I agree that if you're short on cash, just get the practice chanter. My experience is that I bought the practice chanter and learned on it for the first year, bought the kitchen pipes after about a year, and then bought the full pipes soon after that and have "played" them (and of course the PC too) for the next year and a half. The kitchen pipes were bought as sort of an "in-between" to the full pipes, but I have to say that I only ever use the kitchen pipes now if I'm going away for a few days and can't play the full pipes wherever I'm going. They have the advantage that you can play the full kitchen pipes or practice on the PC only. They also take up almost no room in a suitcase. I have found hotpipes to be an excellent supplier if you do decide to purchase the kitchen pipes, and I'm really happy with the Dunbar they sell as well.