The 7 Best Gold Panning Kits

video play icon

This wiki has been updated 19 times since it was first published in May of 2020. Panning for gold can be an exciting hobby, whether you're on a prospecting expedition alone or with your family on a camping trip. These kits include the pans needed for sifting out unwanted sand and rocks, as well as a variety of accessories and equipment to help increase your chances of striking pay dirt. Our list offers a range of options suitable for all experience levels. When users buy our independently chosen editorial selections, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.

1. Gold Rush Nugget Bucket

2. Stansport Mining

3. Minelab Pro-Gold

Editor's Notes

August 20, 2020:

Panning for gold might seem intimidating, but it's actually a pretty simple process. Essentially it involves taking a mixture of gravel, silt, and sand from a stream or creekbed, and filtering out everything except for any potential gold flakes or nuggets.

This is done with a pan by shaking and swirling the wet mixture, which allows the heavier gold flakes to settle the bottom of the pan. Then, continuing to shake and swirl, allow the current of the water to wash away the topmost sediment. Gradually, everything will wash away, hopefully leaving you with any gold at the bottom of the pan.

A few of our choices, like the Garrett Metal Detectors and the Minelab Pro-Gold also include a classifier to help do some of the filtering work for you. These are basically large sieves, that trap larger rocks and debris. The Sluice Fox Gold even has a long trough, called a sluice, that does an even more thorough job filtering out impurities.

If you're looking for more treasure-hunting gear, consider purchasing a metal detector. These devices are capable of locating varieties of metal underneath the ground, making them ideal for using at the beach or even underwater.

4. Garrett Metal Detectors

5. Sluice Fox Gold

6. Gold Rush Mining

7. Sluice Fox Prospecting Mining Kit


Alexander Rennie
Last updated by Alexander Rennie

Alex Rennie is a writer from Los Angeles, CA, and holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Missouri. Having been a successful residential and commercial carpenter for six years in New York City, he has a comprehensive knowledge of woodworking, power tools, and the world of home DIY. His passion for construction and carpentry keep him up to date on the latest gadgets and techniques, and he never misses an opportunity to patch up a drywall dent or sand down a rough edge. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking the Santa Monica mountains with his family and their dogs, and fostering rescue animals.


Thanks for reading the fine print. About the Wiki: We don't accept sponsorships, free goods, samples, promotional products, or other benefits from any of the product brands featured on this page, except in cases where those brands are manufactured by the retailer to which we are linking. For more information on our rankings, please read about us, linked below. The Wiki is a participant in associate programs from Amazon, Walmart, Ebay, Target, and others, and may earn advertising fees when you use our links to these websites. These fees will not increase your purchase price, which will be the same as any direct visitor to the merchant’s website. If you believe that your product should be included in this review, you may contact us, but we cannot guarantee a response, even if you send us flowers.