what kind of canner should i buy ?

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Countryside : One Thread

i need advice on what kind and size of canner to buy. i presently have a hotwater bath canner, but want to buy a pressure canner. it seems most are aluminum, but it seems like i once read to buy one mad of stainless steel. should i get a gasket or gasketless model? what size? should i get one with a gauge or with the weight? i don't have a huge garden so will not be doing a lot of canning, but i do want to learn more and become more self-sufficient. thank you

-- gene ward (gward34847@aol.com), October 18, 1999

Answers

Gene I have an aluminum one made by Mirror that I have had for close 20 years. It had a weighted dial and uses gaskets. The only thing I have had to co to it was change the gasket every few years. I can't say which kind is better but this one has served me well and I do a lot of canning.

-- Marci (ajourend@libby.org), October 18, 1999.

I agree with Gene, we have had both, now use a Presto with a weight and a gauge, works fine, it's aluminum. If you could find one in stainless steel big enough to do 7 quarts, it would be so expensive.

-- Bob Henderson (redgate@echoweb.net), October 18, 1999.

Aluminum is fine for a pressure canner- you would want stainless steel if it was going to be used to cook food in, but the canner size ones are probably only in aluminum, due to cost and weight.

We have a couple of All-American canners, plus a presto, and like the All American because of the lack of rubber seal. Rubber seals aren't available any more for the Presto that we have (according to the factory and every store that we have tried.) So, in interests of having a canner that will still be usable in 20 or 30 years, get one that doesn't use a rubber gasket to seal.

-- Jim (jiminwis@yahoo.com), October 19, 1999.


Mine is aluminum..a Presto with a gauge.I love it! It has worked great for over 10 years for me (so far!!) I suppose if I wanted to cook in it directly I would think about the stainless steel. They are so darned expensive. Best to get the aluminum one and save for the stainless steel for later, that way you can get started. A pressure canner opens up a whole new world of canning. make sure it will hold 7 qt. jars. It wouldn't be practical to get a smaller one!

-- Jenny Pipes (auntjenny6@aol.com), October 19, 1999.

This is my first year canning with a pressure canner and I've had a great deal of success with a seven quarter Presto aluminum one with a pressure dial! It is heavy duty but we got it at Wal-Mart which beat all the other places hands down as far as price, but for the identical canner. It was $50 more at a local hardware store and is the same model, same numbers, same size, etc. This one cost us $89.95 but we bought it way before spring and I paid it off layway right around the first of June we started needing it. I've canned lot of vegetable soups, tomatoes, squash, pinto beans, etc. and so far so good. The quality has been great and I've only had one jar that didn't seal properly, (so we promtply at the contents of that one!)

I have a very busy schedule but have found I can work the canning in around my other work easily once you get the hang of it. I hope to try canning some meat next and plan to can things throughout the winter if I find good sales. (All we canned this summer was from our own garden) hope this helps!

-- suzy (slgt@yahoo.com), October 21, 1999.



We have an aluminum Presto that we bought over 30 years ago. It has canned many thousands of jars, both as a steam and water bath canner. An inexpensive way to go is to find an old used one through a yard sale or by placing a wanted ad. Presto, at least, carries parts from many years past (I just put a new gasket on ours). I disremember their address, but they're easily found on the internet.

-- Brad Traver (homefixer@mix-net.net), January 02, 2000.

I bought an all american and I love it.I bought it used at an estate sale and paid 75 cnd. dollars.Ijust missed out on one at a flea market the guy sold for...are you ready 10 $!!!!!!!1It has no gasket and is very simple to use ,no parts to lose,just the valve to operate and your gauge.I'm happy.

-- teri murphy (mrs_smurf2000@yahoo.com), September 27, 2000.

I've been canning for over 20 years. This is my second year for using my All-American canner and I'm totally sold on it! No gaskets to replace, and it has both the dial and the jiggler. It also wonderfully as a hot water bath canner. It's tall enough to double stack pint jars (I have model 921), so I can pressure can 13 or 14 pints at one time, which is a Godsend.

I've only found stainless steel pressure COOKERS, which are not the same as canners. If anybody knows of a source for s/s canners, I'd appreciate the information. Thanks!

-- Mary Jane Berth (Berthmama@aol.com), October 15, 2000.


I agree with Suzy, the best price for me was at WalMart. I saw the identical canner, size and brand, at RealGoods for almost twice the price. Gouging if you ask me. I love it. You can cook or can in it. I've been very happy with my 'under $90 purchase'.

-- Anne (HT@HM.com), October 15, 2000.

Anne, I have to semi-disagree with you on the price gouging issue. The "semi" part has to do with the fact that I don't know how much RealGoods was charging, nor their mark-up policies. However, I do know that the big chains are able price their merchandise for less than an ordinary retailer (say, a local hardware store) because:

[1] They get a volume discount from manufacturers (they buy a high volume from the manufacturer
[2] They use their position as "big customers" to attempt (and usually succeed) to prevent suppliers/manufacturers from raising their prices -- any increased costs of producing the item, they expect the supplier/manufacturer to absorb. (sound like farming?)
[3] Sometimes they will set prices so low that they are not even making a profit. They are attempting to drive the "locals" out of business, and they are willing to sometimes take a loss on some items to do so. Especially since they are making quite healthy profits on others.

This is not speculation on my part. I know this for a fact because my family's business is or has been a supplier to both Wal-Mart and Home Depot, and this is the way they do business. The smaller retailers cannot compete on the same level as "the big boys".

I am not telling you where/how to spend your money. Just trying to show another perspective on the "price gouging".

-- Joy Froelich (dragnfly@chorus.net), October 16, 2000.



It occurs to me that the cooker/canner question might be easily answered with the aluminum canner, by using an inexpensive stainless steel pot from, say, Big Lots, as a liner inside to hold food. If the pot is too tall, just cut it.

-- Eric Smith (wesmiths@infinet.com), August 30, 2001.

Moderation questions? read the FAQ