USA flag. Handcrafted in USA
StarCat Evaporator w/Flat Pan — Customize It!

FROM $1,253.00

4.6 (7)

StarCat Evaporator w/Flat Pan — Customize It!

SKU: SL-STRFLT
StarCat with Sight Glass
360 video video video
STARTING AT Bundle Discount!

From: $1,253.00

AVG, SHIPPING TIME

Timing is based on our current production timeline.

Shopping for your first evaporator?

Free Shipping

In Continental USA

Limited Lifetime Warranty

On TIG Welds

Discounts Available

For Bundling & Add-Ons

Description

The StarCat Maple Syrup Evaporator packs a surprising punch. This feisty, high-efficiency wood-fired evaporator is capable of 8 gallons per hour evaporation rate. The StarCat is a breakthrough solution for the backyard hobby maple syrup producer who wants an affordable, yet highly effective, machine to process maple sap into maple syrup. As with all of our Evaporators, the StarCat features an air-tight front and air-tight loading door to maximize firewood efficiency and evaporation rate. A precision draft control allows you to throttle combustion air and shut down completely if necessary. The Arch (firebox) of the StarCat will come to you in a series of cardboard crates. You will need to assemble the arch and paint it, all hardware and special spray paint is included. All Ceramic Fiber Insulation for inside the arch and door will be included in this package. The only thing you’ll need to add will be exactly 20 firebricks. No brick cutting will be necessary. The pan is as professional as the arch. It is built out of 22 gauge, mirror finish stainless steel and is fully TIG welded with lifetime limited warranty on the welds. Smoky Lake has built the best maple syrup pans in the world for the past 10 years. A valve and dial thermometer are included. Other than the 20 firebricks which you can buy from your local home store, this is a turn-key evaporator.


StarCat Specs

  • Weight of complete Arch with all bricks and grates in place, 182 lbs
  • Weight of empty arch, 92 lbs
  • Weight of bricks, 75 lbs
  • Evaporation rate, 5 – 8+ gph
    (Initial testing of this evaporator was done on a day with -16ºF temps. Even with this bitter cold intake air, we achieved 6.5 gph)
  • Stack pipe, 6″ diameter, 6 feet included
  • Optimal size of firewood: 16″ long, about the diameter of your wrist

Discounts

A Full StarCat Evaporator is discounted for bundling the pan and arch together. Additional accessories available at discount as advertised on this page. Ask us about our Brick Kit Promotion if you pick up your order at our headquarters.

Value-Added Details

When you compare our equipment to our competitors, you are not comparing apples to apples.

16 x 30 Evaporator Pans

  • Mirror Finish Stainless Steel
  • Level Assist Feature
  • Angled Thermometer Port
  • Full Length Handles with Hemmed Edges
  • Free Pan Accessory Kit Included
  • Lifetime Limited Warranty on TIG Welds (Pans are included with Full Evaporators only.)

StarCat Evaporator Arch Kit

  • Laser cut parts for unbeatable precision
  • Precut Ceramic Blanket Insulation
  • Stack Pipe, High Temp Paint and all Hardware included
  • Draft Control
  • Accepts a standard size firebrick, no cutting required
  • Complete library of video tutorials

Handcrafted by Artisans in Wisconsin

Shipping Details

Free Shipping in the Continental USA

This product is typically shipped via FedEx Ground or SpeeDee Delivery depending on your location. In some select cases, shipping may be upgraded to travel with one of our White Glove Carriers.

Packaging Details

The Arch (AKA Firebox) comes packed in two cardboard crates as described below. Pans and accessories (when applicable) are packaged separately from the Arch.

ARCH CRATE 1 = 20 x 4 x 31

  • Side Panels, qty 2
  • Back Panel
  • Back Panel Insulation (Nested inside the Back Panel)
  • Front Panel
  • Front Panel Insulation (Nested inside the Front Panel)
  • ASSEMBLY GUIDE (Located in an envelope, on top of the Back Panel)
  • NOTE: Foam blocks in this package are not components of your arch. They simply help us ensure safe shipping.

ARCH CRATE 2 = 12 x 11 x 32

  • Base Half, qty 2
  • Smaller Inner Carton
  • Arch Paint, qty 3
  • Strips of Insulation, qty 2
  • StarCat Emblem
  • Hardware Kit
  • 6″ Snap-Lock Stack Pipe, qty 3
  • 6″ Elbow (Located inside the Stack Pipe)
  • Insulation Roll, qty 2 (Located inside the Stack Pipe)
  • Handle (Shrink wrapped to the outside of the Stack Pipe)
  • Floor Panel
  • Damper Slide (NOTE: There was an improvement made to this part’s design in 2022. It may look slightly different than the photo in your manual.)
  • Door
  • Door Insulation Pieces, qty 2 (One is nested inside the door itself and the other is located under the grates.)
  • Guy Support (Located under the grates.)

Tutorials and Tips

4.6 (7)

StarCat Evaporator w/Flat Pan — Customize It!

SKU: SL-STRFLT
STARTING AT Bundle Discount!

From: $1,253.00

AVG, SHIPPING TIME

Timing is based on our current production timeline.

Shopping for your first evaporator?

Note: Bricks and the optional accessories are available separately. Customize this evaporator below.

Description

The StarCat Maple Syrup Evaporator packs a surprising punch. This feisty, high-efficiency wood-fired evaporator is capable of 8 gallons per hour evaporation rate. The StarCat is a breakthrough solution for the backyard hobby maple syrup producer who wants an affordable, yet highly effective, machine to process maple sap into maple syrup. As with all of our Evaporators, the StarCat features an air-tight front and air-tight loading door to maximize firewood efficiency and evaporation rate. A precision draft control allows you to throttle combustion air and shut down completely if necessary. The Arch (firebox) of the StarCat will come to you in a series of cardboard crates. You will need to assemble the arch and paint it, all hardware and special spray paint is included. All Ceramic Fiber Insulation for inside the arch and door will be included in this package. The only thing you’ll need to add will be exactly 20 firebricks. No brick cutting will be necessary. The pan is as professional as the arch. It is built out of 22 gauge, mirror finish stainless steel and is fully TIG welded with lifetime limited warranty on the welds. Smoky Lake has built the best maple syrup pans in the world for the past 10 years. A valve and dial thermometer are included. Other than the 20 firebricks which you can buy from your local home store, this is a turn-key evaporator.


StarCat Specs

  • Weight of complete Arch with all bricks and grates in place, 182 lbs
  • Weight of empty arch, 92 lbs
  • Weight of bricks, 75 lbs
  • Evaporation rate, 5 – 8+ gph
    (Initial testing of this evaporator was done on a day with -16ºF temps. Even with this bitter cold intake air, we achieved 6.5 gph)
  • Stack pipe, 6″ diameter, 6 feet included
  • Optimal size of firewood: 16″ long, about the diameter of your wrist

Discounts

A Full StarCat Evaporator is discounted for bundling the pan and arch together. Additional accessories available at discount as advertised on this page. Ask us about our Brick Kit Promotion if you pick up your order at our headquarters.

Value-Added Details

When you compare our equipment to our competitors, you are not comparing apples to apples.

16 x 30 Evaporator Pans

  • Mirror Finish Stainless Steel
  • Level Assist Feature
  • Angled Thermometer Port
  • Full Length Handles with Hemmed Edges
  • Free Pan Accessory Kit Included
  • Lifetime Limited Warranty on TIG Welds (Pans are included with Full Evaporators only.)

StarCat Evaporator Arch Kit

  • Laser cut parts for unbeatable precision
  • Precut Ceramic Blanket Insulation
  • Stack Pipe, High Temp Paint and all Hardware included
  • Draft Control
  • Accepts a standard size firebrick, no cutting required
  • Complete library of video tutorials

Handcrafted by Artisans in Wisconsin

Shipping Details

Free Shipping in the Continental USA

This product is typically shipped via FedEx Ground or SpeeDee Delivery depending on your location. In some select cases, shipping may be upgraded to travel with one of our White Glove Carriers.

Packaging Details

The Arch (AKA Firebox) comes packed in two cardboard crates as described below. Pans and accessories (when applicable) are packaged separately from the Arch.

ARCH CRATE 1 = 20 x 4 x 31

  • Side Panels, qty 2
  • Back Panel
  • Back Panel Insulation (Nested inside the Back Panel)
  • Front Panel
  • Front Panel Insulation (Nested inside the Front Panel)
  • ASSEMBLY GUIDE (Located in an envelope, on top of the Back Panel)
  • NOTE: Foam blocks in this package are not components of your arch. They simply help us ensure safe shipping.

ARCH CRATE 2 = 12 x 11 x 32

  • Base Half, qty 2
  • Smaller Inner Carton
  • Arch Paint, qty 3
  • Strips of Insulation, qty 2
  • StarCat Emblem
  • Hardware Kit
  • 6″ Snap-Lock Stack Pipe, qty 3
  • 6″ Elbow (Located inside the Stack Pipe)
  • Insulation Roll, qty 2 (Located inside the Stack Pipe)
  • Handle (Shrink wrapped to the outside of the Stack Pipe)
  • Floor Panel
  • Damper Slide (NOTE: There was an improvement made to this part’s design in 2022. It may look slightly different than the photo in your manual.)
  • Door
  • Door Insulation Pieces, qty 2 (One is nested inside the door itself and the other is located under the grates.)
  • Guy Support (Located under the grates.)

Tutorials and Tips

7 Reviews

Total Rating
4.6 (7 Reviews)
Overall rating

5 × four =

  1. Mike Groman

    I bought my StarCat after the end of the season last year. I just got into making syrup with my first boil on an 18” x 18” flat pan that took 13 hours to boil down 38 gallons in 2023. My first boil of 2024 on the StarCat boiled down 27 gallons in 5 hours. After watching and using the tips in the “Backyard Evaporator Set Up” videos put out by Jim and Angela, I had the confidence to cut the StarCat loose and boiled 37 gallons down in 4.5 hours. The quality of the StarCat and the 16” x 30” flat pan are unmatched. The time savings has made the process of making maple syrup so much more fun. The StarCat is easy to use and very efficient for my small hobby single batch production needs. However, I am confident that it could handle much more than the 12 taps I run. Thank you Smoky Lake Maple for a great working and looking product.

  2. Laura Weiler

    Here’s to quality time with family! We all put down our devices and did this instead. My mind feels more clear. My heart feels more full.

  3. Josh Burkhard

    Very disappointed! The corners of several parts were bent over when I opened the box. Additionally, the precision bends were either over or under folded- so the paint ends up getting scraped off in assembly.
    The instruction for the chimney are useless… attach it to your basketball hoop? Seriously?
    I think you need to rethink the chimney infrastructure and provide better hardware and instruction for the exhaust.
    Also… rethink your stance on painting. None of your customers can easily spray paint in February.

  4. Jim Daoust

    I have just assembled my StarCat evaporator and felt it was a must to give it a top review. In my work I have assembled equipment of all kinds and even though this was not a complicated piece of equipment the quality of materials, the workmanship, the design and attention to detail was top notch. Very easy to assemble all parts fit perfect had all fasteners required and very good instructions. All though the season is far off I am anxious to try it out and feel confident it will live up to it’s expectations, will add to this review when I try it out next season. On a side note Jim & Angela came down to the plant when it was closed and took the time to explain the equipment and make the sale which was greatly appreciated as I had driven 250 miles to purchase the evaporator.

  5. Rick Bush

    Great product, well engineered. Simple to assemble with great instructions. The syrup making process is quick and easy with this inexpensive unit. I only wish that I had one years ago….

  6. Chris

    This product couldn’t be simpler to set up. The biggest issue for me was finding a warm place (I live in the Northeast) to paint the metal. Once that was resolved, assembly was a snap. Even a few pieces that got bent in shipping snapped into place once it was all put together. The weight is something to consider as even without the firewood grill or fire bricks, this Arch weighs a lot, be careful if you don’t get the wheels. All the seams on the flat pan were perfectly welded, no warping on the pan at all. The quality is top notch and I can’t wait to fire this up in a couple of weeks!

  7. Gary Murdock

    I normally don’t offer reviews for products, but decided to make an exception for this product. While unpack-aging the evaporator, it became evident that they put almost as much thought into getting it to me undamaged as they did designing it. Every part meticulously and custom wrapped, padded, taped and protected. If this thing arrives to you damaged, its because it went through a nuclear blast and making syrup will be the least of your problems. The evaporator itself is excellent quality, built to very close tolerances, which for something designed for the hobbyist surprised me. Even the assembly instructions impressed me, they come in the form of a magazine quality (actually better) brochure. This is a high quality American made product, and I couldn’t come up with a negative comment about it if my life depended on it.

    • Angela

      Thank you so much for your kind feedback! This really means a lot to all of us here at Smoky Lake. We wish you the best this season and we will be here if you have any questions!
      Angela

Tutorials and Tips

Take advantage of our online resource library, 24/7. You’ll find illustrated instruction guides, videos, and a full range of maple topics!