unbranded (Bascom)
Temporary Color Grade Set (glycerin)
- type:
- temporary glycerin comparator
- ⚠ Fades; check yearly (NAMSPM2 p.173)
$24at bascommaple.com, 2026-10-05
Suits: Small sugarhouse
View at bascommaple.com →Verified on the page: name, price
Gear guide · 3 products
Grading kits for maple sugaring
Grades are set by light transmittance at 560 nm (Golden >=75%, Amber 50-74.9, Dark 25-49.9, Very Dark <25); producers grade with a comparator kit (permanent glass/plastic vs temporary glycerin that fades) or a low-cost spectrophotometer that needs recalibration and can read ~2% off.
Our pick
- Top pick
- Lovibond permanent set ($465) if selling year after year; Hanna digital grader ($110) as the low-cost instrument with its recalibration caveat
- Budget pick
- Temporary glycerin set ($24), replaced every 1-2 years
- Permanent vs temporary and instrument caveats come straight from NAMSPM; no product page detail beyond name/price was read.
- What would change it: Reading the Hanna grader's spec page (resolution, calibration standard).
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 grading kits
Each criterion names the extension or manual source it comes from; 'synthesis' marks our own reasoning.
- 1
Grades are set by light transmittance at 560 nm (Golden >=75%, Amber 50-74.9, Dark 25-49.9, Very Dark <25); producers grade with a comparator kit (permanent glass/plastic vs temporary glycerin that fades) or a low-cost spectrophotometer that needs recalibration and can read ~2% off.
NAMSPM2 p.173-174; LEG-EVIDENCE 4.16 · verified
- 2
Use only the kit's own container, compare in direct natural light (north daylight ideal); temporary kits must be checked yearly or replaced every year or two; packaged syrup darkens over time.
NAMSPM2 p.173-174 · verified
- 3
Grading is required when selling in most maple states; home use does not need a kit.
CORNELL-NB p.102, p.7 · verified
Products
3 grading kits 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.
Hanna Instruments (via Bascom)
Hanna Digital Handheld Maple Syrup Grader
- type:
- handheld photometer
- ⚠ Search-page price; needs recalibration, ~2% variation typical of low-cost spectrophotometers (NAMSPM2 p.174)
$110at bascommaple.com, 2026-10-05
Suits: Small sugarhouse
View at bascommaple.com →Verified on the page: name, price
Lovibond (via Bascom)
Lovibond Permanent Grade Set Complete w/ International Grade Disk and Glass Vial
- type:
- permanent glass comparator
- ⚠ Search-page price
$465at bascommaple.com, 2026-10-05
Suits: Small sugarhouse
View at bascommaple.com →Verified on the page: name, price
More gear
Other categories
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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.
