Reddit reviews IMUSA USA L300-40315 Stainless Steel Stock Pot with Lid 12-Quart, Silver

Before you pull the trigger on that, there's a groupon for a homebrew set:

http://www.groupon.com/deals/gx-midwest-hydroponic-atlanta

It's the basic kit plus brewing ingredients, PLUS a $25 coupon. The kit you linked also includes:

-Carboy, if you really want to get it. Honestly, for a first batch, you can get by without one and just do a single stage fermentation, but it's recommended to get a secondary. My first batch was an extract that spent ~2 weeks in a primary then straight to bottles. Came out great. There's a good deal at Amazon right now on a 6 gallon glass carboy. Also add a bung and Airlock

-Bottles. Drink some beer, keep some bottles. If you want to buy them, get 48 for a 5 gallon batch (about $25) or go cheap and get some plastic PET bottles. Also a good option. See: every argument of plastic vs. glass for a comparison.

-Large stock pot. For a first extract, you won't need more than a 2 gallon boil, so you can get by with as small as 12 qts. A cheap 12 qt pot can get you started.

Hi! Welcome!

Well you probably don't need cold process AND melt and pour samplers. If you're a hands on kinda person (like me), you're gonna love cold process soap making, and (IMO) melt and pour almost feels like cheating at that point :).

You didn't mention equipment, so I'll go over that

1. you'll need a stainless (preferably) pot with high enough sides to not splash. Something like this although you could probably go smaller (depending on how large of batches you want to make. I prefer my pots on the large side because it gives me more room to be sloppy when I mix.
   
   
2. Pick up a hand mixer like this. This isn't 100% necessary, but sooooo worth it. I picked mine up at a flea market for 5 bucks. Check goodwill or salvation army. Having one of these turns 30-40 minutes of stirring into 3 minutes of blending.
   
   
3. For cold process, pick yourself up a couple of good wine and beer thermometers. These are nice because they measure in 2 degree increments. You can use any other food thermometer, this is just my preference.
   
   
4. Make sure you go to the grocery and pick up some good thick gloves and some safety goggles. Lye is an amazing chemical, but can burn the hell out of you if you're not careful. better safe than sorry.
   
   
5. When you get ready to pour your soap into the mold, you're gonna want to have it lined with some freezer paper. Don't use wax paper. If you use wax paper, you're gonna have a bad time.
   
   
6. It is very important to pick up a scale. Everything in soap-making is measured in weight, not volume. I'll repeat that, EVERYTHING IS MEASURED IN WEIGHT. If you find a scaled that weighs in lbs and oz, you'll have to a lot fewer conversions in your head.
   
   
   That being said, don't let that list scare you, like I said, I picked up most of my gear from thrift stores and flea markets. Soap making is fascinating and well worth the effort. Enjoy!