The gold pan is the by far most versatile piece of equipment you can get your hands on as a prospector. Every gold miner has one, regardless of whether they are involved in serious large scale mining operations, or just go on short prospecting tours around their home area.
However, as with every piece of equipment you buy, it’s important to make an informed decision.
So, how do you know which gold pan to buy?
To choose a gold pan that fulfills your needs, you need to consider the size, color, riffles, and shape of the gold pan. While price to some extent is indicative of the quality of the pan, you can find excellent gold pans for very little money.
If you’re just starting out, there is no need to buy something expensive. Go for a conventional, round gold pan from a major brand, and you will most likely be fine. If you scroll down this article, we are going to list some of the best inexpensive options for you.
However, even if most gold pans will do, it doesn’t mean they are all the same. There are a lot of options to consider, and depending on your needs, you might want to go with a specific model.
In this guide, we will cover the various aspects to consider when buying a gold pan, and what other equipment you might want to look into getting.
Table of Contents
The Size Of the Gold Pan
The size of the pan is an important aspect to consider.
Most gold pans range from around 10 inches up 24 inches in diameter. However, the normal size is somewhere around 14-16 inches.
Let’s consider each size separately.
Large-sized pans(15-24 inches)
The larger the gold pan, the more material you can process with it. If you are planning to use a gold pan as your main processing tool, getting one above 16 inches could be a reasonable idea.
However, we oppose the idea of using gold pans as the chief method for processing large quantities of material. There are other types of equipment that are much more capable, such as the sluice box, which can process up to 200 times more material in the same amount of time.
Small Sized pans (10-12 inch)
With that said, you could also opt for a small gold pan at around 10-12 inches. This would be enough to process the concentrates from, for instance, a sluice box, and can be easily operated with one hand. However, they are too small to process any larger amounts of material.
Conventional pans(14-16 inch)
The conventionally sized pans on the market strike a nice balance between ease of use, portability, and processing ability.
If you were to choose just one gold pan, then the conventionally sized pan would be a great choice.
The Colour of the Gold Pan: Which Colour Is Best?
Gold pans are made in colors that ensure the gold is clearly visible and can be spotted easily. Common gold pan colors include:
- Green
- Black
- Blue
- Pink
Which color is best for you really is a matter of personal preference. However, make sure to choose a color that doesn’t blend in with the environment you are working with. It’s easier than you think to forget to pack down a pan if it becomes virtually invisible against the surroundings.
Other than that there is nothing more to consider when choosing a color! Again, it’s very much about personal preference!
Riffles
The earliest versions of gold pans used in the old days mostly lacked riffles of any sort. This is understandable since the manufacturing processes weren’t like those we have today that allow virtually any shapes to be formed through injection molding.
In other words, riffles are not necessary to capture gold, but they help a great deal, especially if your technique hasn’t been fully developed yet! As a matter of fact, they are sometimes nicknamed “#FFDF00cheater riffles” since they are so forgiving towards beginners!
The riffle system you choose impacts the ability of the gold pan to capture smaller and bigger gold, as well as the amounts of material you can process. In short, depending on what purpose the gold pan serves, it can be equipped with either large or small riffles.
Let’s look closer at how this impacts performance!
Small Riffles
Small riffles are better suited for processing material with a lot of fine gold, or to clean up concentrates from, for instance, gold sluices and dredge cleanups, just to name a few examples.
However, they are not good at processing large quantities of material.
Big Riffles
Bigg riffles are better suited for coarser materials, and let you process large quantities of material quicker. However, they are not as good for fine gold and are typically not used to pan concentrates.
Multiriffle Gold Pans
Some gold pans attempt to boast both big and small riffles to become as versatile as possible. For many people, this is a good compromise between the two, as it makes it possible to carry both versions in one single pan.
Material: Metal or Plastic?
Gold pans have indeed come a long way when compared to those used in the gold rush of the 19th century. With the advent of injection molding and plastic, it’s possible to create whatever shapes you want.
So, should you go for a plastic or metal gold pan?
A plastic gold pan is the obvious choice for most gold panners. Plastic pans are durable, lightweight, and difficult to bend or break. In addition, they float, won’t rust, and are available in many shapes and versions.
Some more benefits are that plastic gold pans come in many more colors that make it easier to spot the gold and can be used with a magnet when separating the gold from the black sand.
What About Metal Gold Pans Then?
With that said, metal gold pans still appeal to some users, and do work well for capturing gold. They just need some more practice, as they typically don’t boast any riffles.
Also, they require some extra maintenance, mainly in the form of keeping the pan dry to keep it from rusting.
Once they are bought, they also need to be blackened, so that gold appears clearer against the surface. This is achieved by heating it in an oven or throwing it into a fire.
Gold Pan Design: Square, Flat and Round Pans
Most prospectors prefer the traditional, round shape, but as you might already know, there is a wide variety of other shapes to choose from.
If you are new to gold panning, I recommend you just stay with the traditional round pan. While there are other types of gold pans you could buy, these are versatile, efficient, and well-tested concepts you cannot go wrong with.
Still, you will find that even traditional pans have varying designs. For example, one popular design is the so-called “drop center pan”. Drop center pans are characterized by their deeper bottoms, which makes it easier to retain the gold.
Odd-shaped pans
If you like to try out some new, groundbreaking designs, there are plenty out there to have a closer look at. One example is the Gold Claw, which is the pan shown in the image above.
Flat pans?
One gold pan type that’s especially interesting in my opinion, is the flat gold pan. It does require a somewhat different technique than a traditional gold pan, but used right it has a great retention rate and allows you to process streambed material at an impressive rate!
Still, it might not be what I would recommend to a beginner. It is quite pricey, and again, a normal pan will be completely fine!
Here is a really good youtube review if you happen to be interested.
How Many Gold Pans Do You Need?
If you choose a gold pan that boasts both small and bigger grooves, you will do fine with just one.
However, if your pan only has big grooves, you might want to look at getting a second pan with smaller riffles, to more easily be able to capture the really fine gold.
As gold pans are quite inexpensive, you might want to experience with different sizes and versions. After all, which pan you find best is very much up to personal preference.
Important!: Seasoning Your Gold Pan
One thing many newcomers forget is that a gold pan should be seasoned before use. As it comes straight from the factory, a thin film of factory oils will make the tiny gold particles more likely to slip out of the pan.
Removing the oils is very easy. Just rub the pan with a good soap, and wash it off. You might also want to take some fine gravel and rub it against the pan using your palm. This will create tiny scratches that help catch and keep tiny gold in the pan.
Other Pieces Of Equipment You Might Want/Need
In addition to the gold pan itself, there are a couple of pieces of equipment you are likely to find really helpful in your gold panning endeavors!
Classifier
A classifier is a must-have if you are going to process anything more than a few pans of material. A classifier simply is a type of sieve or screen that is designed to go on top of five-gallon buckets and gold pans.
The job of the classifier is to screen out bigger pieces of rock so that it won’t disturb the gold panning process.
The size of classifiers is expressed in “mesh” and refers to the screen size. A hole size of 1/4 simply mean#FFDF00s that each hole is 1/4 inch big. Thus, for every inch, there is room for 4 holes. Most gold miners would, therefore, refer to it as a “four mesh classifier”.
Magnifier
A magnifier is great to have when not only inspecting the gold in your pan, but also when analyzing various rock types.
Snuffer Bottle
A suffer bottle could be said to act as a hand-powered vacuum. It’s perfect for sucking up the gold out of the gold pan, and the gold will remain inside until it’s released.
Upgrade to a Sluice Box?
Gold pans are great, but they aren’t meant for production. Most serious prospectors will use them mainly for cleaning up concentrates, and when looking for new grounds to mine.
The sluice box is a great step up for the average gold miner, as it allows you to process tens or even hundreds of times more streambed material. At the same time, it’s relatively inexpensive!
Conclusion
The gold pan is the most versatile piece of equipment you can get your hands on, and if you don’t have one yet, it’s certainly time to buy one.
As a beginner, go for a cheap set of plastic pans from a trusted manufacturer. They are more than enough even for the serious prospector and will last for many years if handled sensibly.