Heat sticks

[Math0]

Hey guys, I have a propane burner, which is great for summer brewing. Thing is, I always have to brew in the winter inside the garage, leaving the door open, lots of wind, etc. Well, just some bad stuff.

I am looking forward to buy an electric burner soon. I only have a 110V plug in my basement and I am pretty sure I will not get a decent boil with a 1000watt or so burner. I heard a bit about heat sticks, but I still can't figure out if it's a good thing to use those or not..

How expensive a nice heat stick is? (I have no budget limit)
Could it work alone bringing a 5gal brew to a boil?
Where can I find one?

If someone uses one, please give the brand and model Thanks everyone!

 

[thadass]

Heatsticks are generally made, not bought. There are some off-the-shelf submersible heaters out there but, as far as I know, none of them fit the bill for brewing.
I have made two heatsticks following the guide at http://www.3d0g.net/brewing/heatstick

As far as electrical power required for a certain batch size, I would check out the electric brewing subforum here. There should be lots of good information for you there regarding electric brewing.