$15 for a stainless stock pot...?

I found some stainless stock pots at a local discount store for only 15 bucks. They have all different sizes but the largest was only 15. They are very thin but are stamped as being stainless steel....would you use this? could there be any problems with using one?

You get what you pay for.

It may very well be SS or AL (you can use it either way) but you really need a thick bottom to help with heat dissipation and transfer. Otherwise you simply transfer the cost center from one location to another... pots with thin bottoms take longer to heat and tend to not heat evenly; this means you spend more money heating the pot and keeping that boil rolling. It then becomes a recurring cost center every time you brew.

JVD_X said:

but you really need a thick bottom to help with heat dissipation and transfer

Click to expand...

Unless you are going to use direct (ie, in the wort) electrical heat. The thickness does not matter much then. Wrap it in some radiant insulation...

Step away from the Big Lots!!!!

I have two of those pots and let's just say they worked great the first time.... Then the rivets started to oxidize and now I think the finish is chipping off in one of them...

Just found a very nice looking (and much sturdier) pot at Homegoods... Was a 28q stainless with non-riveted handles, including a lid for $70... They had a 23q for $59... Hind sight being 20/20, I would grabbed one of those in the first place...

I have two stainless pots from Family dollar. They are thin, but being stainless they don't transfer heat as well as the aluminum. I did not have scorching problems with mine. I paid $9.99 each for my two at family dollar.

I am going aluminum though and doing a full boil in one pot. Seems so much easier and I don't need some huge turkey fryer burner.