Introduction
This is the second part of the series on premium brewing, analysing and comparing all of the ways to spend gold on potions. Part one covered the costs of buying ingredients, paying to complete, and purchasing potions in Diagon Alley. This article, part two, covers the gold cauldron.
The Gold Cauldron
The options for premium brewing get even more complex once gold cauldrons enter the mix. These cauldrons, available to rent from the Potions menu, brew potions 10% faster than standard cauldrons and can be used simultaneously with the standard cauldron.
There are three rental options:
- 15 gold for 3 hours
- 35 gold for 8 hours
- 90 gold for 24 hours
At first glance, the 24 hour rental is by far the cheapest, coming in at 3.75 gold per hour, compared to 4.38/hour for the 8 hour and 5/hour for the 3 hour. However, it is important to note that the current mechanics mean potions only must begin brewing during these time frames.
In theory then, players could brew potions on the shortest rental for just under 3 hours before starting a Brain Elixir (10:48 brew time with the gold cauldron and Master Notes). In this case, the maximum brewing time and final cost per hour would be:
| Time | Cost | Effective Time | Gold Cost Per Hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-Hour | 15 gold | 13:48 | 1.09 |
| 8-Hour | 35 gold | 18:28 | 1.86 |
| 24-hour | 90 gold | 34:48 | 2.59 |
In other words, the 3-hour rental is by far the best value for money if you maximise the time spent brewing by starting a Brain Elixir just before the rental is up. In fact, this pattern holds true even with only a little over 1 hour extra brew time (1:13 to be more precise) past the rental period, at which the average rental cost is about 3.5 gold per hour.
If you’re going to buy gold cauldrons, the 3-hour rental will almost always be the best value for gold (until the mechanics themselves change, at least).
Is it worth it?
That said, is it even worth renting gold cauldrons? The answer will depend a lot on playstyle, budget, ingredients, and time available. In terms of time, renting a cauldron effectively increases the overall brewing speed by 110%. For those who can match that increase in brewing speed with vault storage, potion usage, and ingredient income, this can be a great way to, for example, double the number of tough Fortress battles you can take on each day.
Another simple way to measure the value of the gold cauldron rental is to compare, as in part 1 of this guide, to simply buying potions immediately. With the 10% speed increase, paying to finish Brain Elixirs in gold cauldrons costs 6 gold less than in a standard cauldron. In other words, if you were going to pay to complete some brain elixirs anyway, it is cheaper to rent the gold cauldron for 3 hours, pay to complete them, and then get a free 3 hours of extra brewing after as well.
However, players should remember that all of this extra brewing can incur another cost: vault storage. Brewing more potions a day means a greater need for potion capacity and may well also require increased ingredient space, as players will use up ingredients much faster. The options for increasing vault space are:
| Storage Increase | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Potion Capacity | 10 Potions | 200 gold |
| Ingredient Capacity | 30 Ingredients | 150 gold |
| Vault Extension | 10 Potions, 30 Ingredients, 10 Spell Energy | 475 gold |
Be sure to keep an eye on potion space and ingredient stores before renting the gold cauldron. In the long term, it may be worth first saving gold up to invest in some vault extensions before spending the gold on cauldron rentals.
Conclusion
Overall, the gold cauldron can be a worthwhile investment for players with the gold, storage, and potion usage to keep up with it. Under the current mechanics, the 3-hour rental is almost always the best value for money of the options, though the longer options may still prove to be more convenient for some players.
Be sure to check out Part One of the Premium Brewing Guide for more on the costs of potions. And while you’re working out your gold budget, be sure to check out the Gold and Shop Guide for more information on how to get gold and where to spend it.
