Getting the Best Pressure Cooker for Home Canning

Pressure cookers used in home canning processes are often called pressure canners, so it’s important when doing any research on different models available or comparison shopping to get competitive prices that you search using both terms – pressure cookers and pressure canners.

Assess Your Needs

The best pressure cooker for home canning will vary based on your specific needs. There are different enclosed models that are better for canning the more complicated foods, like those that must be exposed to much higher heat, including items like beans, meats and corn. There are also water bath models that will serve your purposes just fine if you’re working with the higher acid foods that are safe to can without a pressurized canning system, like tomatoes, pickles and most fruits. You’ll need to determine which kind of pressure cooker or canner you need and survey the best models available in the appropriate category.

Stove-Top Water Bath Canners

High acid foods like tomatoes, cucumbers (once you add vinegar for making pickles) and peppers can all be safely prepared for canning with a stove-top water bath canner. Here are a few of the best models available in this category.

• Granite Ware

The stainless steel water bath canners that carry the Granite Ware name are among the very best on the market. These canners come in several sizes, making it easy to choose one that will not take up too much space in your kitchen cabinets and that also makes the canning process run quickly and smoothly, without having to worry about overheating your jars and their contents while trying to bring the excess water in the canner to the appropriate temperatures.

• Ball Collection Elite Series

The Ball name has long been the ranking authority in the canning world. The Elite Series water bath canners from Ball are made from durable stainless steel and are designed to withstand the test of time, often lasting generations. The fused aluminum base featured in the collection quickly and efficiently absorbs and distributes heat throughout this stove-top model.

Pressure Cookers

Any food that is low acid, including many fruits and vegetables, must be prepared for canning using a high heat pressure cooker with an enclosed lid and safety release pressure valves. Meats and beans must also be prepared using these kinds of pressure cookers in order to kill off any bacteria present and prevent any other contamination or degradation of the foodstuffs after canning. Here are a few of the best enclosed, high heat pressure cookers on the market.

• All American

The All American brand of pressure canners is among the most popular and for good reason as these pressure cookers are precision machined to create the most effective and safe canners on the market. There are six different sized models available to choose from, ranging from 10 to 41 quarts, and none contain gaskets, saving you money in the long run on repairs and replacements.

• Presto Elite

The 16 and 23 quart pressure canners from Presto consistently rank highly among home canning enthusiasts thanks to their durable nature and affordable prices. These pressure cookers are created with reinforced stainless steel and aluminum bases for evenly distributing heat.