Is a steam pan worth the $ for a bottling unit?

[Snowmad]

I'm looking at buying a canning/bottling unit. http://www.mapleguys.com/product/LB1616C.html
Is it worth the extra $180 for the steam pan that goes between the burner and the syrup pan? I get the idea that it will keep the heat more dispersed and won't cause scorching or the accidental creation of sugar sand, but is it that hard to control the heat when using one of these units? How much longer will it take to heat the water in the steamer to get the syrup up to the 180 degree mark? Anyone have any experience with this unit?

[lakeview maple]

I ordered a steam pan for my canner last season, great buy nice even heat , I don't have to worry about scorching my canner definitely would get it with my next one or a jacketed canner.

[wnybassman]

I believe it is worth it. I got a Smokey Lake steam filter/canner last year. No worries at all about getting syrup too hot and you can take all the time you need to bottle.

[maple flats]

I bought the water jacketed model, but I've never heard of any issues with the steam bottler either, and they are much lower cost. If you use a propane fired conventional model bottler they work OK but you always have issues with forming more niter because the intense heat of the flame is directly on the bottom of the syrup vessel and that immediate area gets too hot and does form some new niter, not to mention the fact that you need to constantly monitor the bottler temp, first you run it up to lets say 186 and need to shut off the burner, then as the temp falls you need to relight the burner to heat again and during one session you may go thru that cycle several times if you are bottling smaller containers. With either a water jacketed or steam bottler that is not the case and since the heat is transferred from either steam or water you don't get the intense heat against the syrup vessel.

[sap retreiver]

This is my first year with a filter press. Should I have some type of filter canner? I definitely think the jacketed canner is the way to go if I do get one

[bowhunter]

I have the Smokey Lake bottler with the steam pan and it is definitely worth the expense. So much easier to keep the temperature below 200 F while you're bottling and for all the reasons others have stated.

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

There is a lot of steam pans out there cheaper than$180.

[sap retreiver]

Can I add a steam pan to an existing filter bottler? It looks like it's just an add on?

[lakeview maple]

Can I add a steam pan to an existing filter bottler? It looks like it's just an add on? That's what I did , I measured my canner and ordered one to fit , had the cut out made for the valve .