I just got one from my GF for Christmas, along with 2 other recipes for a total of 3. Apparently the one that's packed in the box with the Mr.Beer package is kinda gross, so I'd suggest getting the noob kinks out with that and pick yourself up a better one later. The support forums have a shitload of info on proper procedures. Be advised, if you pick this up you still need a hydrometer (measuring alcohol content and if fermentation is complete), temperature gauge (for keeping a consistent fermenter temp), and other odds and ends that I can't think of because I haven't started the process yet. Mykill's right though, the big boy kits are $150+. The reason for this is the vast majority of homebrew beer recipes are geared for 5 gallon containers (or multiples of 5 gallon containers). The main purpose of Mr.Beer, I think, is to get you comfortable with the process and give you a low-cost platform to make some mistakes and experiment a little until you want to expand and try to make stuff on your own without the need for the pre-canned extracts.