# Pressure Canner Recommendations



## SLFarmMI (Feb 21, 2013)

I've been water bath canning for a long time but now that DH and I have bought our farm I will need to venture into pressure canning. My mom has an old (1960s) pressure cooker but I don't think she'll let me have it. So, I'll need to buy my own. Does anyone have a recommendation for a good brand/what features to look for in a pressure canner? Also, if you could give me a ballpark price so I'll know how many pennies to save I'd appreciate it. Thanks.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

Basically, there are three - All American (very pricey), Presto and Mirro.

All American and Presto both use a gauge that needs to be re-calibrated each year, which can be hard to do as many County Extension Offices no longer do this. The Mirro doesn't use a guage, only a weight and is the simplest to use.

Prices range from about $70 for a 22 qt. Mirro to about $200 for a small All American.

http://www.pressurecooker-outlet.com/americancans.htm

http://www.pressurecooker-outlet.com/prestopressurecanners.htm

http://www.pressurecooker-outlet.com/mirropressurecanner.htm


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## alpacaspinner (Feb 5, 2012)

I have a 23 qt. Presto. It does have a gauge, but one can also get weights, which is what I did, so no calibration is necessary. I got it through Amazon, and the canner itself cost around $120, with another $10 or so (I don't remember exactly) for the weights.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

I love my Presto. I also bought the weight set so no calibration needed, ever.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

canners last for ever and with the weights you really don't need a gauge but they are not to expencive as the gascets are cheep also. I bought 2 canners from second hand stores and they work great . also check out ebay theres usally lots of used ones on there .though the all American canners are the cadilac and the best also the most expencive I have no problem with the used sears or presto and mirro brands (LIKE the chevy ford and tyotas) just make sure the weight or jiggler type is what you get the really old ones without them are very tricky or even dangerious lots of the weight are and should be adjustable as the pounds of pressure needed for canning varies with the elevation your working at 10 pounds being the average .and the best advice is to get the canning bible the ball blue book you will love it


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

I had to check ebay and there are new all American canners for 149$ and presto for 86 $ free shipping then used ones as low as 15 $ . every thing in between check em out .


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## porcupine73 (Jan 31, 2013)

I've been looking around for these too, probably will go for the All American when the budget will accommodate it. The current production Presto I'm not sure about; Amazon has them and while they get mostly good reviews, that bad reviews it has I'm not sure I would want to chance that.

Here's a hint on using Amazon for this kind of purchase, esp something higher $ such as the All American. Watch for them to come up 'used' from Amazon. There's usually nothing wrong with it, except maybe the box is ripped, something minor. But on say a $360 all American there might be a $60+ discount on the used item. But only through Amazon Warehouse Deals, not some other seller; Amazon is pretty picky about what they will resell as used.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

I absolutely love my All American. In part because it is so solidly made and is made in the US. It just screams old-fasioned quality that will last generations. I like the fact that it has both a gauge and a weight. The gauge does not have to calibrated every year as it is only for an estimation, you are using the weight for the pressure. This allows you to be in the house doing things with an ear listening to the jiggle, but I also keep an eye on the gauge whenever the jiggling starts to change. It has no seal, it's a metal to metal seal, so no worries about having to replace it. 

Keep an eye on Amazon, I grabbed mine when the price suddenly went down.


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## SLFarmMI (Feb 21, 2013)

Thanks everyone for the advice. I'll definitely get the Ball book and I'll probably get a canner from Amazon. Unless of course I can get my mom to give me her pressure cooker. (Maybe I can borrow it and "forget" to return it.)


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## alpacaspinner (Feb 5, 2012)

SLFarmMI said:


> Thanks everyone for the advice. I'll definitely get the Ball book and I'll probably get a canner from Amazon. Unless of course I can get my mom to give me her pressure cooker. (Maybe I can borrow it and "forget" to return it.)


Make sure to check if your mother's "cooker" is really a canner. If it is really a cooker it should not be used for canning.


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## SLFarmMI (Feb 21, 2013)

alpacaspinner said:


> Make sure to check if your mother's "cooker" is really a canner. If it is really a cooker it should not be used for canning.


It is for sure a pressure cooker but I know that she has canned in it before. Alpacaspinner, can you elaborate on why a pressure cooker shouldn't be used for canning? I hadn't heard that before so I want to be sure I have all the info I need. Thanks.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

It has to do with size and the tested recipes. If it holds less than 4 quart jars, then the "authorities" say that you can not rely on tested methods to be accurate - so you are on your own as far as safety. 

I prefer to go with tested methods - but even tests are only as good as those doing them. There are a lot of methods that have never been tested, only a few that are tested and deemed unsafe.


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## SLFarmMI (Feb 21, 2013)

Thanks MacyBaby. I'll check and see how many quarts will fit in my mom's pressure cooker. It's pretty big so I suspect it can hold quite a few.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

Macybaby is correct in that it has to do with size. If it's a small pressure _cooker_, the pressure will come up to the required amount (say, 10 lbs.) far faster than an actual Ppressure _canner_. When the pressure comes up fast, the product inside the jars is not coming up to heat as fast, so the timing will be all wrong. Say you have a 4 qt. cooker that you can bring up to 10 lbs. in about 5 minutes. The jars will not be at the required 240Âº that the 10 lb. presssure indicates. If the food requires 20 minutes for pints, as in green beans, the beans will not have processed for the correct amount of time because the beans will still be coming up to heat during the timing part. 

I have a small 6 quart Presto cooker/canner that will hold 4 pint jars. It says in the manual to add a certain amount of time to the process if canning in it. Green beans, which normally take 20 minutes for pints, are canned for 25 minutes at 15 lbs. pressure, instead of the 10 lbs. normally required. 15 lbs. pressure willl bring the canner up to 250Âº.

I hope this makes sense.


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## SLFarmMI (Feb 21, 2013)

Thanks Suitcase Sally for the detailed explanation. It makes perfect sense. I checked with my mom and she says that her pressure cooker holds 6 or 8 (but she's pretty sure 6) quart jars. So that should be safe to can in right? I just want to make sure that whatever I can is safe and I don't poison anyone.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

Yes, that canner sounds like it will work just fine.


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## SLFarmMI (Feb 21, 2013)

suitcase_sally said:


> Yes, that canner sounds like it will work just fine.


Excellent! Now I just have to figure out how to smuggle it out of Mom's house so she doesn't know I have it. Maybe if I wear my big coat.:goodjob:


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## Melesine (Jan 17, 2012)

I used to want an All American, but didn't want to invest in one when I first started pressure canning so I got the 23 qt Presto ( they are currently 70 dollars in Amazon). I can buy 3 Presto's for the price of 1 similar sized All American which means I can can more food faster. 

I also bought the weighted gauge so I have both the dial and the weight, I'm used to listening to the jiggler anyway from using my pressure cooker. One of the biggest selling points I hear about the All American is the lack of gasket, especially appealing to preppers. However it still has a rubber over pressure plug so it is not replacement part free. While I'm sure it's a very nice canner, now that I've used the Presto I no longer covet it like I used to.


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