Pressure Canning - Page 3

TomNJ · February 12, 2011

The Presto canner is lower cost and very popular, and many people swear by them. Personally I have the All American 30 quart pressure canner and love it. It is built like a tank and will easily last my lifetime.

If you expect to be canning for the next 20+ years, I think the All American will be a better choice. You may also want to consider a larger model if you plan to increase your canning in the future. Mine holds 19 pints or 14 quarts, which really makes canning days easy.

TomNJ

salix · February 12, 2011

I have one of each, they both work just fine. The All American IS built like a tank, but is much heavier, if that is a concern. The large ones such as mentioned by TomNJ would be very heavy indeed (don't know if I'd be able to lift it easily when I'm 75...) If I'm doing just one "batch" of jars, I generally reach for the Presto as it has the rocking weight gauge - can hear it while doing other activities. When doing large canning sessions, I use both; the AA only has the dial gauge so I have to be right there to keep an eye on it (do have the rocker weight for it, but not yet successful in attaching it, some difficulty in matching the threads I think). The Presto, being lighter, cools more quickly which is a bonus when doing those midnight runs of green beans, LOL.
A wonderful resource for this type of information is the Harvest Forum on GW - there are many threads on this very topic.

emzybo · February 12, 2011

Thanks for bringing this topic up--I was debating about which to choose myself! I'd love to know how you like your model if/when you get it and try it out!

newatthiskat · February 12, 2011

I have the presto 23 quart. I can use it on my flat top stove. I love it. Got a great deal on Amazon 2 years ago/ You can't go wrong with it
Kat

BSue54 · February 12, 2011

Mine is the Presto 16qt - I can't claim any expertise in picking it because it was handed down to me - all I had to do was order new rubber for it from Presto. Since then I have learned a little more. You need to consider clearance above your stove before getting one of the really big ones - my range-hood comes down too low to fit a big one, and still be able to lift the jars straight up when unloading the canner, so I'm glad my friend had this size in her barn :0)

I'm in a yahoogroup for canning called Canning2 - the folks are REAL, and have been very helpful. They can all different kinds of things, from veggies to meat, and have instructions in the files there. I usually check there for a recipe before checking my BBB for basic directions.

Fusion_power · February 12, 2011

I got a good used 15 quart All American on ebay for $35 plus shipping. It has the half-moon trays for cake baking, the original instruction manual, and the wire basket for canning. I've used it successfully for the last 2 years. Did I say that is has gorgeous deep burgundy handles?

DarJones

OneoftheEarls · February 12, 2011

Old presto here too...garage sale item....whole box of canning goods

bitterwort · February 12, 2011

I had an old Presto gauge-only canner and used it for years. A couple years ago I bought the 23-quart Presto model and equipped it with the extra set of weights as recommended in the GW Harvest forum. This adds the absolute pressure regulation of the weight to the visual assurance of the gauge (dual, like the Americans). I love it--I feel much more confident about the pressure being correct for making salsa than I did with my gauge-only model. If you think you might want to use it as a water-bath canner for quart jars, you might consider the 23-quart model rather than the 16-quart because it's tall enough to accommodate them. Either way, I suspect you'll be pleased. I do recommend the extra weights option.

casino · February 12, 2011

I have been looking and looking for a pressure cooker at a garage sale and never thought of an all american brand. I think i will try Ebay, thanks for the tip.
Joe

lurley · February 13, 2011

I have had a presto for years and two years ago bought a second one so I could get two going at once. Definitely do not like canners with gauges, I only want ones with weights, but that is my preference because I don't want to have the gauge checked every year like you are supposed to. When I can I want to get going and get it done, too busy to worry about having to drive to the county extension office to get a gauge checked every year first.

bitterwort · February 13, 2011

Lurley, I agree with you about preferring weight regulators over gauge regulators, especially since I'm not sure there's anywhere local for me to get a gauge checked. One of the reliable posters on the GW Harvest forum checked with Dr. Andress at the National Center for Home Food Preservation, and she indicated that using the optional weight set that Presto sells is an acceptable alternative to relying on the dial gauge. You can use the dial to watch the pressure rise, but it is the weight that actually regulates the pressure in the canner--so no testing needed!

lurley · February 13, 2011

I've never seen a canner around here where that was an option, everyone either has a weight or a dial, never seen one where you could have both but I can definitely see the benefit of being able to read the gauge while having the certainty of the weight.

BSue54 · February 13, 2011

One of the guys on my canning group speaks of this - I'll see if I can find the exact directions. I think you switch out the petcock assembly for a vent tube for the weight.

Written as I sit waiting for my canning to come up to pressure with the first canner load of green beans with potatoes. Already did a load of carrots

Bobbie in Cut-N-Shoot, who is thankful there is a decent produce market in the area!

bitterwort · February 13, 2011

Lurley, the 23-quart Presto comes with the dial gauge and a 5-lb weight as a regulator, which is the standard way the canner is used. However, you can also buy a separate regulator that has removable weights that allow you to use either a 10-lb or 15-lb regulator instead of the 5-lb weight that comes with the canner. The two parts fit and function the same except that you can add and subtract rings (calibrated weights) from the extra set. Here's a link to the add-on set of weights that you can use to replace the regulator:
http://www.amazon.com/Presto-Pressur...7653985&sr=8-7

TomNJ · February 14, 2011

The All Americans come standard with both a guage and a 5-10-15 lb weight.

TomNJ

February 12, 2011	#34
newatthiskat Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: texas Posts: 1,451	Reply I have the presto 23 quart. I can use it on my flat top stove. I love it. Got a great deal on Amazon 2 years ago/ You can't go wrong with it Kat

February 12, 2011	#38
bitterwort Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MN Zone4b Posts: 292	I had an old Presto gauge-only canner and used it for years. A couple years ago I bought the 23-quart Presto model and equipped it with the extra set of weights as recommended in the GW Harvest forum. This adds the absolute pressure regulation of the weight to the visual assurance of the gauge (dual, like the Americans). I love it--I feel much more confident about the pressure being correct for making salsa than I did with my gauge-only model. If you think you might want to use it as a water-bath canner for quart jars, you might consider the 23-quart model rather than the 16-quart because it's tall enough to accommodate them. Either way, I suspect you'll be pleased. I do recommend the extra weights option. __________________ Bitterwort

February 13, 2011	#41
bitterwort Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MN Zone4b Posts: 292	Lurley, I agree with you about preferring weight regulators over gauge regulators, especially since I'm not sure there's anywhere local for me to get a gauge checked. One of the reliable posters on the GW Harvest forum checked with Dr. Andress at the National Center for Home Food Preservation, and she indicated that using the optional weight set that Presto sells is an acceptable alternative to relying on the dial gauge. You can use the dial to watch the pressure rise, but it is the weight that actually regulates the pressure in the canner--so no testing needed! __________________ Bitterwort

February 13, 2011	#44
bitterwort Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MN Zone4b Posts: 292	Lurley, the 23-quart Presto comes with the dial gauge and a 5-lb weight as a regulator, which is the standard way the canner is used. However, you can also buy a separate regulator that has removable weights that allow you to use either a 10-lb or 15-lb regulator instead of the 5-lb weight that comes with the canner. The two parts fit and function the same except that you can add and subtract rings (calibrated weights) from the extra set. Here's a link to the add-on set of weights that you can use to replace the regulator: http://www.amazon.com/Presto-Pressur...7653985&sr=8-7 __________________ Bitterwort

February 12, 2011	#31
TomNJ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: Floyd VA Posts: 771	The Presto canner is lower cost and very popular, and many people swear by them. Personally I have the All American 30 quart pressure canner and love it. It is built like a tank and will easily last my lifetime. If you expect to be canning for the next 20+ years, I think the All American will be a better choice. You may also want to consider a larger model if you plan to increase your canning in the future. Mine holds 19 pints or 14 quarts, which really makes canning days easy. TomNJ

February 12, 2011	#32
salix Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: north central B.C. Posts: 2,310	I have one of each, they both work just fine. The All American IS built like a tank, but is much heavier, if that is a concern. The large ones such as mentioned by TomNJ would be very heavy indeed (don't know if I'd be able to lift it easily when I'm 75...) If I'm doing just one "batch" of jars, I generally reach for the Presto as it has the rocking weight gauge - can hear it while doing other activities. When doing large canning sessions, I use both; the AA only has the dial gauge so I have to be right there to keep an eye on it (do have the rocker weight for it, but not yet successful in attaching it, some difficulty in matching the threads I think). The Presto, being lighter, cools more quickly which is a bonus when doing those midnight runs of green beans, LOL. A wonderful resource for this type of information is the Harvest Forum on GW - there are many threads on this very topic.

February 12, 2011	#33
emzybo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: NE Alabama Posts: 28	Thanks for bringing this topic up--I was debating about which to choose myself! I'd love to know how you like your model if/when you get it and try it out!

February 12, 2011	#35
BSue54 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Cut-N-Shoot, TX Posts: 73	Mine is the Presto 16qt - I can't claim any expertise in picking it because it was handed down to me - all I had to do was order new rubber for it from Presto. Since then I have learned a little more. You need to consider clearance above your stove before getting one of the really big ones - my range-hood comes down too low to fit a big one, and still be able to lift the jars straight up when unloading the canner, so I'm glad my friend had this size in her barn :0) I'm in a yahoogroup for canning called Canning2 - the folks are REAL, and have been very helpful. They can all different kinds of things, from veggies to meat, and have instructions in the files there. I usually check there for a recipe before checking my BBB for basic directions.

February 12, 2011	#36
Fusion_power Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,251	I got a good used 15 quart All American on ebay for $35 plus shipping. It has the half-moon trays for cake baking, the original instruction manual, and the wire basket for canning. I've used it successfully for the last 2 years. Did I say that is has gorgeous deep burgundy handles? DarJones

February 12, 2011	#37
OneoftheEarls Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Up North Posts: 660	Old presto here too...garage sale item....whole box of canning goods

February 12, 2011	#39
casino Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Southfield, Michigan Posts: 318	I have been looking and looking for a pressure cooker at a garage sale and never thought of an all american brand. I think i will try Ebay, thanks for the tip. Joe

February 13, 2011	#40
lurley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Central Ohio Posts: 741	I have had a presto for years and two years ago bought a second one so I could get two going at once. Definitely do not like canners with gauges, I only want ones with weights, but that is my preference because I don't want to have the gauge checked every year like you are supposed to. When I can I want to get going and get it done, too busy to worry about having to drive to the county extension office to get a gauge checked every year first.

February 14, 2011	#45
TomNJ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: Floyd VA Posts: 771	The All Americans come standard with both a guage and a 5-10-15 lb weight. TomNJ