Electric Pressure Canner Sizes: How Many Jars Fit?

Picking a size is easier once you stop looking at the quart number on the box and count the jars you actually fill. Here is that count, machine by machine.

Is there a 10-quart electric pressure canner?

Not that we could find, among machines made just for canning. Two machines come close, and they are very different:

• NESCO NPC-9, 9.5 quarts. A cooker and canner in one, and not one of our picks. Please read what the experts say about electric canners before you weigh it.
• Presto Precise 12-quart. The smallest machine made just for canning that we read about. Presto says it holds 5 quart jars under pressure.

If you want 10 quarts for a small kitchen or small batches, jump to which size suits you. A small pot can also be a trap. A 4-quart cooker does not hold four quart jars, as our 4-quart page explains.

How many jars fit when pressure canning?

All counts are what the maker says. An asterisk means Presto says you need to stack jars in two staggered layers to reach that number.

About the 12-quart. Presto's FAQ and the newer 02144 manual list 5 wide-mouth quart jars. The older 2022 manual lists 4. If your machine came with the older manual, test-load your own jars and follow the manual you have.

About the NESCO. NESCO says there are many kinds of jars and not all fit. It asks you to dry-fit yours in the canner first. Its figures are only capacity statements.

How many jars fit in water bath canning?

The sizes differ most here, because quart jars need enough height to sit under water.

Presto says the 12-quart and 16-quart aren't tall enough to cover quart jars with the right amount of water. It also says jars are never stacked in two layers in this method.

Water bath canning is only for high-acid foods (jam, most fruit, pickles). Not sure which method your food needs? Our water bath vs. pressure canning table sorts it out.

Are the big electric canners pressure canners?

Not always. Some "large" machines can't pressure can at all. Presto's own list has a 30-quart digital water bath canner (02161). The Ball EasyCanner is sold as a 21-quart water bath canner. Several no-name units on Amazon say 24.5 or 27 quarts, also for water bath. A big number there says nothing about pressure canning. Our electric water bath page covers those.

Among machines with a pressure mode, the 23-quart is the largest we read about. Its height buys stacked pints and water bath quarts, not extra quart jars under pressure.

How do they 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
	On Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon	On Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon	On Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon	On Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon	On Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon

Which size suits me?

Which one, then?

• If you want the most jars and both methods in one machine → 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 in smaller batches and want the smallest size made just for canning → Presto Precise 12-Quart (02144)

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• If you are open to a stovetop canner, which holds the same 7 quart jars

  See stovetop sizes

These picks go by size. They aren't a safety verdict. The USDA and the National Center for Home Food Preservation don't approve any canner. Nobody outside the company has published test results on Presto Precise canners. See our electric canner comparison and the Presto Precise page for more.

What should I check before I buy?

1. Count your usual batch in jars. Think about what you can most often, in the jars you own.
2. Test-load. Presto says jar width can vary between makers and asks you to test-load before filling. NESCO asks for a dry fit. Do this with empty jars on the rack.
3. Remember what a jar count doesn't tell you. Holding four quart jars is only one of several conditions. It doesn't prove the heating, holding and cooling match the tested instructions. Penn State adds that a canner must hold at least 4 quart jars to use USDA recipes.

For the bigger picture, start at the overview of electric pressure canners.