How to Use an Electric Pressure Canner: The Steps From the Manual

The first batch in any new machine can feel like a big step. You don't have to get it right from memory, because the display and the manual guide you the whole way. This is a map of the trip, so nothing surprises you.

Who is this page for?

These steps follow the Presto Precise, the canning-only electric canner in our data. We read Presto's manual for the 12-quart and its manual for the 16- and 23-quart. Find the manual for your exact model before you start, since the steps do differ. If you have a stovetop canner, go to how to use a stovetop pressure canner instead.

Nobody outside the company has published test results for Presto Precise canners, and the experts' opinions differ. This page explains how the machine is run. It doesn't say a batch will be safe.

What do you need?

• The manual for your model, and a tested recipe
• The canning rack that came with the machine
• Mason jars, plus new lids and bands in perfect condition
• A jar lifter, plus the small helpers on our canning tools page
• A dry, level surface near a 120-volt outlet, away from overhanging cabinets

What are the phases, in order?

1. Do a water test before first use

   Clean the parts as the manual says, then run the pressure canning steps once with jars of water, without food, lids or bands. Presto tells you to do this, and it's the kindest thing you can do for your first real batch.

2. Get ready

   Choose a tested recipe. Check the vent pipe, sealing ring, gaskets, jars and bands. Set the canner on a level surface that can hold its full weight. Add water as your manual says. The manual also explains how much is needed, so there's no guessing.

3. Select the method and time

   Choose pressure canning on the control knob and enter the time from your tested recipe. Presto's manual says to check the program and time here. The sensor holds temperature. It doesn't know what's in your jars.

4. Warm the jars

   Put the jars in when the display prompts you, and keep the regulator off. (The regulator is a part you put on the canner when the display tells you to.) The canner warms the jars and holds them warm until you're ready. Use this time to finish preparing your food.

5. Fill the jars

   Take out one jar at a time. Fill it as the tested recipe says, remove air bubbles with a nonmetal spatula, wipe the rim, and put on the lid and band only until your fingertips say it's snug. Return it to the rack promptly.

6. Let it vent

   Lock the cover as your manual shows, make sure the regulator is not on, and advance. The canner heats and lets air out by itself, and you'll hear and see steam. Put the regulator on when the display tells you to, and advance again.

7. Let it can

   The canner reaches its target temperature, beeps, and the timer counts down. Leave the regulator alone during this phase.

8. Let it cool

   The cool-down runs by itself and can take more than an hour, says Presto's manual. Plan your evening around it. We read no instruction for speeding it up.

9. Unload and check

   When the display shows DONE and the vent and cover lock has dropped, open the cover away from you. Lift the jars straight up with a jar lifter. Set them on a towel away from drafts, leave the bands alone, and check seals in the time your manual gives.

How do the machines differ?

Presto's manuals and FAQ describe two styles. That's why a video made for one model can mislead you on another.

• Original style (12- and 17-quart): water goes in a removable pot. The cover locks with a green latch and a temperature sensor arm. Never pour water into the canner body, and dry the pot before it goes back.
• Hybrid style (16- and 23-quart): water goes directly in the canner, which has no removable pot. Handles close like a stovetop cover. Keep the control panel up when emptying, and never put the canner in water.

What mistakes do people make?

Presto's error codes are a useful list of what goes wrong. In the 12-quart manual:

• Regulator on too early. Pressure builds during jar warming or venting (codes E10 and E20). That's why the regulator stays off until the prompt.
• Regulator forgotten. It wasn't put on after venting (code E21).
• Regulator moved during canning, or a worn sealing ring. The canner senses pressure leaking out (codes E40 and E50). The manual says the process isn't complete, and the food must be reprocessed for the full time.
• Too little water. The canner overheats (code E3).

Our page on Presto error codes helps you find the right entry for your model. Treat your manual as the final word.

What are the safety points from the manual?

• Never force the cover or the temperature sensor arm. Wait until pressure is gone and the vent and cover lock has dropped, says Presto.
• A full canner is heavy. The 12-quart manual warns of more than 42 pounds. It says to keep it away from counter edges and overhangs. It also asks for a heat-resistant layer, such as a large cutting board, under the canner.
• Keep steam away from cabinets, and lift the cover toward you so steam goes away from you.
• Don't use an extension cord unless it meets the rating in your manual.
• Keep children away, and don't use the canner outdoors, says Presto.

What do you do after the batch?

Label and store as your manual says. A seal does not show that the food got the heat it needed. The National Center says never to taste a suspect jar, because spoiled low-acid food may show little or no sign. If you're ever unsure about a jar, our botulism page tells you where to look.

Where do recipes come from? Start with where tested recipes live. Still choosing a machine? See the Presto Precise page.

A note on other machines. The NESCO NPC-9 follows its own guide, and it is a cooker-canner combo. Penn State says these can't be recommended because research on their safety is missing. It names no brand. Putting the NPC-9 in that group is our own reading.