# My research today on glass top stoves and canning



## Homesteader (Jul 13, 2002)

Ok, since it is getting buried in another thread I am going to put this separately.

Cindy in PA has a glass stove top, and was about to start canning. She had asked questions about this. So, I decided to look up what the deal is on glass tops not being used for canning. I never have had one, and so didn't really understand why it's not recommended.

Little did I know in some cases apparently, you can void the warranty on your stove by canning on it!

So, here's the USDA's take on it:

http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/nchfp/factsheets/smoothtops.html

And from pickyourown, who talked to the manufacturers:

http://www.pickyourown.org/cannings4glasstop.htm

This one paragraph here is enough to convince me not to use them, bolding by me:

"Many of these cooktops have automatic cut-offs on their burners when heat gets excessive. If that option is built in, and the burner under a canner shuts off during the process time, *then the product will be underprocessed and cannot be salvaged as a canned food. The process time must be continuous at the intended temperature, or microorganisms may survive.* Also, if the pressure drops quickly, most likely liquid and maybe even food will be lost from the jar (it will spill over from the area of higher pressure inside the jar to the lower pressure now in the canner around the jar). "


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

It does make a difference which stove you have. Many of the newer ceramic and glass tops are addressing canning. If you call the manufacturer they can tell you more than what is in the manual. Some have a larger burner that will accommodate a large pot with only a 1" overhang. I canned on a glass top when I started and had no problems. Obviously if the burner shuts off too long the canner loses pressure. I have a smaller AA, I wouldn't use a large canner on a glass stove.


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## JamieCatheryn (Feb 9, 2013)

My glass topped stove in my new house gets hotter that my old gas stove did, makes toffee fast! It'll sustain it for hours too, found that out boiling maple sap to syrup this past winter (the humidity raising inside was a plus for us not a problem). Cleans easily too. If I had my pick I'd still have a gas or wood stove though, if the power goes out we're stuck with just the propane grill.


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## Melesine (Jan 17, 2012)

I've used mine many times, without issue. I get good seals and I use the jiggle top in addition to the pressure gauge and mine always stays at pressure the whole time. It's not like we can't tell if the canner stays at pressure so I have no idea where they are getting this idea that it could go below minimum pressure and we wouldn't know it. Either your canner gets to pressure or it doesn't. There is no guesswork here.

I don't care about voiding the warranty, I hate this stove and if it dies I'm putting in a gas one. It came with the house, but we have gas hookup already there.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Melesine said:


> I don't care about voiding the warranty, I hate this stove and if it dies I'm putting in a gas one. It came with the house, but we have gas hookup already there.


I have to admit, the reason I had no qualms about trying canning on my old glass top was I hated it too! I mean who wants a stove you're not supposed to use cast iron or can on? Luckily the circuit board wore out and I was able to get a new stove this winter.


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## Melesine (Jan 17, 2012)

LOL I use cast iron daily on my glass top too.


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## BKB HOMESTEAD (Mar 25, 2013)

I'm with ya on the glass tops! Gonna do everything I can to wear this one down by canning on it! I hate it, and just want gas or electric!


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## sriston (Mar 30, 2013)

I, too, have a glass topped electric stove. It came with the house. I had previously only ever used gas stoves. I hate this one. I was told not to use cast iron on it, and that I couldn't can on it. I don't cook with anything but cast iron as that's all I own. I have to can our food supply, and I use my pressure canner. Like others, I was hoping it would kill the stove so I could have a good excuse to spend money on a gas one. However, thus far after living here over a year and cooking only in cast iron and canning all of our food on it, my stovetop is still going strong. (Darn!) The only problem I have encountered with canning on mine is canning the items that take a long time, like beans and meat. The pressure will vary a bit and I have to toy with it (my canner has a gauge), which usually results in leaked foods but everything seals well and stays good. To solve that problem, when I can anything that takes over 30 minutes for a quart, I use either the burners on our gas grill or our turkey burner. Since they are gas, the pressure will hold perfectly.

I have an Amana stove. According to the manufacturer, you are not supposed to can on the glass stove top or use cast iron on it.


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## Guest (Jul 12, 2013)

I wouldnt dream of canning on my $1000 glass cookstove! I bought it when we first bought this house 5-years ago..to each his own. I bought a portable single burner that cost me $130 that is used for my AA canner..I love it!


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## mmp13 (Feb 15, 2010)

I'm new here and haven't posted anything yet. I'm still in the lurking and learning stage, but I did want to toss this idea out to the people who hate their glass top stoves and plan to replace them with something else. Why not list them on craigslist and try to get a little money out of them to put towards your gas stove instead of trying to kill it and having to save up the full price of the gas stove? There are always people looking for used appliances to put into rental properties.


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## mmp13 (Feb 15, 2010)

Haha...my join date is Feb 2010...I should say I've newly rediscovered my account here.


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## Cindy in PA (May 13, 2002)

Thanks for all the discussion on this topic. I canned 10 quarts of beans on my glass top stove on Wednesday & 7 quarts today with no problems. I think I may get an electric burner however, because I don't have room to boil all the water & stuff on my stove! Also working at the corner next to it on the counter is a pain. My cabinets are low etc. I think I will get the burner & use it on my island where I have room for everything. The biggest problem (and why I didn't get the 23 quart) is that my OTR microwave is in my way also. So far I've managed to not screw up, but I'm sure that will come. I keep thinking of all I could can, but we will see how far it goes. It's been fun, but nerve wracking so far!


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## Cindy in PA (May 13, 2002)

Also I love my smooth top stove. Had it since 2008 & it still looks like new & I'm a very sloppy cook.


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## mpennington (Dec 15, 2012)

I have water bath canned on ceramic topped stoves for 35 years and have been pressure canning on a five year old ceramic stove top since December. I also use cast iron, but am very careful not to slide the pots across my stove top.

My stove top has a 12" burner and has been OK'd by manufacturer for water bath and pressure canning as long as weight of pot, water, jars and product doesn't exceed 50 pounds and diameter of pot isn't more than 1" larger than burner. I purchased an All American 915 which loaded comes in under 50 pounds. I do not have any problems maintaining pressure. I have 4 burners and a warming burner so have enough heat sources.

I'm considering getting a 23 quart Presto Pressure canner with guage and regulator so I would be able to process up to 20 regular pints (which would not exceed 50 pounds). I'm finding that the main things I can are stocks and beans in regular pint jars and it would be helpful to be able to process twice as many at one time.


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## Cindy in PA (May 13, 2002)

I have 4 burners and a warmer also, but mine has the two big burners in the front & 2 small ones in the back. It works with the 3 quart saucepan for boiling water, but I used the 8 qt. stock pot today for water & it was tight with both that & the canner on the front of the stove. I think my biggest problem is the height of the OTR microwave!! I can't use the 23 quart for that reason.


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## Cindy in PA (May 13, 2002)

mpennington said:


> I have water bath canned on ceramic topped stoves for 35 years and have been pressure canning on a five year old ceramic stove top since December. I also use cast iron, but am very careful not to slide the pots across my stove top.
> 
> My stove top has a 12" burner and has been OK'd by manufacturer for water bath and pressure canning as long as weight of pot, water, jars and product doesn't exceed 50 pounds and diameter of pot isn't more than 1" larger than burner. I purchased an All American 915 which loaded comes in under 50 pounds. I do not have any problems maintaining pressure. I have 4 burners and a warming burner so have enough heat sources.
> 
> I'm considering getting a 23 quart Presto Pressure canner with guage and regulator so I would be able to process up to 20 regular pints (which would not exceed 50 pounds). I'm finding that the main things I can are stocks and beans in regular pint jars and it would be helpful to be able to process twice as many at one time.


I also have a 9/12 inch burner, but since the canner only has an 8 inch plus flat area area, I used the 9 inch burner. I thought the whole 12 inches would be flat. It work anyway with no problem getting up to pressure & staying there.


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## mpennington (Dec 15, 2012)

I have 3 expandable radiant elements. Left rear is a 6" 1200 watt single element, 6" warmer is next to it and is 100 watts, the right rear is 5/7" expandable (750/1800W). Left front is 6/9/12" expandable (1000/2000/2700W). Right front is 6/9" high wattage 1200/3000W.

I put my AA915 on the left front 12" and have 9" 12 quart, 8 quart and 5 quart stock pots that I use for whatever I'm canning on the right front. I also have a tall 2 quart 5" pot that I can use on the right rear if needed. I bring my lids up to simmer on the left rear burner; then move to the warmer on medium to hold until I need. I have a marble slab counter to the right of the stove that I cover with a double layer of towels and use to fill my jars and then unload them there after processing to cool.

I don't have a MW above my stove top, but do have a combination night light, task light and vent fan. Lifting quarts straight up from the 23 quart was difficult, but doable, but the pints worked OK. I purchased the Presto 23 quart first and sent it back as I was expecting a 12" flat bottom and thought the 8" "ledge" was a manfacturing fault  If I decide to purchase the 23 quart again, I will use it only for pints.

I'm like you and love my ceramic top. I especially enjoy the expandable burners as I have so many different possible combinations available.


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## Delrio (Mar 11, 2007)

I've had a glass top stove since 2005 and I love it! It's so much easier to clean then messing with the pans of other stoves. I've been canning on it for years. The only thing I haven't tried is the big water bath canner. Just the small waterbath and my pressure canner. No problems whatsoever!


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## Peggy (Feb 14, 2010)

I use my glass top just about every week to can on. as long as the water in the water bath canner stays boiling what is the problem? the pressure canner stays at the correct pressure so that is not a problem either. I don't have any problems with the jars not sealing. I also cook with cast iron and no problems there either.


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## Delrio (Mar 11, 2007)

Yep, I forgot to mention that I cook with cast iron too!


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## Jeepgirl86 (May 18, 2012)

I've used my glass top for years to pressure can, I don't do full size water bath canning as I don't have a flat bottom on my canner, I use a large stock pot with a round cooling rack in the bottom. 

I put a few scratches in the top when I first got it because I drug a pan, I didn't realize it would scratch so easily...but other than that it is in great condition and works great for pressure canning.


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## sriston (Mar 30, 2013)

I looked at my stove top today to see if I had put any scratches on it because I am always dragging my pots (cast iron is all I cook in) on it. I did not see any scratches, but I did see that my front burner area was cracked. I'm not sure how long it has been cracked, but most likely it was from one of my pots. All of my pots, skillets, etc. are heavy because they are cast iron and huge; I cook in dutch ovens that are as heavy as my canner when it is loaded (we are a huge family, so I have to cook huge amounts of food). Just wondering..what will eventually happen to this crack? Will it finally break all the way? (I can envision the mess..) Has anyone ever had their glass stove top crack?


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## mpennington (Dec 15, 2012)

My husband let an enamel tea kettle boil dry on my first glass top stove (30 years ago). Kettle bonded to the stove top while he was out for a walk. When he tried to remove the kettle, the top cracked. We didn't try to use again. Stove was a Kenmore and still under warranty. Sears replaced top at no charge and the stove worked for another 25 years.


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