Hi Amanda,
I am a newbie too :) I have ordered my Presto 23-QT from Amazon and will have it on Monday, 7/23, I can not wait!!

I thought that I would give you the reasons that I settled on the 23 qt vrs. the 22 qt.

~ Right now the 23 qt (on Amazon) is $10 cheaper than the 22 quart
~ The larger 23 quart gives you a bit more room when doubling it as a boiling water bath (like for jams)
~ The advice, on the forum, is buy the biggest model you can afford as this is, most likely, a lifetime purchase. I've read a LOT of posts stating the 23 quart is a good one for the money.
~ After reading this post (http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/harvest/msg0209484416611.html) I also purchased the weights from Amazon for it (link is in the first post).

So those are the reasons that I purchased the 23 qt over the 22 qt.

Sheila :)

LOL! I just bought the 22 quart. I figured it was only 1 quart difference, but I noticed the 22 seemed "heavier duty" then the 23 quart, but that's what it looked like to me. I noticed that the weights looked different between them, too.

I hope I made the best decision. I know that the 23 was $10 cheaper, and believe me, that was a HUGE factor with my indecision. But for some reason I felt that 22 calling my name :)
I'm getting mine between the 23rd and the 26th!! I'm so excited for both of us!! What's the first thing you are planning on canning? :)

~ Amanda

You will, definitely, need to let me know how your like yours!

I am thinking about making a Blueberry/Peach Jam first. Next week, the local Blueberry UPick is having their second harvest and I ordered 10 lbs. I am disabled, so can not pick, so they are selling to me at $1.50 a lb of their pack. Now that I think of it, I should have ordered more. I love Blueberries :)

Then I want to do a straight veggie pack. Haven't decided on what. Guess I will decide after a visit to the Farmers Market on Thurs :)

Sheila :)

Great! I Need to know how yours works for you too! he he :) If I was a millionaire, I'd order both just to see which one I liked best. But since I'm not and this is a lifetime investment, and I'm not made of money (I have exactly $2.30 left in my bank account), I have to make the best guess here :)

You definitely got a good deal on the blueberries! My friend orders all organic fruits and foods from some place called Abundant Harvest, and they often offer a box of "cosmetically challenged" fruit for $10 for a 15 pound box or so. I'd love to buy all organic but it's sadly not in a budget in the near future. I almost walked away from buying the Presto, I just couldn't pull the financial trigger. But I have wanted one for the last 4 years, but couldn't afford one at all. Finally last night I see that it is on sale at Amazon! I have been patient all this time, and I've finally been blessed for my effort :) YAY!

I have no idea what I'm going to try first, but I am really looking forward to canning soups and spaghetti sauces on a "whim".

~ Amanda

Home Made,
And as soon as you get $12.00, you need to order the 3 piece weight set for your canner.
It is part #50332 and currently is $11.99 at Amazon for States customers with free shipping. If you live at 1000 feet or less, you will pull off one of the rings and it will be set for 10 pounds.
No yearly testing of your gauge and no standing in front of the canner watching the pressure regulator. The 10 pound weight will take care of it.
I also have the 22 quart and I feel no difference between it and my friends 23 quart. It will get black inside. Don't freak. You did not do anything wrong. No need to clean. Do not immerse lid with gauge in sink.
Have fun. Look for free jars. Look for cheap source of lids.
Jim in So Calif

Jim, I ordered that too, after reading- I think- Dave's post on that (different thread). My canner should be in today and my weights tomorrow (yippie!!).

I did not know that the canner would get black inside, I am glad that you mentioned that. I would have freaked!!

Amanda, After reading more receipes, I called and ordered another 10 lbs of blueberries. I'm going to be using a LOT of them!!

I also love broccoli and will be putting up some of those. On another thread a poster reminded me of power outages so I am going to put up some chicken too.

This is going to be so much fun!!

Sheila :)

"I also love broccoli and will be putting up some of those."

Are you going to try canning broccoli instead of freezing it? Um, you don't see canned broccoli in the grocery store. There's a reason for that. Even the USDA discourages canning of broccoli (and other vegetables in the cabbage family like turnips, rutabagas, Brussels sprouts, etc.)

The texture gets very mushy and the smell/flavor gets really, really strong (almost nasty).

Agree broccoli is something to be canned. It gets frozen. And blueberries don't need pressure canning, only BWB canning.

You mentioned spaghetti sauce on the other thread. Approved and tested recipes only, ok?

Too many make the mistake of assuming that because they have a pressure canner they can can most anything. Not true. There are limitations.

If you have yet explored NCHFP you need to take the time to do so. It is the official source for instructions and recipes. Be sure to read through the entire How to Use a Pressure Canner guide there. It includes several different guidelines that are not covered in canner manuals.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP - Pressure Canners

Jim, I am definitely going to get that 3 piece weight set, as soon as payday comes back around. And I definitely knew that you couldn't submerge the lid, but I didn't know the inside would turn black. Thank you, for that info! I look on Craig's List for jars because they have more for the money and I because don't have a farm supply out here. All of the jars I've found are in good condition and without chips or dings, so far.

Sheila, Good for you! I would have done the same thing too!! The price on those blueberries are really good!

Dave, absolutely I'll be using approved recipes. Thank you for the NCHFP link, I am going to check it out now. As much as I love to can, I don't want anyone sick or and spoiled items because I was too lazy to do it right.

~ Amanda

The 23 quart presto canner is great and everyone loves it!

since i gave away ;( my gold 1970's canner, i'm on the brink of buying a new presto. the dimensions are a bit baffling- 13x17x12 , plus fractions, for the 23 qt. does that mean 17.5" tall with the lid on ? how tall is the pot only? this is critical since my small 1929 glenwood has a top shelf that overhangs the back burners by almost 8", and is just 15" above the burners. a 16 qt. would be fine for p.c.except it's not deep enough for BWB with quarts. is the 23 qt. presto deep enough for the required 2" of water over the quart jars, without spitting out water like my graniteware canner does ? i'm hoping to use the graniteware lid instead. please get out your tape measures ! thanks, pat

I'll check mine tomorrow - but if you're anywhere near me, I want to sell my 23qt I bought last Sept. It's too tall to get jars in and out easily with my range hood, and since my hood is wooden, I also have to be really careful about where I place the vent when I put it on the burner so I can get it under where the fan is and not where the steam will go right up the front of the hood.

And yes it's tall enough to BWB quarts which is why I initially bought it. But I just got an 18 qt (discontinued) on eBay and hope that's tall enough with the gasketed cover (vent open and maybe gauge removed). If not I'll just buy a taller (but smaller in diameter) stockpot.

yes, i just read your post on another thread. do you have the weights too? if i remember right, you sent me some apios americana-indian groundnut. ? i am about 45' from bristol, which would be half way for you?
the idea of the burner being within 2" of the canner's diameter-is that just for electric stoves? my old gas stove has small burners, i use 2 to get the BWB to boil, then nudge it onto 1 burner for the remainder of time. i have no idea what the btu's are.(lp gas). i can't remember what i PC'ed on it the 70's, just don't want any suprises this time around !`

I'm keeping the weights since the 18 qt didn't come with the 3-piece set, but they are readily available for about $12.

I don't know about gas stoves but I think smaller burners are OK.

And no, I didn't send you anything - must have me confused with another Nutmegger!

Send me a message through GW with your location after I measure this, if we can make arrangement. 45 minutes (miles?) from Bristol covers a lot of this state! I'm up by the airport.

But I don't know if it will work - sounds like your overhead is limited, my range hood is 24" above the glass top, the canner is more than half that to the rim (without lid) and you need room to get jars in and out (I can do it but since I only have about 4" in front that's not covered by the hood, I have to take all jars out the front and quarts are just too tall to get out without tipping). How much space do you have in front of that shelf? The canner really should be centered on the burner even if it's larger than the burner, you don't want it to tip and spill!

9.25 inches from the base of the pot to the top of the rim without the lid on

13" tall to the top of the gauge from the base when sitting on a flat surface. Sitting on a stove burner the electric coil raises it another 1/2" or so depending on the stove. Can't say how much a gas burner would raise it.

It is 17" wide from the tip of one handle to the tip of the other handle.

Dave

I just pulled mine out and measured with a ruler, the PC sitting on the counter. I got 11.75" base to rim (outside), 11" inside top of rack to rim. I didn't put the lid on, but I don't think the gasket compresses that much, it looks like 4" from rim (may be slight overlap) to top of gauge for overall (outside) height of 15.75" or a little less.

Sorry, I had taken the gauge off to store it (packed the gauge in box it came in) but the lid from the 18 qt is the same size, I don't know if the gauge is slightly different and I was just eyeballing it with the end of the ruler set on the counter next to the lid, didn't use a straightedge to go over from the top of gauge to rule.

I didn't measure my 18qt just now but I did when I got it and it's just a hair deeper (inside) than my 12 qt stockpot (which is smaller diameter), I've got that sitting on my stove right now and it's 9" to the rim (with the sandwiched bottom which the Prestos also have). I don't know if maybe the older 22/23qt PCs were larger in diameter (the 18qt which came in a box dated 2008 is the same diameter as my 2013 23qt) but the 23qt is much taller than the 18qt, not 1/4". Maybe the 18 qt is 9.25" (though I think it's not *that* much taller than my stockpot,and when I measured it I was measuring inside depth to rack to see if it fit quarts).

gee, that's no deeper than my graniteware pot, which spits out a mini flood with BWB quarts. and my canning rack is no 1" off the bottom either. i started with 1 3/4" water on top and after 40' BWB had just 1/4".
so a quart is 6 3/4" tall, plus 2" water, plus 1/4" off bottom = 9 ". that leaves 1/4" for a rolling boil ? dave, did you measure your 23 qt. canner or a smaller one ??

As I said, I'm hoping the 18 qt will be tall enough for quarts with the gasket on, vent open and maybe gauge off since my stockpot doesn't have a very tight-fitting lid and it too spits all over when I try to BWB quarts.

But the 23 qt is tall enough for quarts, I've done it. Here's a picture of the outside, sitting on stove next to stockpot (which is very close to same height as 18qt PC). DD's pink ruler may not be terribly accurate but it's not 2" off.

Inside, with rack in place - but the limiting factor is that shelf over your burners.

my shelf is only over the back burners. my one worry is if i can get it up to pressure on one burner in a normal period of time. the 1929 glenwood does not have a ton of BTU's, i fear, since i use 2 burners to get a rolling boil for BWB, then i can continue it on one burner. i never waited long enough to see if 1 burner could get there. using 2 burners with a PC, in the beginning, is that an issue?

no pot will tip on ths stove- it's small but HEAVY- all iron grillwork on top, if that's the correct term. rust inside the burner tubes, but i think they will last my lifetime !

p.s. we use LP gas.

I measured my 23 qt. but it is a 25-30 year old model too so newer ones could be slightly different. I only measured on the outside but as Sheila's outside pic shows mine is shorter. Just double checked and mine is 9.25 base to top edge sitting on the counter with lid off.

amazon.com lists the dimensions for the 23 qt 01781 as 15.4 x 15.1 x 14.8 inches.

Dave

i'd like to go with the 23 qt. presto. now to the issue of my stove. i think i read about burners on another thread. my large 6" burner is close to the oven wall ( refurbished wrong ?), so that's out. and it's 15" across the span of the front 2 burners ( 6 and 4 1/2") with a 4" space between them. is warping an issue if the PC is not centered on one burner ??? i could use the small front burner but the PC, like the 14" diameter stockpot, would partially sit on the flat side and front edges of the stovetop, 8" and 6" respectively from the center of that burner. i would assume the heat transfer there would be different, maybe even robbing heat from the PC. oh, dear. any thoughts? and, thanks for all the help !!

pattypan - have you considered just buying a separate burner for canning and so eliminating all these problems? Many are available - lots of discussions here about them - and since you are already on LP it would be much easier to do than trying to sort through all these issues.

Dave

dave, i've been looking at the thread about that. do you fill the PC with the jars and then carry them outside to the northern burner ? i don't want to do that going down our steps.... i don't have room for an outdoor kitchen, plus i don't can all that much (so far ;0) ) we're on a hill and have very little flat land, my garden is terraced.

Since you already have propane in the house you can just use the burner indoors just like you would your stove. You can run another gas line off your stove or you can run it from a separate tank if you wish. Easy to do,

But if you want to do it outside then just set up the canner on the burner and carry the jars out to it in a small box or a dishpan, etc. even a few jars at a time. We are only limited by out imagination. :)

Dave

canning outside would be much cooler, but i'd be more comfy with my set up now. i just want to verify that my burner issue is not a problem for the PC.
just talked to presto, tech support will call me back tomorrow. i was told the new canners are not flat -bottomed. only the 8" diameter center is ! i need to find a pic of the bottom. maybe that's better for my stove, hopefully i'll find out

This is the bottom of the 18 qt, but it's the same. 8 inch raised section fits well on glass or coil round burner, not sure how it will be on your 6 inch (square). It will fit, but depending on how close the center of that burner is to the edge of the stove it will overhang just like your 14" stockpot does.

I can't speak to whether you could set this centered between the burners which you said span 15" - it might not be stable and I don't know how 2 flames on the sides (lapping up the sides? Unless you can control just the left or right ring of each burner - I saw a camp stove like that, might have been at Northern Tool or Amazon) and cool spot in the middle would affect function, or whether it would warp. Be sure to ask the rep tomorrow.

Pat just emailed me a picture of her stove (cute!) and didn't know how to post so here it is. Dave or anyone else have any ideas whether the Presto PCs (I think even the 16qt is same diameter as 18qt and 23qt I have) will work?

Pat, all the burners look the same size to me. Maybe you can use the right front one? You said that was 4.5" or so? Just the jet area? How big is the square grate on that (all?) burner?

looks like that center 8" or so is the lowest part of the pot. that means all the weight is in a smaller area. i don't know about that.....will consult the rep. about the burners.

Pat - I emailed you. I hope each post really isn't being mailed to the OP!

Yes it is. Note just below here where it says "A copy of further followups will be mailed to this poster." That means they checked the box to automatically get each reply. When that statement isn't there they didn't check the box.

Apologies to the OP.

Dave

sorry too OP. (it looks like they can opt out of receiving more messages, above the "preview message" link. i'm now going to email sheila and hand over this thread to people who actually have a 23 qt. presto- lucky them !!