Review on 🍺 NutriChef PKBRKTL150 All-In-One Home Beer Brewing Mash and Boil Device - 9 Gallon 1600w Max w/LCD Display, Programmable Control System by Chris Sharma

Overall very happy with this product, maybe more 4 than 5 but it meets my expectations so round up a bit. Pros: You can cook anywhere there is an outlet! I love that I am no longer tied to my stove. Up to this point I've only brewed DME recipes, so I'm new to whole grains, but this machine has made the process a lot easier than I imagined. Great to put this on my porch and not have to worry about it boiling over on my stovetop. The circulation pump is quiet and moves a lot of liquid. However, it's easy to dial in and has never clogged up on me. Looks great. Something about a big shiny metal brew kettle makes me pull it out and use it! In addition, it is easy to clean. Just got a garden hose and some dish soap on the block and was ready to go next time. a little more time to reach temperature, you won't be disappointed. I had no problem with the condiment burning on the bottom. Cons: Oooh, that's definitely max grain. I settled on an old ale recipe that used 16 pounds of grain and I don't want more of that in one unit. The flush ended quite slowly and I had to stir a lot to get the liquid through the false bottom. Probably should have started with a recipe that called for less grain, but now I know. The unit should have been packed in a stiffer foam as mine found a small dent on the side. I pulled it out and it's not very noticeable so it's not a big deal but if the shipping had been rougher it probably would have had to be returned. I noticed that the temperature of my mash, based on the thermometer reading, was slightly lower than the temp shown on the meter. On the other hand, my sludge was quite viscous and therefore it was difficult for the circulation pump to get liquid to flow through it. My OG was a bit lower than I expected so maybe my efficiency wasn't great but the beer brews well so maybe I was just looking in the unit and checking out the whole grain process. Bottom line, if you're looking for a mashing and cooking device, I don't think you'll be disappointed with this device. I know there's a pretty wide price range from different brands, but so far I'm happy with my choice and look forward to 1) drinking this beer and 2) brewing another batch!