What is a Batea? It is a gold pan that is funnel in shape, no riffles, that will run a great deal of material very quickly with a very high recovery rate after you get used to the action of the pan — which might take a couple of hours worth of practice. The Batea is most likely the oldest gold pan design in the world. If you have ever watched a documentary on mining in any part of the world other than North America, you have seen a Batea— it is a big pan, measuring 20 inches across and 5 inches deep. It is very blue for a reason— it creates the best contrast that makes the gold pop compared to the other minerals.
Included in the Batea Gold Pan Kit along with the big pan is the classifier, which is more of a diamond shape. The classifier has a number of external touchpoints to let it sit comfortably in a 5-gallon bucket, offers more than enough room to wet or dry classify without the classifier getting stuck on the bucket rim, and it's tough as nails. There are 2 accessory bags and the instructions on how to use the Batea. The first bag included a very soft snuffer bottle that is ringed on the inside to prevent gold getting into the straw/lid contact, and a 2-ounce glass vial, pipette, assorted tube covers and a 3x6 loop.
In the second bag is the all-important and unique Defragmenter and its associated parts. The Defragmenter is an ingenious idea that allows prospectors to use the Batea with just about any material, including many clay-based soils, with no effort to break up the material to pan. The Defragmenter does all the work, settles your gold fast in the trap, and allows you to work your material pretty quickly. The Defragmenter is a three-bar pyramid design made of stainless steel that bolts into the pan. Yes, bolts into the pan! The bag also contains three stainless nylock nuts and three angled spacers to assure that everything is in perfect alignment. Of course the instructions tell you exactly how to install the Defragmenter.
Expect a BIG box when you order the XP Batea Kit! Shipping wt and dim: 5 lbs., 20 x 20 x 8"
Field test / product review originally published in the November / December 2020 issue of the Gold Prospectors Association (GPAA) magazine, download that .pdf entitled XP Batea with photos and story by Kevin Hoagland. You will find the field test / product review article most informative by the renown Executive Director of Development at the Gold Prospectors Association of America and the Lost Dutchman’s Mining Association of America.
ADVANTAGES of the XP Bateau Gold Pan:
- DEFRAGMENTER: Built in stainless steel it quickly breaks down compacted material to save your effort.
- DEEP COLLECTION CUP: Helps keeping the gold in the center of the Batea.
- HONEYCOMB DESIGN: Contoured vein for better grip and a higher level of rigidity.
- LARGE DIAMETER: 20 inches, compatible for competition
- GLASS FIBER COMPOSITE: Rigid construction, lighter than a steel Batea (800G VS 2KG)
- BLUE OPTIMAL CONTRAST: Complementary to yellow, blue offers the best contrast with gold.
