What's a pressure gauge? I have a weighted one and it is fiddly. Nature of the beast, IMHO. If you use it a lot you get used to it I guess. Not that fiddly, but somewhat.

It's the dial type.

Yes, and then there is the stove variable. As an apartment dweller most of my life, I am almost always stuck with lousy, pulsing electric stoves. Not sure what OP has, so it may take less monitoring if you can regulate your stove top in a reliable way. I don't love using my pressure canner but if I wanted to can a lot of low acid foods, I would live with it. I have a weighted one. I don't have a good attention span so that is why I don't like my pressure canner, but it's really not a good reason, lol!

I have an old (I've had it at least 35 years) Presto canner. I've contacted Presto, given them my info and they've told me what to order. I do have my pressure gauge checked by Presto at least every other year to insure that it's accurate, but I would like to have a bit more freedom from stove sitting. I'm hoping that the weighted gauges will provide that. Still have yet to feel comfortable ordering a set however, because I'm worried that I may not be able to distinguish the noises they are supposed to make. That's what keeps me from ordering it.

I have a gas stove which has pretty powerful burners, so the issue is getting the heat to go lower and maintain a steady pressure. They only go so low and even that is sometimes still too much. I've had to move the canner around to a different burner most of the time to maintain it. On my particular model - although I think everyone's directions may be similar, after the unit has vented for 10 minutes, I crank the heat to get it to the proper pressure. I guess I'll have to be on the ball a bit more and start turning the heat down some time BEFORE it reaches it's ultimate pressure.

So what did Presto tell you to order? Part number 50332 is the weight set but your old canner might also need a new vent tube for the weights to work. Can't say without the model number or a picture. The weight just replaces the counter-weight on most models but if yours has a petcock you'll need a different vent pipe. Parts are less expensive from other sources often discussed here.

<Still have yet to feel comfortable ordering a set however, because I'm worried that I may not be able to distinguish the noises they are supposed to make. That's what keeps me from ordering it.>

You can hear it clearly if you are anywhere nearby. Maybe not rooms away with lots of walls in between but easily within 50 feet assuming no blasting TV or radio or people laughing loudly (like in my house). It is a clackty-clack clackty-clack rattleing sound. But I guess you'll never know without trying it.

Dave

http://smile.amazon.com/Presto-Pressure-Canner-Regulator/dp/B000HMBVQ8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1441300594&sr=8-1&keywords=Presto+canner+weights

Yes, I was intimidated at first but it is not as difficult to discern the sound as it might seem. It basically rattles pretty loud and you can hear it from a fair distance and also hear if it changes its rate of rattling . . . but I dunno if you had hearing issues or something it might be a bit of a problem. You can't abandon it but you could be doing other things in the kitchen while it was processing. Most processing times aren't that long, the longest I ever did was 45 min.

Yeah Dave, they told me to get the vent pipe also. I'll give this type gauge a try and since I will have to leave my old gauge on as well, maybe it'll help to listen to the new gauge and see what # pressure the other one is at, and see if I can equate the two in my mind. Thanks for all the help.