whats the best kit to start off with???

hey im new to brewing and i am about to buy a brewing kit but i really cant find any good web sites comparing side to side!!! im wonting something thats gona last a while and has great quailty!!! i have about a $400 price range!!!

thanks for the help!!!

O.K., you mean a place to brew on, AKA Brew Rig? Or did you ad a "0" and mean a Brewing Kit like you buy, cook usually on the stove and then ferment in the $40 range?

ive been looking at the starter kits but im confused!! some come with different things in them!!! better question what would be the most complete and highest quailty starter kit i could get for around $400

I thought homebrewing was illegal in Alabama. Whelp, Id suggest start reading a lot before you start this hobby. It will help alleviate many of the common problems new brewers experience. Try http://www.howtobrew.com/intro.html . Lots of good info, have fun!

You cant go wrong with a basic kit from AHS or NB for under $100. Do a couple of extract brews and see if you like the hobby. Then with the other $300 pick up a new brew pot, wort chiiller and propane burner.
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_33_52&products_id=12735
http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/starter-kits/basic-starter-kit.html

im pretty sure ill like the hobby, ive made wine before. well old school style i used my paw paws grand fathers method and recipe which was amazingly good!!! but i love the taste of beer and thought it would be pretty neat to create some of my own brews!!!! knowing there will be alot of t/e!! thanks for the info and guiding me toward some good sites!!!

I just purchased a Deluxe Kit from Northern Brewer yesterday for about $160.00. They were/are offering 10% off any kit. Everything I needed with the exception of a burner, kettle and wort chiller.

The equipment that you want to have with a good start up kit will include:

6.5 gal bucket or carboy for primary
5 gal carboy for secondary
bottling bucket
siphon equipment (hoses and auto siphon)
bottling equipment (bottling wand and capper)
brushes (for carboys and bottles)
hydrometer
thermometer
no-rinse cleanser

On top of that you'll want:
test jar or thief
5 gal kettle (optimally stainless, but just about any kettle will do for starting out)
a solid ingredient kit (I always opt for beginners to stay away from internet recipes, rely on published sources and your lhbs for help there)
bottles (brand new is optimal, but you can save cash by cleaning and reusing crown cap bottles, it just requires more work)

I highly recommend getting a kit with some sort of secondary option (carboy or better bottle) over just using buckets for the whole process. Carboys and better bottles reduce the amount of air being exchanged with your beer. Plus it allows for your beer to clear better on top of reducing diacytel and acetaldehyde in your finished product, making a much better beer in the end.