ranges, not new stock — check your serial plate against productsafety.gov.au. And when we went looking for a new one: not stocked at Bunnings, Appliances Online or Barbeques Galore.
| Matador | BeefEater | Gasmate | Rhino / Schmick | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buy today | ✔ Bunnings shelf | Not at 3 retailers checked | Stockist only, no prices | ✔ In stock, delivered Australia-wide |
| Full specs + price published | Partial — no ratings, warranty or lock listed | Specs yes, price no | Specs yes, price no | ✔ Price, ambient rating, lock, warranty on every page |
Winner: Rhino and Schmick, with Matador the honest runner-up. Matador is the only Bunnings-aisle brand you can put in a trolley today, and that counts. But the round is decided by what's printed next to the price: every Rhino and Schmick unit publishes its capacity, ambient rating, lock and warranty on the product page, in stock and delivered — the full spec sheet the Bunnings trio doesn't offer between them.
The Scorecard
| Round | Winner | The number that decides it |
|---|---|---|
| The $1,000 entry fight | Schmick | $16 buys a lock, 13 more litres and a published warranty |
| The 208L double door | Matador on price, Rhino on spec | $927 between a sticker and a 43°C+ rating with a lock |
| The outdoor test | Rhino | 43°C+ rated, and 316 marine-grade above it |
| Warranty | Gasmate | Limited 5 year |
| Can you actually buy it? | Rhino / Schmick | Price + rating + lock + warranty published on every unit, in stock |
Browse the winners: outdoor & alfresco bar fridges · the full Rhino range · the full Schmick range · the Rhino range review.
FAQ: Matador vs BeefEater vs Gasmate — or a Rhino or Schmick?
Is the Matador bar fridge from Bunnings good for outdoor use?
It's the easiest of the Bunnings trio to buy — $998 for the 108L single door, $1,398 for the 208L double, both double-glazed with front venting for outdoor cabinetry. But the product pages publish no ambient temperature rating, no IP rating, no lock and no warranty, so there's no number telling you how it handles a 40°C afternoon. For $16 more than the single door, the Schmick SK116 solid door adds a lock, 121L and a published 2-year warranty; the heated-glass SK116 at $1,156 adds a 38°C+ ambient rating.
Matador or Gasmate — which should I buy?
Matador if you want a price tag and a shelf: Gasmate publishes no prices, sells through independent stockists, and no Gasmate fridge appears in Bunnings search results (checked July 2026). Gasmate's Premium Alfresco range has the best paper in the Bunnings-aisle fight — limited 5-year warranty, triple glazing, IP24, heated lockable door — but its own pages say to keep it out of direct sunlight. If the fridge will live outdoors in real heat, the published numbers to look for are Schmick's 38°C+ from $1,156 and Rhino's 43°C+ from $2,325.
Is the BeefEater outdoor fridge recalled?
Older units are. Electrolux recalled BeefEater single and double door refrigerators (BS28200 and BS28130, specific serial ranges, sold approximately July 2017 to November 2021) because a fault "can cause it to catch on fire", with multiple fires reported; the remedy is a full refund. The recall does not cover current-production stock — check your serial plate against the notice on productsafety.gov.au. Separately, the current BS28130 scores 2.5 stars from 22 reviews on BeefEater's own website, and we couldn't find it stocked at Bunnings, Appliances Online or Barbeques Galore.
What's the best alternative to a Bunnings outdoor bar fridge?
Step up to a unit with published outdoor numbers. Under the Matador double's $1,398: the Schmick SK116 121L heated-glass at $1,156 (38°C+ rated, lockable) or the SK156 164L at $1,175. At the Matador double's 208L format: the Rhino GSP2H, rated 43°C+ ambient, at $2,325. On the coast: the Rhino ENVY in 316 marine-grade stainless, 148L at $2,610 or 248L at $3,655. All prices are our current prices, July 2026.