I’ve been doing a partial mash for years now, and have been quite satisfied with the results. I take a somewhat Zen approach- I’m not too picky about steeping temperature or time, although I have gotten a bit better lately. Someone I met recently told me that after switching to all-grain, the quality will go thru the roof. But I like not having to worry about partial sugar conversion. And I’ve heard that all grain=all day. So, what’s your approach?
The best thing that can be said about all-grain homebrewing is that a) it drops the price of ingredients through the floor, and b) you have total control over the product from start to finish. Otherwise that’s about it. All-grainers can brag all they want about quality, but I’ve won over 250 awards for my brews, and nary a one was all-grain. Partial mash is just fine.
I recently switch to all-grain and have made some great beers. I like that fact that it starts with GRAIN and ends up as beer rather then extract. With extract I feel like im cooking beer rather then Brewing beer from scratch. FWTW.
That being said. I think I am going to go back to Extract. All-grain is just too messy and kind of a PITA in my small apt kitchen. If I could set up all the equipment in a driveway or something and sit back in a lawn chair it might be different.
Also yes, for me at least, its an all day project. Takes a long time to bring a full boil up to temp with my electric stove even with a 1000w bucket heater to help it along.
All-grain really needs a Cajun-Cooker to get your temps up in less than all afternoon. If I have room in the new house (next year, maybe?) I’d like to set up a good-sized all-grain system, just because I can.
It may be cheaper, but at $20-25 for a 5 gal batch, extract brewing aint exactly breaking the bank.
That’s what I like about doing Cider… mash? All grain? Extract?
Gimme apple juice, yeast, and time.
I recommend getting a job at a brewery, that way all of your ingredients are free. 
Before I started my present job I was a partial mash brewer and switched to all grain pretty much because I am cheap and suddenly had access to free ingredients.
The quality of extract has really improved over the past 5 years or so and I see no reason to switch to all grain unless you are a nut about style or ingredient control.
I do think using dry malt extract is a better choice than liquid, though.
Regardless of which brand(s) of either you may or may not be using?
(I generally use dry but can’t say it is for quality of the finished product, more because I find it slightlly easier to work with).
I have heard that Laaglander (sp.?) DME is not very desirable because it doesn’t attenuate well.
The reason I prefer DME to LME is taste. I can always taste LME in homebrew, but DME is easier to hide.
All-grain, IME, does equal All Day. Figure 7-9 hours.
But you do it for the same reason that you bake your own bread, in my opinion.
I tried all-grain brewing for a while but eventually I decided that I was happy with the results of partial mash. I don’t enjoy the process nearly as much when it takes all day.
I use a bread machine too. I try not to let shortcuts affect my enjoyment of the finished product.