Crawfish is extremely common throughout the southern part of the US. Among other southern states, Louisiana is the largest producer and is thought to have had crawfish culture since the 18th century. It is reported that commercial harvests have averaged 17 million pounds of crawfish per year with a high of 50 million pounds in 1993 and a low of 392 thousand pounds in 2000. The crawfish trend native to the Southern Mississippi valley has currently expanded to Northern Mexico, North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America.
The harvesting of crawfish is reported to range from one to three months. In spring, mating occurs in the open waters. When water levels increase, hatchlings are released from the tails of females. Juveniles mature during winter and spring while water levels are high. As a result, February to May is considered a good season for Crawfish.
There are various recipes and processes to prepare a delicious crawfish meal. The classic crawfish boil is the most common recipe among others. The recipe for this meal along with the ingredients has been explained in great detail on various websites. However, the major equipment, ‘Crawfish boiler’, essential to prepare classic crawfish is usually not explained in detail. In this article, we have reviewed various crawfish boilers for residential use. We have also created a selection calculator tool so that you can select a unit that works best for you. The selected unit is based on reviews from previous customers, the ease of use, and the price of the unit across, amazon, Walmart, home depot, and target.
The options for boilers have been divided based on the number of people being served It is reported that an average person eats around 3 lbs of crawfish. So, a family of five people would need a boiler that can serve around 15 lbs of crawfish. The best crawfish boilers for a small family are:
- CreoleFeast TFS3010 Propane 30 Qt. Turkey and Seafood Boiler
This crawfish boiler is available on amazon at a price of $129 and is rated 4.7/5 from 1400+ users. The advantages and disadvantages of this product are listed below:
Advantages:
- Best seller on amazon
- Also suitable for Turkey deep frying.
- Quick delivery as it is sold on amazon (see link below)
- It is easy to assemble
Disadvantages:
- Suitable for only around 15 lbs of crawfish
- No assembly instructions provided with the product but you can guess how to put it together just from the pictures
Here is the link to the product:
- Loco Cookers 30 Quart Propane Boil, Fry & Steam Kit
This crawfish boiler is available on Walmart at a price of $97 is rated 4.6/5 from 32 users. The advantages, and disadvantages of this product are listed below:
Advantages:
- The product is cheaper.
- Quick delivery if you have Walmart plus membership (see link below)
- It is easy to assemble
Disadvantages:
- The product looks solid but only few people have reviewed this online
- Suitable for only around 15 lbs of crawfish
Here is the link to the product:
- Stark USA 95528 Deluxe 30 QT Aluminum Crawfish, Shrimp & Crab Boiler and Turkey Deep Fryer
This crawfish boiler is available on amazon at a price of $117 is rated 4.6/5 from 1300+ users. The advantages and disadvantages of this product are listed below:
Advantages:
- Also suitable for Turkey deep frying.
- Quick delivery as it is sold on amazon (see link below)
- It is easy to assemble
Disadvantages:
- Suitable for only around 15 lbs of crawfish
- No assembly instructions provided with the product but you can guess how to put it together just from the pictures
Here is the link to the product:
- King Kooker Outside Burner and Imusa Steamer
For the people who like to shop at Target, this combination is suitable. It is not a combination of boiler and steamer but compiled products based on best ratings. This combined product is available at a price of $100 and has a combined rating of around 4.⅖ from 16 users. The advantages and disadvantages of this product are listed below:
Advantages:
- The product is cheaper than Stark
- Since two products are bought separately, provides more flexibility if a larger steamer is desired(see link below)
Disadvantages:
- The product looks solid but only a few people have reviewed this online
- Suitable for only around 15 lbs of crawfish
- Since two separate products are combined, you have to be careful during assembly.
Here are the links to the products:
Boiler:
Steamer:
The best crawfish boilers for a group of 15 people are:
- Creole Feast CFB1001A 90 qt. Crawfish Seafood Boiler.
This crawfish boiler is available on amazon at a price of $529 and is rated 4.6/5 by 146 users. The advantages and disadvantages of this product are listed below:
Advantages:
- The product has good overall reviews from a relatively large number of users.
- Quick delivery as it is sold on amazon (see link below)
- It comes with proper installation instructions.
Disadvantages:
- Suitable for only around 50 lbs of crawfish
- It has good proper installation instructions but since it is relatively larger installation might be a hassle.
Here is the link to the product:
- Loco Cookers 90 Quart Propane Boil, Fry & Steam Kit
This crawfish boiler is available at Walmart at a price of $597 and is rated 5/5 by 20 users. The advantages and disadvantages of this product are listed below:
Advantages:
- The product has a solid 5/5 rating.
- Quick delivery if you have Walmart plus membership (see link below)
Disadvantages:
- The product looks solid but only a few people have reviewed this online
- Suitable for only around 50 lbs of crawfish
Here is the link to the product:
If you prefer Homedepot over Walmart, this product is also available in Homedepot at the same price of $599 at:
The best crawfish boilers for a group of 30 people is:
- Loco Cookers 150 Quart Propane Boil, Fry & Steam Kit
This is the only product found with enough reviews that can serve around 30 people. Since this is the only product, comparisons could not be made. The crawfish boilers for a group of 30 people costs $897 at walmart with a review of 5/5 from 20 users and it is available at:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Loco-Cookers-150-Quart-Propane-Cart-Style-Boiler/309409174