# Presto Canner?



## TexasMama (Dec 3, 2012)

I'm thinking of buying this Presto canner from Walmart online - it is only $70.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Presto-23-Qt-Pressure-Canner/2625289

I have one (used) canner I'm getting from Ebay...I can't afford an All-American canner - would this work?

I want to do a LOT of canning and have two canners going at the same time.

Also - am I correct that if I'm doing a bunch of pint or half-pint size jars - I need some sort of a rack to hold them they stack in columns or something in the canner?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Peg


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

I'd rather buy a used Mirro then have a new Presto given to me. 

What did you buy on ebay? I would hold off and make sure you like it before you buy another.

If you are going to run prestos I would HIGHLY recommend getting the weight kit for the instead of trying to use the gauge.

I use a rack between stacks. The canner should come with them.


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## TexasMama (Dec 3, 2012)

This is what I bought off Ebay - a Vintage Burpee ...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/181046973093?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

Good luck with that.

Does it use a gasket? If so it could prove impossible to find a replacement.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

TexasMama said:


> This is what I bought off Ebay - a Vintage Burpee ...
> 
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/181046973093?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649


I have a couple of the old Burpee only with a taller dome so I can put two cases of pints in each. Even with four cases cooking at once I have to do multiple batches.

My mom had a Presto pressure cooker for years and is still happy with that. I'd want to know if it is still made in the USA but that is just me. Get as large a canner as you can afford. Get one with a machined top. When my gasket goes out I will not be able to replace it as the company hasn't made canners or parts in decades.

There should be a rack on the bottom and between each layer.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

TexasMama said:


> I'm thinking of buying this Presto canner from Walmart online - it is only $70.
> 
> http://www.walmart.com/ip/Presto-23-Qt-Pressure-Canner/2625289
> 
> ...


One of my canners is similar to the one in the link, have had it for years and the only issue I have with it is with its gaskets. If you get a stock of replacement gaskets and an extra gauge or two it should be OK or at least serve you well until you can afford a metal to metal canner and then as a backup when you get a better one.

I stack jars in my canners without racks and dont have problems with them.


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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

Goodness...that presto will be just fine. That's the one that I have and I'm canning lots. 

Buy it and get to canning!!!! :beercheer:

Oh I don't have a rack for stacking, I just put the pints on top of each other, can get 20 pints in it.


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## Country Living (Dec 15, 2009)

We picked up a second 16qt Presto pressure canner/cooker at Wally World in Nacogdoches for $50 last month. The trick with the Presto is to take the gasket out of the lid and store it in the canner - the gasket lasts longer because it does not have constant pressure on it. Even so, we always keep extra gaskets on hand as a just in case.


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## Jimmy24 (Apr 20, 2011)

I have a Presto canner and a 6 quart that I use all the time. No issues with either. Have had the canner for going on 6 years.

I do use the weight lit for the canner, but I'm lazy. I use the gauge on the 6 qt. 

Get R' Done....

Jimmy


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

I have 2 of them that are 4 years old and they work just fine. As was mentioned before, get a few extra gaskets now and you'll get years of reliable canning from it. BTW. I haven't had to replace a gasket yet and they get used pretty hard.


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## Dixie (Sep 20, 2010)

I'd rather buy a used Mirro then have a new Presto given to me. 
*Why?

*

If you are going to run prestos I would HIGHLY recommend getting the weight kit for the instead of trying to use the gauge.

*What do you mean? Are you talking about the thing used to put on top of the vent?

*I use a rack between stacks. The canner should come with them. 
*Oh I feel so stupid! I thought jars on the bottom of the canner HAD to be on that rack or they could burst! All this time I could have used it between the jars for a second layer! *



DJgang said:


> Goodness...that presto will be just fine. That's the one that I have and I'm canning lots.
> 
> Buy it and get to canning!!!! :beercheer:
> 
> Oh I don't have a rack for stacking, I just put the pints on top of each other, can get 20 pints in it.


Same here, just wished I had known about stacking without the rack! 



Country Living said:


> We picked up a second 16qt Presto pressure canner/cooker at Wally World in Nacogdoches for $50 last month. The trick with the Presto is to take the gasket out of the lid and store it in the canner - the gasket lasts longer because it does not have constant pressure on it. Even so, we always keep extra gaskets on hand as a just in case.


*I have never taken the gasket out of mine for storage, but I may start. I oil mine at the end of the season and after about 20 years had to replace it last year so I bought extras*.



Caribou said:


> Get as large a canner as you can afford.
> 
> *Good advise from Caribou, I wish I had bought a larger one. I have been up at 3 am waiting on the canner. If I had had a larger one, I could have canned more at one time. But then this size is very useful so maybe everyone just needs two!
> *


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## kappydell (Nov 27, 2011)

Canners are like any other tool, everyone has their favorites. The weighted gauge comes in handy when you want to be in the other room doing something else while canning, because you can hear if the pressure is good or if it falls (or goes to high) whereas with a dial you have to visually check often, at least until you find the setting on your stove that will hold the heat just right to keep the pressure where you want it. On the other hand, a pressure gauge comes in handy when you want to achieve pressures other than 5, 10 or 15 pounds - due to altitude, or other canning. The first information I found on pressure canning fresh milk mandated a pressure of of 12 1/2 pounds, for example. Whatever you get, the thing is th USE IT to get the hang of it. Dont let anyone else talk you out of using a perfectly good canner. Although I would prefer a metal on metal seal, all my canners use gaskets - I just buy extras. They last a very long time, (decades) so I only have 2 spares for each. You can also purchase extra racks if you want them on the net - one good company I have used is www.pressurecooker-canner.com. They sell racks, gaskets, weights, gauges, overpressure plugs, and even instruction books for mirro, presto and all american canners. Get some spares for your cooking tools. You won't be sorry.


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## stayingthegame (Mar 22, 2011)

I never have stored my canners or pressure cookers with the lid locked on. I do leave the gasket in place but the lid is stored upside down.


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

Dixie said:


> > I'd rather buy a used Mirro then have a new Presto given to me.
> 
> 
> *Why?*


Because I can't stand using canners without a weighted gauge.



> > If you are going to run prestos I would HIGHLY recommend getting the weight kit for the instead of trying to use the gauge.
> 
> 
> *What do you mean? Are you talking about the thing used to put on top of the vent?*


Yes. It's my understanding that you can make the presto operate like a Mirro with the addition of this weighted gauge.



> > I use a rack between stacks. The canner should come with them.
> 
> 
> *Oh I feel so stupid! I thought jars on the bottom of the canner HAD to be on that rack or they could burst! All this time I could have used it between the jars for a second layer! *


The jars on the bottom DO need to be on a rack. Or a folded towel or anything that will keep them off the direct heat from the bottom.

Canners meant for a double stack should come with a second rack.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

My Presto is weighted gauge, and it works great. I did have to replace the gasket after two years of use, but it got A LOT of use in those two years, so I have no complaints.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

TexasMama said:


> I'm thinking of buying this Presto canner from Walmart online - it is only $70.
> 
> http://www.walmart.com/ip/Presto-23-Qt-Pressure-Canner/2625289
> 
> ...


 IMO by the time you buy two presto canners you can buy the better All American for just a little more.We can can 14 qt.s at a time,it took us 2 years to get the All American but it is nice.


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

An AA that'll do 14 qts is $300.


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## ksmama10 (Sep 17, 2012)

Meerkat said:


> IMO by the time you buy two presto canners you can buy the better All American for just a little more.We can can 14 qt.s at a time,it took us 2 years to get the All American but it is nice.


The other factor to consider is one's stove..the big AA canner is too heavy, and the 23 qt Presto will work, and I can buy a regulator and extra canning rack nd start canning in a few days. Once I do, I can start saving for a new stove and AA canner while I give my Presto a workout and gain experience.


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## siletz (Aug 23, 2011)

Dixie: You do need to put that rack on the bottom of your canner. It helps disperse the heat so your jars don't crack. Some canners are tall enough to stack 2 jars high and then come with 2 racks - one for the bottom and one for the middle.

TexasMama: I have been canning for over 20 years now and still have a Presto canner similar to your post. But, mine is the weighted kind, as I feel more comfortable with it than the dial. If this is what you can afford, buy it today and start canning! As you gain experience, you then can make a more informed decision about what meets your needs.


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

ksmama10 said:


> The other factor to consider is one's stove..the big AA canner is too heavy, and the 23 qt Presto will work, and I can buy a regulator and extra canning rack nd start canning in a few days. Once I do, I can start saving for a new stove and AA canner while I give my Presto a workout and gain experience.


True... but as a work-around you could get a jet stove that feeds off of one of the large propane tanks people use for their BBQ. That would let you use the BIG AA right away and save the expense of buying a new stove.

One downside though is that this must be used OUTDOORS. There's a limited market for suffocating due to CO poisoning...

I got my jet stove for $35 on amazon but haven't needed it yet because I've been working just fine on my glass top stove (against AA and the stove warnings, so dont blame me if you break yours lol... I've been lucky and so has everyone else I know of on this forum.... so far!!!)

For larger than the 21 QT I would definitely buy the jet cooker and eventually a sturdier stove that would be more than able to handle the weight of the cannery and it's water and contents.

http://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-SP1-Jet-Cooker/dp/B0002913MI/ref=sr_1_50?ie=UTF8&qid=1357267393&sr=8-50&keywords=propane+stove


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## ksmama10 (Sep 17, 2012)

Dakine said:


> True... but as a work-around you could get a jet stove that feeds off of one of the large propane tanks people use for their BBQ. That would let you use the BIG AA right away and save the expense of buying a new stove.
> 
> One downside though is that this must be used OUTDOORS. There's a limited market for suffocating due to CO poisoning...
> 
> ...


Oh, I've got a suitcase Coleman camp stove I can use outside..with a Camp Chief in my Amazon Wish List...I also have a 16 qt National #7 Ive been scared to use. My compromise with dh is the Presto, for now..Our flat top model is not a bad stove, unless you count the stupid door design. The handle is gone and dh has had to bolt the door together so the whole thing doesn't fall apart when I open the oven. I've been looking at stoves on craigslist..


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## TexasMama (Dec 3, 2012)

TexasMama said:


> This is what I bought off Ebay - a Vintage Burpee ...
> 
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/181046973093?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649


I just have to share that my Burpee arrived today and I think I am in love. I haven't tried it yet - but I have the instructions, etc. and my husband is really impressed with it (he was reading the instructions and explaining some things to me that I'd ALREADY read..).

We went out and bought some jars today - mainly pints and half pints so I can do meat in the pints and some cheeses and butters in the half pints.

Tomorrow I'm meeting a gal who had a store of all sorts of stuff...clothing, kitchen stuff, etc. - she'd listed about it on Craigslist. Turns out she has some unopened boxes of canning jars...she'd like $6 each for those since they're unopened (cases/boxes...not sure what to call them).

I'm going to meet her and look at them and see what she's got. I'm also pricing canning jars so I can get a good feel for what they go for new. If these look new - I think that is a pretty good deal - no tax on them, etc.

Plus she has some outside of the boxes I think...I will look at those too.

So I'm pretty psyched.


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