Why are people still buying Blichmann?

[stlbrewer]

So many companies are making kettles and fermenters that are super duper high quality at far cheaper price. What is the draw for people buying Blichmann?

 

[RoguePixels]

Can't say from experience but my guess would be the quality of the components, customer service and level of customization.

Why do people buy high end Mercedes when a Honda Civic that's a decade old can also take them from A to B?

If someone wants to spend more on their gear, more power to them. Just happy people are still brewing.

 

[cwise]

I have a blichmann kettle and I love it. The kettle itself is of very high quality, although I'm sure there are others out there that can match it for a cheaper price. The real selling point for me though are the components that go along with it. The boilcoil, g2 linear flow valve, and autosparge, are, in my opinion, the best available for my brewday. The blichmann gear just works (well except for the hopblocker! Not a fan!)

 

[Franktalk]

I like my Riptide!

 

[FswBG]

+1 on the riptide. It's a phenomenal pump.

 

[greyghost]

The old saying.

You get what you pay for.

 

[mongoose33]

The customer service is stunning, at least in my experience. I have a Riptide pump. Once, when cleaning it, the little thrust washer that goes on the spindle slipped off, bounced in the sink twice, and right down the drain. I pulled apart the trap trying to find it, no joy.

I called Blichmann to order more, and they just sent me a couple. I ended up also buying some other spare parts, just in case, but I was struck by their interest in getting me back in business as quickly as possible.

An even better example: Bought a Hellfire burner (amazing burner, BTW, there is nothing out there that matches it). I ordered the leg extensions from a vendor and somehow or another I had sent to me the wrong extensions. I posted here about whether I could make the wrong extensions work, and a Blichmann rep saw the thread.

They contacted me via PM, and sent me the right set of leg extensions at no cost. I returned the original set to the vendor, but man--it wasn't even their fault that there was a screwup but they corrected it.

I don't currently need anything they're selling, but when I do need something new, they're my go-to. They earned my loyalty, and while they may not be the cheapest, I have little doubt they're the best.

*******

My homeowner's insurance is through American Family. Not the cheapest option out there. But if you need to make a claim, well, that's when they shine. I've had the disagreeable experience of having to make such claims over the last 10 years--I'd rather have insurance and not have to use it.

I've had a roof and siding and windows and garage doors damaged by hail--AF had an adjuster come out, I showed him the damage, and he found damage I hadn't seen. They worked with my local contractor to replace all of the damage. They didn't try to chisel me down, they just took care of business.

I also have a rental house that had nearly $30,000 of damage from a tornado. Tornado is on Monday night; the adjuster is there by noon on Tuesday (and imagine how much they had to deal with). Same deal--took care of EVERYTHING, worked with my contractor, everything that was damaged was replaced with new. Including a roof that had multiple layers.

I saw others with less....honorable insurance companies arguing about this or that, while I was made whole with alacrity.

I agree with @greyghost: you tend to get what you pay for.

 

[Bobby_M]

Depends on the specific products.

I wont dig on specific products to avoid....

What no one else beats though....
Riptide
Commander
Hellfire
Anvil bench capper
Beergun

 

[davidabcd]

Strange.

98% probability it's a marketing survey.

I don't know about you folks, but I want someone be upfront as to why they're asking a question on here.

 

[Iseneye]

Strange.

98% probability it's a marketing survey.

I don't know about you folks, but I want someone be upfront as to why they're asking a question on here.

That was my thought as well.

The hellfire is amazing and burns super clean. With regards to kettle I couldn't justify the price difference between blichmann and SS so went SS kettles.

 

[davidabcd]

The hellfire is amazing and burns super clean.

I do extract so there has been cause to get educated on many products; however, we needed a new turkey pot and turkey fryer burner and my wife chose--the hellfire burner. I can attest that it is an amazing heat source for frying. This was last year and the first time I heard of Blichmann and paid attention. The 60q pot we got from Webstaurant.com (or whatever it's called) and I don't know the name or brand but it works just fine.
Note: the instructions warn against using it for heating oil.