New Brew Kettle Help

I want to go ahead and get a new brew kettle and start brewing using a burner vice inside on the kitchen stove... I have found a couple different options for under 200 bucks but none of them have the installed thermometer... Is it really necessary to have an installed one or is an electric probe sufficient to make great beer? Thanks for the help, brew kettle I have been looking at are the Bayou Classic 10 gallon ones for reference.

Thanks!

Thermometers are a nice add on to have on your BK, but not necessary. I have one installed on my keggle and it's nice to have while i'm cooling down my wort with my immersion chiller. other than that, if you ever plan on using your BK as a HLT down the road, it comes in handy.

It isn't very difficult or expensive to add a weldless fitting and a thermometer in the future. I've bought a good deal of the parts for my keggles from bargainfittings.com, with whom I have no affiliation.

I assume that is just drilling a hole in the kettle and then adding the fitting?

+1 on bargainfittings.com, with whom I have no affiliation, either.

I've been shopping for a brew kettle also, trying to decide between about 1000 different options. I'm probably going to get the same kettle, the 10 gallon bayou classic, and add my own thermometer and ball valve over time. You'll need a step drill bit to make the hole in the kettle. I've found them on ebay and amazon for under $10.

I have brewed for years with nothing more than a simple hand held thermometer...to each their own I guess.

for what it's worth, i just bought the economy kettle at morebeer with the welded couplers. if you add a thermometer and ball valve with barb and coupler, it comes in at around $140 with free shipping. it is a pretty good deal and you don't have to compromise with weldless fittings.

I still brew with a lab thermometer and a 15 gallon Thunder Group Kettle (works for 5 and 10 gallon batches). Works fine for me. Thermometers, sight glasses, ports, pumps are all luxuries in my eyes. I would like to have them but currently, what I have is good enough for me to make good beer.