Price: $450.00
Pros: It does all the things you want it to do right out of the box.
Cons: silly heat shield needed to keep sight glass wort from boiling
Recommended? Yes

Comments: I have brewed numerous times with this kettle. Evey feature it has is used every time I brew. Why have a thermometer on a boil kettle? A: So I know how long I got until I boil! It may seem like an expensive feature, but its useful for sure! The sight gauge is always needed during the whole process.

Price: $398.99
Pros: Brilliantly engineered & well constructed Excellent user's manual Excellent customer service
Cons: None
Recommended? Yes

Comments: I recently switched my boil kettle and mash tun from B3 15 gallon HD pots to Blichmann 20 gallon Boilermakers. The 20 gallon pots are sized PERFECTLY for a 12-gallon batch (the #1 reason I upgraded) and the Hopblocker works great once you get the hang of of when to pull the blocker up. The pot is solid and easy to clean and the included adjustable Brewmometer, site glass (the #2 reason I upgraded), and 3-piece ball make it a good value once you add up all the accesories.

Yesterday I used the Boilermaker with false bottom for my mash tun for the first time. I cannot imagine using anything else. The stepped bottom and dip tube minimize dead space under the false bottom and (again) the included site glass & adjustable Brewmometer work like a charm. The slotted false bottom had no issues with run-off or sparging.

If you are thinking about upgrading, take a hard look at this line of equipment. I cannot overemphasize how impressed I am by the detail and thought that has been put into the design of this equipment.