Gear guide · 5 products

Burners and steam-table (hotel) pans for maple sugaring

A propane turkey-fryer burner with a pan makes fine syrup but 'the cost of the propane ... can approach the value of the finished syrup'; keep sap 2-4 in deep and add small amounts every 10-20 min.

Our pick

Top pick: Three Vigor 22 ga full-size 6 in steam pans ($37.99 each) on a block arch - the UMaine 7039 three-pan method at ~1-2 gph per pan
Budget pick: One Choice 24 ga 6 in pan ($18.99) on a turkey-fryer burner (Bayou Classic SP10 ~$103.78) for 1-5 taps; Gauge and depth are the only verifiable differences; the method itself comes from UMaine and Cornell.; What would change it: Local propane price (Cornell warns fuel can approach syrup value); a maker-stated BTU figure for burners.

Disclosure

Gear pages contain affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nobody on this site has tested these products; recommendations rest on manufacturer specifications, extension-service guidance, price and availability on the dates shown.

What matters

How to judge burners and steam-table (hotel) pans

Each criterion names the extension or manual source it comes from; 'synthesis' marks our own reasoning.

1
A propane turkey-fryer burner with a pan makes fine syrup but 'the cost of the propane ... can approach the value of the finished syrup'; keep sap 2-4 in deep and add small amounts every 10-20 min.
CORNELL-NB p.97 · verified
2
Catering/steam-table pans over a cinder-block fire pit: ~1-2 gal of sap per hour each; three pans let you move concentrated sap down the line; full-size 6 in deep is the common choice; build walls and a chimney for draft.
UMAINE-7039 · verified
3
Finish on a controlled heat source (gas burner, camp stove, range) in a smaller pot once the big pan is below ~1 in of sap.
UNH · verified
4
Steam pans are commercial food-service stainless (18/8 or 18/10 by catalog), 22-24 gauge; cheaper 24-26 ga pans are thinner.
WebstaurantStore listing text (gauge in product names) · verified

Products

5 burners and steam-table (hotel) pans we looked at

Specs are from the maker's or dealer's page; 'unknown' means it wasn't stated. Prices are the dealer's on the date shown; Amazon prices aren't shown here because Amazon's rules require live data.

Choice (WebstaurantStore house brand)

Choice 24 Gauge Full Size 6" Deep Anti-Jam Stainless Steel Steam Table / Hotel Pan

size:: full size, 6 in deep
gauge:: 24

⚠ Search-page price

$18.99at webstaurantstore.com, 2026-10-05

Suits: First season

View at webstaurantstore.com →

Verified on the page: name, price, gauge

Vigor (WebstaurantStore)

Vigor 22 Gauge Full Size 6" Deep Anti-Jam Stainless Steel Steam Table / Hotel Pan

size:: full size, 6 in deep
gauge:: 22

⚠ Search-page price

$37.99at webstaurantstore.com, 2026-10-05

Suits: First season

View at webstaurantstore.com →

Verified on the page: name, price, gauge

Vollrath

Vollrath Super Pan V 22 Gauge Full Size 6" Deep Anti-Jam Steam Table Pan 30062

size:: full size, 6 in deep
gauge:: 22

⚠ Search-page price

$58.03at webstaurantstore.com, 2026-10-05

Suits: First season

View at webstaurantstore.com →

Verified on the page: name, price, gauge

Bayou Classic

Bayou Classic SP10 High Pressure Outdoor Cooker (Amazon listing B000291GBQ)

type:: single propane burner, 'high pressure'

⚠ Listing snapshot; BTU rating not captured (maker site thebayou.com did not answer curl)

Price on Amazon

Suits: First season

View at amazon.com →

Verified on the page: name, price

Tap My Trees

Beginners Boiling Kit - 16" x 32" (propane burner support, pan, 3/4 in stainless nipple + ball valve)

size:: 16 x 32 in pan
fuel:: propane (cylinders not included)
fittings:: 3/4 in stainless nipple and ball valve

⚠ No evaporation rate or pan gauge captured

$1,449.95at tapmytrees.com, 2026-10-05

Suits: Serious backyard

View at tapmytrees.com →

Verified on the page: name, price, size, fuel

More gear

Other categories

LuckySap · free on iPhone & Android

Log every run. Know your season.

LuckySap is the maple syrup tracker for iPhone and Android: a sap-flow outlook for your trees, a quick log for every collection and boil, and season stats you can compare year to year.