Hobby Small Economy Maple Syrup Cooker | Wood Fired Evaporator
Affordable, Amish-made, wood-fired maple syrup cooker-evaporator ideal for home syrup makers and small hobby sugar bushes. This compact, small-batch maple syrup evaporator processes up to 5 gallons/hour, providing backyard sugaring enthusiasts with an efficient, entry-level system without unnecessary frills. Built with heavy-gauge A36 steel and a 304 stainless divider pan, it’s perfect for DIY syrup production at a great value.
The Economy 18” x 34”, 5 GPH wood-fired maple syrup evaporator allows the backyard do-it-yourselfer to step up from makeshift pans and kettles to a real maple syrup processor at a nominal cost.
These cookers are very versatile and can also be used for sorghum cooking, heating wash water, as an outdoor canner for processing vegetables and fruit jars, etc.
Shipping is not included in the price.
Please plan on 6-10 weeks for shipping.
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Description / Hobby Small Economy Maple Syrup Cooker | Wood Fired Evaporator
Unlock traditional wood-fired maple syrup production with this reliable hobby-sized evaporator cooker — perfect for backyard sugaring and small-batch syrup makers. Crafted in the USA with durable Amish construction, this wood-fired maple syrup cooker evaporator combines rugged build quality and straightforward design for efficient boiling and consistent results.
This economy model is designed for syrup enthusiasts who want to step up from makeshift pot boiling to a real evaporator without breaking the bank. Capable of processing up to 5 gallons of sap per hour, this small machine delivers dependable performance for hobby syrup producers, homesteaders, and DIY makers. Your experience may vary based on factors such as the type of firewood used, stoking the firebox, etc.
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Durable Build: Heavy 12-gauge A36 carbon steel firebox and 20-gauge 304 stainless steel divided pan provide years of reliable syrup production.
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Simple & Customizable: Bare-bones setup gives you flexibility — add firebrick insulation, refractory sides, or accessories as your needs grow.
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Traditional Wood-Fired Heat: Leverage wood fuel for classic syrup flavor and even heat distribution—ideal for authentic small-batch maple syrup production.
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Easy Operation: Designed with hobbyists in mind — straightforward to stoke, maintain, and use during each sugaring season.
Whether you’re tapping a few trees for family syrup or getting started with home maple sugaring, this evaporator delivers quality performance at a distinctive value compared with large commercial units. Pair this unit with optional firebrick kits or chimney upgrades as you expand your maple syrup production.
More Information
We listened to our customers who wanted to cook down maple syrup simply and efficiently without investing in a fancy evaporator. To keep costs down, we offer the Economy Evaporator as a bare-bones unit, allowing the customer to use it as is or add options such as firebrick insulation sides. The unit was tested both with and without insulated sides. The actual GPH was not significantly different. The insulated sides and sheeting made it more comfortable to work next to, which could also be achieved by laying cement board on the sides.
The small economy unit comes with the welded firebox cooker and the stainless steel 3-channel divided pan. To save labor costs, the dividers are spot-welded into the pan. The actual pan corners are welded. No stovepipe, firebrick, or valves are included. The cooker will arrive unpainted and can be left as is or painted with high-heat paint after receipt. The grate is made of ¾” A36 solid steel rods. The door size is 10" H x 12" W and will hold up to 18" long firewood. The cooker uses a standard 6" stove pipe.
The arch is formed by stacking bricks in the back of the firebox to direct the heat up under the pan as it exits the flue pipe.
The Economy Evaporator includes a standard 6”- tall divided cooking pan. An optional 8”- tall open pan without dividers is also available for use as a 43-quart jar canner or for other hot-water needs. The standard divider pan comes with two ½” threaded valve ports welded on both sides of the front of the pan. This allows you to insert a valve on one side and a pipe plug on the other side. Just swap to reverse the flow or add two valves. Valves and plugs are not included. Use locally purchased brass or stainless ball valve(s) and plugs. The optional open 8” pan comes with only one ½” valve port.
An optional full-cover lid with a handle is also available.
In most cases, before the maple syrup season begins, evaporators will ship within 6-10 weeks. We recommend purchasing early before your season starts. Longer wait times are likely as the season progresses.
Evaporators are priced F.O.B. from the Amish shop in Arthur, Illinois. You may arrange pickup, or we can ship to most maple syrup processing states to a business address for $350 or less. Select F.O.B. for pickup or freight quoting; select based on the delivery type. Residential delivery and liftgate charges will likely be higher.
See the video from our friends over at An American Homestead, who are using the larger size of this evaporator to make maple syrup down in Arkansas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz9duJufVsU
Click Here to see all of our maple syrup cookers and processing equipment.