Are you looking for a water bath canner or a pressure canner? What capacity do you need/want? For use on what type of stove/cooktop (gas, radiant electric, coil, induction?)?

Pressure canner, gas stove. Not giant, but not too small either.

I use HWB for most, but have a newer presto with a jiggle top. I grew up with grams and mom using one so the rattle doesn't bother ... interesting how quickly the memories flood back ...

@mxk3 z5b_ MI

Have you seen this recent Seriouseats article on pressure canners?

https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-pressure-canners-of-2021-5184403

^^ Thank you for the link, it was a good article!

I have the Presto 23 qt pressure canner. I can’t tell you how it works, because it’s still in the box! But it gets great all-around reviews.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Presto-23-Quart-Aluminum-Pressure-Canner-and-Cooker/2625289

I own two All Americans. One is small and holds only 4 quarts, the other is a large one and will hold 9 quarts or 18 pints stacked. I use them all the time and they are by far the best cannera I've ever used. I did buy them both used at the local on line auction, new ones are pretty expensive. Now that I've used them, I would even spring for a new one if I had to, they are that much better in my opinion. On my gas stove it's impossible to turn the flame down low enough to make my lighter and cheaper Presto or Mirro hold the right pressure, I have to stand in the kitchen and constantly adjust up and down. I do have a Bosch 5 burner gas cooktop, and it just doesn't adjust down well enough for some things.

I also have the old Mirro that Grandma used for years, it just has the "jiggler" so I don't worry about the gauge being tested. Good thing, my extension service doesn't do that any longer due to "liability issues". In addition, I have an old Presto that I bought years ago, but seldom use that because of the heat adjustment issues. When I'm deep in canning I'll sometimes use the Presto and the All American simultaneously, because they will each hold 7 quarts, the smaller All American and the Mirro hold only 4 or 5 quarts, respectively.

The Mirro and Presto need gaskets regularly and the gaskets need to be cleaned and oiled to prevent leaks, etc. The All American has no gasket to be replaced.

And, if it factors into your decision at all, the All American is made in the USA. It is aluminum and doesn't work on a conduction burner, but I don't think either of the others will either.

I don't know if the concept has spread, but here you can check a pressure canner out of the local library, give it a test run, and I know one of the local hardware stores used to rent them just like they'd rent a carpet cleaner or power tools. That would give you a chance to "try before you buy".

Happy Canning!

Annie

That is good info, Annie -- that sways my decision towards the All American.

lovemycorgi: Why is it still in the box, did you just get it?

What size canner do you guys think would be better for me -- the All-American 10 qt (holds 4 qt jars) or 15 qt (holds 7 qt jars)? I'm a total newbie and not sure how much I will be canning, there's only two of us, and would be to preserve what I harvest -- green beans, tomatoes, and peppers. I guess if I get "into it" I could venture into fruit, but who knows. The price difference is only $40 between the two sizes.

mxk3, it’s still in the box cuz I’m skeered, lol!!

I ended up purchasing a water bath canner also, and I’m getting used to canning that way first. I’m a canning newb as well, so I’m getting my feet wet with jams and candied jalapenos. I’ll venture into pressure canning next year; I purchased the weighted gauge for my Presto and I’ve joined some canning groups on Facebook, in addition to buying several canning books. Baby steps! (for me, at least!)

@porkchop_z5b_MI definitely get the larger one! you may start off doing 4 qts at a time, but once the canning bug bites, you'll kick yourself if you're constrained to that forever :)

Also, in case no one has told you, THIS is the best canning website there is. National Center for Home Food Preservation. DO NOT use untested recipes, use the tested ones from the site. Reddit's r/canning community is also a good resource. Happy canning!

I concur with Elizabeth; only use tested recipes!

I ordered this USDA canning guide from Purdue University - https://mdc.itap.purdue.edu/item.asp?Item_Number=AIG-539

Also, this book from the University of Georgia, So Easy To Perserve -

https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=B989&title=so-easy-to-preserve

And the Ball Book of Complete Canning, which I bought from Amazon.

Ball has a Facebook group - Ball Home Canning Community, in which only tested recipes are allowed. Some folks poo-poo using tested recipes and the guidelines for water bath vs pressure canning, but I’m not taking any chances on poisoning my family, better safe than sorry.

I also say go for the bigger one. You can always put fewer jars in the larger canner, but the small one is always small.

Depending on what you are canning, it can be time consuming. By the time you fill the canner, heat it up, vent it for 10 minutes, bring it up to pressure, process for the appropriate period of time and then bring the temperature back down, well, it can be a long enough process that you won't want to do it again for maybe one or two extra quarts.

And, although not ideal, you can water bath process jars in the pressure canner by just sitting the lid on top. It's not as convenient as a regular water bath canner, but it works.

Definitely use tested recipes from trusted sources, especially at first.

Annie