PP
I have had my eye on one of those Robinox SS pots from Allquip, but the KensComm units (I am looking at a 50lt), is cheaper.
What are your thoughts on your purchase?
How thick is the base on the Allquip?
Has anybody bought a KensComm unit?
If so what are your thoughts, base thickness etc...?
Cheers,
SJ
EDIT: DJR has just brought it to my attention that the pots from Kenscom are Robinox pots so some comments below are now irrelevant...
Howdy SJ,
I'm actually very pleased with the Robinox. It's a lifetime purchase so I'm not worried about paying the extra $30. This unit is solid! It's very hard to tell the thickness of the base but it looks like 10mm which is huge. You'll definitely have no scorching problems. The lid is solid and fits beautifully as well. Some other things to consider might be:...
1. Ring both manufacturers and ask thicknesses etc. They can usually give you wall thickness but sometimes not the base. If so, ask the weight of the unit. This should give you a good idea on how solid it will be.
2. Consider going for a 70 litre. The price difference is not much and there are many advantages over the 50 litre. You can relax about boilovers. If you want, you can also double-batch. The 70 litre has a 45cm base so fits well over a 3 ring burner. Smaller pots will waste, to an extent, the heat of the outside ring. Also, when not in use, you can store a considerable amount of brewing gear inside your kettle so it is not a waste of space. (I'm in a 1 brm apartment!)
3. Pots are usually short and squat when compared to a keg so evaporation rates are higher. I don't see this as being a negative though as evaporation is one of the things you are after in a boil.
By the way, the dimensions of the 50 litre Robinox are 40cm x 40 cm. The 70 litre is 45cm x 45cm.
Ah! Just thought of another idea... If you lack fridge space, you could even put a camping mat/insulation around your pot and, with the use of ice bricks/water, use it as a fermenting fridge when not being used as a kettle. Excellent! Looks like I've just solved how to keep my lagers cool in secondary!
A 70 litre pot will hold a blue cube so there's another advantage of the 70. (Though the lid sticks up about 13mm on one side - bugger.)
Hope that's enough thoughts for you - LOL!
Cheers
Pat