# Your experience with heating source for canning



## Metalman (Dec 8, 2012)

We are interested in comments and experience from any and all levels of canners about your heating source for both water bath and pressure canning.

See my other post relating to design of a small-batch canning kitchen to comply with Texas Health Department regulations for background. 

*First question* relates to preferences / experience with natural gas / propane vs. electric.
Which have you used? Which do you prefer? and why?

The combustion gases from natural gas and propane seems as if they can add a significant amount of heat to the kitchen compared to electric heating. 


*Second question* relates to preferences / experience relating to cooktops vs ranges.

We really do not understand why a cooktop costs significantly more than a range that includes an oven, but that seems to be true for all we have found. 

In a kitchen dedicated to small batch canning for a market garden-orchard, mounting a cooktop below the level of an oven might facilitate handling of large water-bath and pressure vessels. We have had experience in a home kitchen in which a significant amount of canning on an electric cooktop was overheating/charring the wooden kitchen countertop and its covering.


*Third question* relate to the pros and cons of various types of electric ranges / cooktops, or coil-type heating elements vs smooth top surfaces.

Some coil-type electric ranges have a rim on the sides that protrudes above the level of the coil-type heating element, which interferes with use of large diameter cooking, water-bath and/or pressure vessels. We wonder if the smooth top heating surfaces are sufficiently robust to withstand lots of use with large and heavy vessels typically employed in water-bath and pressure canning.

Induction heating might be desirable, but would require use of compatible vessels.

My impression is there are no right and wrong answers to these questions, but your experiences and reasons would be of interest to others as well as us.

Thanks for taking time to read and respond.

Metalman


----------



## Werforpsu (Aug 8, 2013)

I do all my canning with an electric smooth top freestanding range. I use a waterbath canner and a mirro matic 22 qt pressure canner on this stove. I have been canning for about 8 years and increasing the amount canned each year. Last year I canned 300-350 jars and this year I am close to 400 and the season isn't over.

My stove is a kenmore and has a 12 inch burner which is why I can do home canning on it. on smooth top stoves, the burner must be no smaller then the pot sitting on top of it. this is true in my case and it is why I picked the stove I picked. if I could choose in the future, I would switch to a gas stove (not sure propane vs natural gas). a gas stove would accommodate a heavy all american pressure canner and there would be no fear of breaking the glass due to weight or heat. 

If I could choose to have something lower set, which you mentioned, I would. Then you are not reaching up and in to a big pot which I think is a recipe for getting burned every so often.


----------



## Ozarks Tom (May 27, 2011)

This is the stock pot range we use. It's propane. Puts out a lot of BTUs, but it's not in the kitchen. I built the table on wheels at a good height to lift the big pots on/off. Gas heat is much more controllable, making it easier to maintain pressure.


----------



## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

Ozarks Tom said:


> This is the stock pot range we use. It's propane. Puts out a lot of BTUs, but it's not in the kitchen. I built the table on wheels at a good height to lift the big pots on/off. Gas heat is much more controllable, making it easier to maintain pressure.


Is that a National # 7 on the left. I have my mom's that she bought in 1938.

Nice Setup,


----------



## cfuhrer (Jun 11, 2013)

Ozarks Tom said:


> This is the stock pot range we use. It's propane. Puts out a lot of BTUs, but it's not in the kitchen. I built the table on wheels at a good height to lift the big pots on/off. Gas heat is much more controllable, making it easier to maintain pressure.


That is an amazing set up. That pic is going in the summer kitchen dream file.


----------



## cfuhrer (Jun 11, 2013)

I have only been canning since 2013.

In that time I have had three stoves - two glass tops and a coil top, all electric. We are renters so simply changing the stove wasn't an option.

None of the burners on the glass tops would accommodate my pots, and the user guides all said not to use them on glass tops so I don't. 

I have done water bath canning on my barbeque grill. It works surprisingly well.

Someday I am going to have a summer kitchen and the plan is to do a gas cooktop with oversize burners and about thigh height with a "pasta arm" type faucet to facilitate filling them.


----------



## Metalman (Dec 8, 2012)

Werforpsu said:


> I do all my canning with an electric smooth top freestanding range. I use a waterbath canner and a mirro matic 22 qt pressure canner on this stove. I have been canning for about 8 years and increasing the amount canned each year. Last year I canned 300-350 jars and this year I am close to 400 and the season isn't over.
> 
> My stove is a kenmore and has a 12 inch burner which is why I can do home canning on it. on smooth top stoves, the burner must be no smaller then the pot sitting on top of it. this is true in my case and it is why I picked the stove I picked. if I could choose in the future, I would switch to a gas stove (not sure propane vs natural gas). a gas stove would accommodate a heavy all american pressure canner and there would be no fear of breaking the glass due to weight or heat.
> 
> If I could choose to have something lower set, which you mentioned, I would. Then you are not reaching up and in to a big pot which I think is a recipe for getting burned every so often.


Our location is in a rural subdivision with lots 5 acres and larger, so there is no natural gas service available - thus the utility choice is a propane delivered by truck or electric. 

Our concern about durability of smooth tops is a major reason for this posting.

Thanks again for taking time to share - which makes these forums possible!

Metalman
A "recovering metallurgical engineer" retired from 45 year corporate career to return to agricultural roots.


----------



## Metalman (Dec 8, 2012)

Ozarks Tom said:


> This is the stock pot range we use. It's propane. Puts out a lot of BTUs, but it's not in the kitchen. I built the table on wheels at a good height to lift the big pots on/off. Gas heat is much more controllable, making it easier to maintain pressure.


Tom, 
WOW, your work of art is a really great idea!

Can you provide additional details about where you obtained the burners?

We are designing a "Food Establishment" that complies with the applicable Texas Food Establishment Rules Part 229. Consequently, the canning must be in an enclosure that has a separate entrance from a residence. 

Our canning will be as "Value Added" items from our Market Garden and Orchard. We expect it to be an effective way to convert orchard "seconds" to salable products rather than adding them to the compost piles. 

Metalman


----------



## Metalman (Dec 8, 2012)

cfuhrer said:


> I have only been canning since 2013.
> 
> In that time I have had three stoves - two glass tops and a coil top, all electric. We are renters so simply changing the stove wasn't an option.
> 
> ...


Thanks for taking time to respond.

Your post and one above confirm our concern about the suitability of smooth-top electric stoves for canning.

Our planning includes a shoulder-level faucet over the heating appliances for convenient filling of large pots. 

With regards,

Metalman


----------



## Ozarks Tom (May 27, 2011)

The stock pot range is by Radiance. It usually retails at restaurant supply/appliance stores for about $1100, but we found an auction at a restaurant that went out of business - $325. Just cleaned it up and it was ready to go. Probably didn't need to, but the floor of the table is concrete board. You need around 1' clearance on all sides. It had natural gas orifices (4), but they easily changed out to propane.

Once our canners hit 10#, we barely have a flame on the center ring and it holds the pressure spot on. Full open it brings a water bath canner to boil in about 5 minutes!

It has a designated propane line, so we can operate other appliances without them affecting the range supply.


----------



## Werforpsu (Aug 8, 2013)

Metalman said:


> Our location is in a rural subdivision with lots 5 acres and larger, so there is no natural gas service available - thus the utility choice is a propane delivered by truck or electric.
> 
> Our concern about durability of smooth tops is a major reason for this posting.
> 
> ...


We are extremely rural and have 20 acres. We are not set up for anything except electricity at our home but we too would need propane.


----------



## Melesine (Jan 17, 2012)

I've pressure and BWB canned on natural gas, propane, electric coil and ceramic top electric. My preference is for gas. The propane was a long time ago and only BWB back then, I don't remember anything different over natural gas, but I was using a residential propane stove in my house, not an outdoor propane burner. I do have a propane double burner but haven't needed to can on it. 

I've canned on both cooktops and ranges and never had an issue with either. I don't have a preference when it comes to canning on them. 

Regarding your question on electric stove preferences I much prefer coil electric over smooth glass/ceramic stoves. I think coil is safer, you don't have the risk of huge canner weights in glass top. Having said that, when I had the glass top I did pressure can on it without issue. But I'd never choose to if I had another option. 

The problem with induction is that I don't know of any pressure canners that are induction capable.


----------



## chaossmurf (Jan 6, 2017)

the reason is basic economics --the companies all have them cooktops sitting on their shelves instead of moving through the warehouse fast like the full stoves gas is even a far higher price differences than electric (owned a appliance store briefly) --and if you go with full sized model youl have the benefit of a spare over when needing it ????


----------



## Maria (Apr 24, 2003)

I've pressure canned on a turkey fryer stand before. That way the heat stayed outside, as well as the noise.


----------



## Echoesechos (Jan 22, 2010)

Natural gas. I love the ease of monitoring the heat. I both pressure and water bath can. I have used electric with burners and when I had a smooth top I followed manufacturers directions and didn't can on it. 

So very glad I switched to natural gas.


----------



## Slat (Feb 19, 2017)

I use a camp chef outdoor cooker. It's the 3 burner 16" model. It works great for what I do on it, both pressure and BWB.


----------



## PlayingInDirt (Aug 2, 2017)

I've used natural gas and electric coil. Both work fine, I think the gas is a tad bit faster. Course, cooking I'd prefer gas... We plan on switching out to propane at some point, and then I can put my electric in an outhouse... ideally I'd love a separate kitchen so I don't have to heat the house while canning (or baking!). But that'll be down the road.


----------

