It is new so don't know if anyone has actually used it yet or not but here is a discussion on it from last week that might be of help to you.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: New BWB Ball Canner

Hey Dave -

Thanks for the link! That one didn't turn up in my search. It's got good info and I think I'm going to splurge and get one....tired of the old one boiling over :-)

Val

I christened mine with a batch of Annie's Salsa this week.

There is 2-1/2 inches of space between the top of a quart jar (on the rack) and the rim of the pot.

Wow! That is nice and deep.

Dave

Dave,
I would have been seriously annoyed if Ball made a canner that their jars didn't fit into. But stranger things have happened :-)

Malna,

Thanks for the info! I knew it would be a good thing to ask about in here. I really like the looks of the jar rack too. It takes so little to make me happy :-)

I'm going to order one tomorrow.

Val

malna,
I hope you didn't can Annie's Salsa in quarts!!?!?
The recipe is specific about using pints. It has not been tested for safety with quarts.
Hopefully, these statements were to be separate discussions, not one event:

I christened mine with a batch of Annie's Salsa this week.
There is 2-1/2 inches of space between the top of a quart jar (on the rack) and the rim of the pot.

Deanna

No, the salsa was in pints.

But I'm going to do peaches this weekend and I wanted to make sure the quarts would fit. And since Val asked, I went and measured it :-)

If you are happy to spend $80 with shipping for one pot...

One of the reasons I can is to save money.
I'd buy a set of stock pots (or one large one) and a wire rack to fit. If you are keen on having the glass lid, the glass lid from my old T-Fal Jumbo Cooker (I think about $20 at Wal-Mart or K-Mart) happens to fit my 20 qt stock pot that I use for a canner. I have to say that yesterday after reading a thread about the Ball canner, I tried canning with the glass lid. I had no different experience with the glass lid or the steel one, since when BWBing I don't generally stand there and watch the water boil.

You can buy a set of stock pots that includes a 20 qt for $40 on Amazon (shipping included). Then you have extra pots for heating jars or cooking salsa or sauce or making chili or whatever! And they all nest and fit in one cupboard.

Good luck!
Kate

A good stockpot with cladding and of comparable size, plus the rack, costs as much as the Ball canner shipped.

You can also buy a Granite Ware canner with rack at WalMart for $18.97 but they don't last very long, as I just recently found out. I would buy that Ball canner in a heartbeat if I hadn't just bought a new Presto PC that works just as well in BWB mode.

Kate,
I know - I never would have spent 80 bucks for a pot, but it was a gift from my darling DH, who sincerely thought I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY needed it. I may have dropped a hint or two...but I don't remember :-)

He's so funny - he wouldn't dream of spending $80 for flowers or candy or perfume or whatever, but he knows the way to this woman's heart is through canning gizmos!

I totally understand. we splurge on books and antiques. I think I own two or three pairs of earrings...

:)

I hope you have fun with it! If it picks berries and makes jam all on its own, let me know!

My canner got quite a workout yesterday. I'm a bit disappointed that the rack (which is chrome plated, not stainless) is already rusting at the welds. Not much, but I was surprised it happened so quickly.

Thought you might like to see our official "Quality Control Inspector".

He sits on the table, fascinated by the "pings" as the jars seal. He inspects them until they all have pinged and then, satisfied that the job is up to snuff, saunters off for a well-deserved nap. He did catch one last week that didn't seal, and darned if he didn't sit there looking at me until I figured out what he was "saying".