What Is a Seafood Steam Pot? (And Where to Get One)

The Seafood Steam Pot, Explained

A seafood steam pot is a ready-to-cook kit that includes fresh seafood, vegetables, sausage, and seasoning, all packed together and designed to be steamed at home in a single large pot. You add water, bring it to a boil, and in about 40 minutes you have a full coastal seafood feast: shrimp, crab, clams, corn, potatoes, and more, seasoned and ready to eat.

The format takes the best part of a traditional lowcountry boil or crab boil, fresh seafood, a big spread, a table full of people, and removes everything that makes it hard: the sourcing, the seasoning, the timing, the cleanup. Everything is prepped and portioned. You just steam and serve.

Topsail Steamer created the seafood steampot kit format in 2017 and remains the leading seafood steampot franchise in the United States.

Why a Steam Pot Kit Beats Cooking It Yourself

No Equipment, No Expertise, No Mess

Sourcing fresh seafood, getting the seasoning right, managing the cook time, a traditional seafood boil takes equipment, knowledge, and a fair amount of cleanup. A Bay Bucket from Topsail Steamer requires none of that. Everything is prepped. The seasoning is done. All you need is a large pot and a stove.

Restaurant Quality at Home, for a Group

A sit-down seafood restaurant for six people gets expensive fast. It also means coordinating a reservation, sharing a table with strangers, and eating on someone else’s schedule. A Bay Bucket feeds the same group for less, in your own space, at whatever pace the evening calls for. It’s the meal that works for the beach house, the backyard, the family reunion, or a Tuesday night when someone wants something special.

Ready in About 40 Minutes

From pickup to table, the whole process takes under an hour. Steam for 40 minutes, dump it out, eat. A gathering, not a project.

What’s in a Topsail Steamer Bay Bucket

Topsail Steamer offers five signature Bay Buckets and a Build Your Own option. Every pot includes a combination of fresh seafood, corn, potatoes, sausage, and proprietary seasoning, packed together and ready to steam.

The 8 Signature Options

  • The Shark Bite: lobster, shrimp, snow crab, clams, scallops, corn, potatoes, and sausage
  • The Full Steamer: shrimp, snow crab, clams, corn, potatoes, and sausage
  • The Wrightsville: snow crab, scallops, shrimp, clams, corn, potatoes, and sausage
  • The Low Country Shrimp: shrimp, corn, potatoes, and sausage
  • The Topsail Clam Bake: shrimp, clams, corn, potatoes, and sausage
  • The Crabby Jimbo: shrimp, snow crab, potatoes, and corn
  • The Captain Pierce: shrimp, snow crab, scallops, clams, potatoes, and sausage
  • The Miss Emily II: shrimp, snow crab, lobster, clams, sausage, onion

Two Sizes, or Build Your Own

Each signature pot comes in two sizes: Low Tider (serves 2–3) or High Tider (serves 4–6). The Build Your Own option lets you choose your seafood and build the pot you actually want. For larger gatherings, the Party Pot scales up for groups of 20–30, or more.

View the full menu to see current options and seasonal availability.

A Steam Pot Makes a Gift People Remember

A Bay Bucket travels as well as it feeds a crowd. Send one to the seafood lover who is impossible to shop for, the family that always hosts, or anyone who would rather have a feast than another candle. It ships fresh and cold-packed, ready to steam, so the gift is the whole evening, not just the box it came in.

See why a shipped seafood feast is the gift for people who have everything.

Built for the Gathering, Not Just the Meal

A steam pot is at its best with a table full of people around it. Poured out on butcher paper, a Bay Bucket turns a beach week, a backyard cookout, a family reunion, or a game-day spread into the kind of meal people talk about afterward. There is no line cooking and no cleanup to pull the host away from the table.

Planning something for the Fall? Here is how to build a Fall party around a seafood boil.

Find a Seafood Steam Pot Near You

Topsail Steamer has locations across the East Coast and Gulf Coast, and ships nationwide.

Coastal locations (pickup):

Inland locations (pickup):

New locations opening soon. See where we’re headed →

Nationwide shipping:
Can’t make it to a location? We ship Bay Buckets fresh nationwide. A good gift for any seafood lover.

Find your nearest location →

Who Created the Seafood Steampot

Danielle Mahon opened the first Topsail Steamer in Surf City, NC in 2017. The idea came from a simple observation: people love a seafood boil, but most of them will never make one at home. Too complicated. Too much gear. Too hard to source fresh.

Her solution was to do all of that work in-house, source the seafood, portion it, season it, pack it, and hand customers a pot that was ready to steam. No cooking knowledge required. No special equipment. Just the meal.

From one location on Topsail Island, the brand has grown to more than 10 locations across five states. It appeared on Shark Tank Season 16 and has been featured in Forbes, Oprah’s O List, and media across the country. It remains the leading seafood steampot franchise in the United States, a category Topsail Steamer leads.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a seafood steam pot?

A seafood steam pot is a prepped, ready-to-cook kit containing fresh seafood, vegetables, sausage, and seasoning, designed to be steamed at home in a single large pot. At Topsail Steamer, these are called Bay Buckets. You pick one up, take it home, steam for about 40 minutes, and serve. No special equipment, no prep work, no expertise required.

What seafood comes in a steam pot?

It depends on which Bay Bucket you choose. Topsail Steamer’s options include combinations of shrimp, snow crab, clams, scallops, and lobster, paired with corn, potatoes, sausage, and proprietary seasoning. The Build Your Own option lets you choose your specific seafood.

How do you cook a seafood steam pot kit at home?

Fill a large pot with water, bring it to a boil, add your Bay Bucket contents, cover, and steam for approximately 40 minutes. Detailed instructions are included with every order. Most vacation rental kitchens have everything you need, no special equipment required.

How many people does a steam pot feed?

Bay Buckets come in two sizes: a Low Tider that serves 2–3 people and a High Tider that serves 4–6. For larger groups of 20–30, the Party Pot is available in 20, 25, and 30-person sizes.

Can I get a seafood steam pot delivered nationwide?

Yes. Topsail Steamer ships Bay Buckets fresh nationwide. If you’re not near a physical location, you can order online and receive fresh seafood delivered to your door.

Is a steam pot the same as a lowcountry boil or crab boil?

The concept is similar, fresh seafood, corn, potatoes, and sausage all cooked together, but a steam pot kit removes the preparation entirely. A traditional lowcountry boil requires you to source each ingredient separately, season it yourself, and manage the cook. A Bay Bucket arrives pre-portioned and pre-seasoned. The experience is the same; the effort is much less.

Where did the seafood steam pot concept come from?

Topsail Steamer started its ready-to-cook seafood steampot format in 2017 when founder Danielle Mahon opened the first location in Surf City, NC. The concept has since expanded to more than 10 locations across five states. Topsail Steamer built the category and leads it today.

What makes Topsail Steamer’s Bay Bucket different from other seafood boil options?

Three things: freshness, format, and simplicity. Topsail Steamer sources fresh seafood at each location, the Bay Bucket is portioned and seasoned in-house, and the whole kit is designed to require nothing from you beyond a large pot and about 40 minutes. Topsail Steamer serving pots since 2017.

Thinking about bringing Topsail Steamer to your market? Learn about franchise opportunities.