Best Electric Pressure Canner: A Plain Comparison of Four Presto Sizes

Our pick if you want plug-inAd

Presto Precise

Presto Precise 23-Quart (02153)

The biggest plug-in canner made just for canning that we cover: seven quart jars, in both methods.

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Type

Canning-only electric with temperature sensor; aluminum body and cover

Pressure canning

Yes, per Presto

Water bath

Yes, quarts and smaller, per Presto

Liquid capacity

23 quarts

Jars per load

7 quarts, or 20 regular-mouth pints stacked

Altitude

Per Presto, the sensor holds temperature at any elevation when pressure canning. Water bath times still change with altitude.

Power

1,100 W

Price class

Premium

Stated in: Presto Precise Facts and FAQ (2025), read 2 November 2026

Why here: The largest plug-in canner made just for canning in our data, and the only one that also takes quart jars in water bath canning, per Presto.

Best for: You want a plug-in machine with the biggest jar count, and you have weighed the open questions.

• Seven quart jars in pressure and water bath, says Presto
• Up to 20 regular-mouth pints stacked in two layers when pressure canning, says Presto
• Letting out air and holding the heat are automatic, says Presto

• Presto has not published its own testing, and nobody outside the company has published test results
• Hybrid style new in 2025, so newer than most expert advice
• Canning only, not a cooker, says Presto
• Premium price class

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What does "best" mean here?

We compare by how a machine works and how many jars it holds. We don't rank by safety, because nobody has published the data to do that. How we compare explains more.

• No one approves canners. The USDA doesn't approve any canner. When a maker says it follows USDA guidelines, that is the maker's own claim. The round badge on Presto's canner is Presto's own.
• No outside test results. Nobody outside the company has published test results on Presto Precise canners. The National Center, through Kansas State, and Penn State both say Presto's research can't be checked.
• The experts don't all agree. Read more on are electric pressure canners safe.

Which Presto size fits me?

Which one, then?

• If you want the most jars, with water bath quarts too → Presto Precise 23-Quart (02153)

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• If you pressure can quarts and only water bath pints or smaller → Presto Precise 16-Quart (02154)

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• If you want a removable pot and water bath quarts → Presto Precise 17-Quart (02152)

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• If you can smaller batches and don't need water bath quarts → Presto Precise 12-Quart (02144)

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• If you would rather use the type the canning experts wrote their advice for → Presto 23-Quart Stovetop (01781)

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• If you only can fruit, jams and pickles

  See water bath machines

How do the sizes compare?

Comparison: Presto Precise 23-Quart (02153), Presto Precise 16-Quart (02154), Presto Precise 17-Quart (02152), Presto Precise 12-Quart (02144), NESCO NPC-9

Comparison	Our pick if you want plug-inPresto Precise 23-Quart (02153)	Shorter pot, seven quartsPresto Precise 16-Quart (02154)	Removable pot, quarts both waysPresto Precise 17-Quart (02152)	Smallest Presto PrecisePresto Precise 12-Quart (02144)	NESCO NPC-9
Type	Canning-only electric with temperature sensor; aluminum body and cover	Canning-only electric with temperature sensor; aluminum body and cover	Canning-only electric with temperature sensor; removable pot	Canning-only electric with temperature sensor; removable pot	Combination cooker-canner with regulator weights
Pressure canning	Yes, per Presto	Yes, per Presto	Yes, per Presto	Yes, per Presto	Yes, by NESCO's statement only
Water bath	Yes, quarts and smaller, per Presto	Pints and smaller only, per Presto	Yes, quarts and smaller, per Presto	Pints and smaller only, per Presto	Pints and smaller only, per NESCO
Liquid capacity	23 quarts	16 quarts	17 quarts	12 quarts	9.5 quarts
Jars per load	7 quarts, or 20 regular-mouth pints stacked	7 quarts, or 10 regular-mouth pints	5 quarts, or 8 regular-mouth pints	5 quarts, or 8 regular-mouth pints	4 wide-mouth quarts, or up to 5 pints; dry-fit first
Altitude	Per Presto, the sensor holds temperature at any elevation when pressure canning. Water bath times still change with altitude.	Per Presto, the sensor holds temperature at any elevation when pressure canning. Water bath times still change with altitude.	Per Presto, the sensor holds temperature at any elevation when pressure canning. Water bath times still change with altitude.	Per Presto, the sensor holds temperature at any elevation when pressure canning. Water bath times still change with altitude.	Black regulator up to 1,000 feet, green regulator above; not above 7,500 feet, per NESCO
Price class	Premium	Premium	Premium	Premium	Mid-range
Best for	You want a plug-in machine with the biggest jar count, and you have weighed the open questions.	You pressure can quarts and only water bath pints or smaller.	You want a removable pot and water bath quarts too.	You have small batches and a small counter, and do not need water bath quarts.	You mainly want a cooker and have read the caution. Not a pick for canning low-acid foods (vegetables, meat, chicken, fish).
Read this first	–	–	–	–	Read this first This is a combination cooker-canner. Penn State Extension (September 13, 2024) says combination canner/cooker appliances cannot be recommended because the research on their safety is missing. Penn State names no brand; placing the NPC-9 in that group is our reading. NESCO's guide sends users to USDA's tables, and NCHFP (February 1, 2019) says it does not support USDA canning processes in electric multi-cookers. We found no agency statement that names this machine. Penn State Extension, Pressure Canner Updates NCHFP, Canning in Electric Multi-Cookers
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Presto says its 12-quart and 17-quart digital canners hold 5 quart jars. It says the 16-quart and 23-quart hold 7. NESCO says the NPC-9 holds 4 wide-mouth quart jars. Some AI answers give higher numbers. They don't match the makers' charts.

What is each size like?

Presto Precise 23-Quart (02153)

This is a newer "hybrid" style from 2025. It has an aluminum body and cover on a built-in base, with no removable pot. Presto says it holds seven quart jars in pressure and water bath canning. It also holds up to 20 regular-mouth pints, stacked in two layers, when pressure canning. No other machine in our data holds more jars in both methods.

One catch: it is new. Penn State's buying guide still describes a digital model that holds 5 quarts or 8 pints. See the Presto Precise family for more.

Presto Precise 16-Quart (02154)

It holds the same seven quart jars when pressure canning, per Presto, in a lower pot. For water bath canning it takes pints and smaller only. It suits you if your quarts all go under pressure.

Presto Precise 17-Quart (02152)

This is the tall original style with a removable pot. Presto says its stainless shroud (outer cover) reduces noise and holds heat in. Presto says it holds five quart jars in either method.

Presto Precise 12-Quart (02144)

This is the smallest. Presto says it holds five quart jars when pressure canning, and pints and smaller in water bath canning. Kansas State says its manual leaves out at least two USDA instructions for low-acid foods that need special steps. See the disagreement below.

Why is the NESCO NPC-9 in the table but not on the list?

The NESCO NPC-9 is a cooker and canner in one, and many people search for it. It is in the table with a warning, but it has no badge and is not one of our picks.

Is my main pick still a stovetop canner?

Our pick for stovetopAd

Presto

Presto 23-Quart Stovetop (01781)

A pot for your stove, the kind the USDA's canning steps were written for.

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Type

Stovetop pressure canner with dial gauge

Pressure canning

Yes

Water bath

Yes, quarts and smaller, per Presto

Liquid capacity

23 quarts

Jars per load

7 quarts, or 20 regular-mouth pints stacked

Altitude

You raise the pressure by altitude from the USDA tables. Water bath times also change with altitude.

Price class

Mid-range

Stated in: Presto Canner Comparison Guide (2025), read 2 November 2026

Why here: The National Center says its advice was written for stovetop canners that hold four or more quart jars upright. Presto says this pot holds seven quart jars.

Best for: You want to pressure can low-acid foods (vegetables, meat, chicken, fish) and can stay near the stove.

• The National Center's advice was written for stovetop canners
• Seven quart jars, or up to 20 regular-mouth pints stacked, says Presto
• Also works as a water bath canner for quarts and smaller, says Presto
• Works on gas and on electric coil and smooth-top ranges, says Presto

• You watch the gauge and adjust the heat yourself
• The dial gauge needs an accuracy test every year, says Presto
• Presto does not list induction for this pot. The 01784 is its induction version

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Yes. If you can stay near the stove, read electric vs stovetop first. With a stovetop canner you watch the gauge, and you use the type the canning experts wrote their advice for. More choices are on our stovetop canner page.

What don't the experts agree on?

Which recipes can a Presto Precise use? Presto says tested recipes for stovetop canners work. Kansas State and Penn State say to follow only the manual. Kansas State's reason is that the manual leaves out at least two special USDA instructions. North Dakota State says to use tested recipes from the National Center or your state's university extension office (free local food-safety advice). We don't pick a side. Read your current manual and ask Presto.

Is a plug-in canner a good idea at all? The University of New Hampshire recommends stovetop canners only. Kansas State says you have to trust the maker. North Dakota State treats the Presto as a usable option. We don't give our own verdict. What the National Center says has their exact words.

What should I check before I buy?

1. The method. Low-acid foods (vegetables, meat, chicken, fish) need a pressure canner, says the USDA. The Ball EasyCanner is sold as a water bath canner, so it's on a different list. See the Ball EasyCanner page.
2. The type. Five types get mixed up in listings. Our guide to electric canner types sorts them. A multi-cooker with a canning button is not one of these machines. See canning in an Instant Pot.
3. Jars, not liquid quarts. The size in the name is how much liquid the pot holds. Check the jar chart for your own jars.
4. Pot style. The original style has a removable pot. The hybrid style has a built-in base, and Presto says you empty and wipe the inside.
5. Your elevation. Machines handle altitude differently, and water bath canning always needs an adjustment.
6. The manual. Presto puts its manuals online. Read one before you buy, including the food list.

What mistakes should I avoid?

• Reading the badge as approval. Presto's own FAQ says no when asked whether the USDA and the National Center have approved its machine.
• Trusting jar count alone. Holding four quart jars is only one of several conditions. It doesn't prove the heating, holding and cooling match the tested instructions. The temperature inside the jars decides. A sensor in the canner is not a measurement inside your jars, and Presto has not published its jar data.

Not sure yet?

If you want to plug in and you've weighed the open questions, the Presto Precise 23-Quart holds the most jars in both methods, per Presto. If those questions worry you, the stovetop Presto 01781 is our main pick. Our homepage shows all the canner types.