>>45700
The specialest equipment I use is probably the airlock. And I use a hydrometer to determine density (for intial sugar estimate and for final alcohol estimate).
Other than that, it's all regular kitchen equipment. I have dedicated bags of 3 sizes (from that small sock to the all-pot one) for adding ingredients into the pot. Plus a thermometer, since I don't have a thermostat and I need to adjust heat manually. Disinfection is done with percarbonate (releases peroxide when dissolved in water) - which is active ingredient of "oxy-bleach" cleaning products.
The fermentor I use is a plastic bucket with a tap on bottom for easy bottle filling, but it's manageable with just regular big bottle that you put airlock on top, and then you pour out with siphon.

>>45710
I've done spiced cider before. Added mulling spices to apple juice and brewed that, and fermented with champagne yeast. It's better to work with raw apples, prepare it like wine (& let their natural yeast add some tang to it too) but I don't have enough apples myself... It turned out pretty good anyway.
Mead is probably the easiest, you just have to dissolve honey in hot water (about 1:4), cool down, add your preferred yeast, airlock, let it do its thing.

Oh >>45742 I see he says about the same thing too.
You need to add 1 whole bottle per 0.5L of fresh beer.