A modified Kra¨tschmer–Huffman reactor for the mass production of fullerenes is presented. Fullerene mass production is fundamental for the synthesis of higher and endohedral fullerenes. The reactor employs mechanisms for continuous graphite‐rod feeding andinsituslag removal. Soot collects into a Soxhlet extraction thimble which serves as a fore‐line vacuum pump filter, thereby easing fullerene separation from soot. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) for yield determination is reported. This TGA method is faster and uses smaller samples than Soxhlet extraction methods which rely on aromatic solvents. Production of 10 g of soot per hour is readily achieved utilizing this reactor. Fullerene yields of 20% are attained routinely. ©1994 American Institute of Physics.