Question & answer
Is the Ball EasyCanner a Pressure Canner? No, and Green Beans Do Not Belong in It
No. The Ball EasyCanner is a water bath canner, and Ball describes no pressure function. The USDA says low-acid foods must be canned in a pressure canner. So green beans, meat and other low-acid foods do not belong in this machine, whatever you may have read elsewhere.
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The short answer
No. The Ball EasyCanner is a water bath canner, and Ball describes no pressure function. The USDA says low-acid foods must be canned in a pressure canner. That includes green beans and all fresh vegetables except most tomatoes. The CDC says a boiling water canner does not protect against botulism in these foods.
You are right to check before the jars go in. The answer is simple once the machine types are sorted out.
What do the experts say?
| Question | Answer | Who says |
|---|---|---|
| What is it sold as? | A water bath canner | Ball |
| Does it have a pressure mode? | None described. It has heat sensors, a timer and a spigot. | Ball |
| What do low-acid foods need? | A pressure canner | USDA |
| Does boiling water protect them? | No, not against botulism | CDC |
Low-acid foods are red meat, seafood, poultry, milk and all fresh vegetables except most tomatoes. The USDA says they must be canned in a pressure canner. The CDC says pressure canning is the only recommended way. Our low-acid foods page explains more.
Why is this so easy to mix up?
Nobody is careless for asking. Three things blur the line.
- The word "electric." An "electric canner" can be any of five different kinds of machine. Only some build pressure. The overview of all machines sorts them.
- The automation. Ball calls its automation "Press & Forget." That means pressing a button. It has nothing to do with pressure in the pot.
- AI answers. Some AI answers call this machine a canner for low-acid food under pressure and give a green bean method with no source. Please do not follow one if you meet it.
Does automation change the method?
No. The USDA says pressure itself does not kill germs. Heat held for long enough does. It says low-acid foods should be heated to 240° to 250°F, which pressure canners can reach.
Plain water boils at 212°F at sea level. NDSU Extension explains that higher heat comes from steam building up in a sealed canner.
Heat sensors and a timer can hold water at a steady boil. Without pressure, they cannot reach the heat the USDA describes. This is about the kind of machine, not how good it is.
What about the cooking settings?
Ball also sells this machine as a multicooker and steamer for pasta, soups, vegetables and seafood. That is cooking for dinner tonight. It says nothing about jars for the shelf. Please do not read it as canning advice.
You may also read that Ball is exempt from the National Center for Home Food Preservation's warning. The National Center's note names only the older Ball Automatic Home Canner, for high-acid foods. It does not name this machine. What the National Center says has the full wording.
What if I already own one?
Keep it. It is our pick for electric water bath canning. It can do tested recipes for fruit, jams, jellies and pickles. The EasyCanner page covers jar counts and everyday use. Water bath times still change with altitude, so follow the altitude line in your recipe.
If you already canned beans or other low-acid food in it, set those jars aside and do not taste them. Our botulism page links to the National Center's steps for handling them.
What if I want to can green beans?
You need a pressure canner. It is very doable with a manual and a tested recipe beside you. Our main pick is a stovetop model. The National Center says its advice was written for stovetop pressure canners that hold four or more quart jars upright.
Presto
Presto 23-Quart Stovetop (01781)
A pot for your stove, the kind the USDA's canning steps were written for.
- 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: Green beans need a pressure canner. This one holds 7 quart jars, says Presto. It also works as a water bath canner for quarts and smaller, so it can do both jobs.
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
Which one, then?
If you want to can green beans, meat or other low-acid food → Presto 23-Quart Stovetop (01781)
View(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on AmazonIf you only make jams, fruit and pickles → Ball EasyCanner
View(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on AmazonIf you want a plug-in machine that builds pressure
If you have an Instant Pot and hoped to use it
The plug-in route has an open question. Nobody outside the company has published test results for Presto Precise canners. The stovetop guide explains why we point most readers there first.
What people ask
Can I can green beans in the Ball EasyCanner?
No. Plain green beans are a low-acid food, and the USDA says those must be canned in a pressure canner. The EasyCanner is a water bath canner. The CDC says a boiling water canner does not protect against botulism in these foods. No setting on this machine changes that.
Does Ball make an electric pressure canner?
We found none. The Ball machine we cover is the EasyCanner, a water bath canner. The National Center for Home Food Preservation and Penn State Extension describe older Ball plug-in canners as being for high-acid foods. One Amazon listing is simply titled Ball Electric Canner. We could not check which model it is, so read its manual first.
What about pickled green beans?
That is a different food only when a tested recipe makes it one. The USDA says mixtures stay low-acid unless the recipe has enough lemon juice, citric acid or vinegar. Use a tested pickling recipe exactly as written. Do not add acid by eye to a low-acid recipe.
My jars of beans from this machine sealed. Are they okay?
Do not rely on the seal, and do not taste them. A seal does not show the food got hot enough. The National Center for Home Food Preservation says low-acid food can spoil with little or no sign. It says to treat suspect jars as if they hold botulism toxin. Our botulism page links to its disposal steps.
Where this comes from
More from the shelf
- Model profileBall EasyCannerThe Ball EasyCanner is a plug-in water bath canner for 7 quarts or 8 pints. It is not a pressure canner, so low-acid food does not belong in it.
- ExplainerLow-acid foodsWhat counts as a low-acid food: the USDA's pH 4.6 line, which foods fall on each side, why tomatoes and figs are special, and what it means for you.
- Buying guideStovetop cannersA stovetop pressure canner is the type the canning experts wrote their advice for. See dial vs weighted gauge, jar counts, stove fit and our pick.
- Buying guideElectric water bathElectric water bath canners build no pressure, so they are only for tested high-acid recipes. See our pick and which listings to read with care.
- Question & answerCan You Can in an Instant Pot or Multi-Cooker? No, Even With a Canning ButtonCanning in an Instant Pot or other multi-cooker is not supported, even with a canning button. What the experts say, why, and what to use instead.
Who writes here
electricpressurecanner.com Editorial Team
Machine comparisons & source reading
We are the editorial team at electricpressurecanner.com. We read manuals, spec sheets and the statements of NCHFP, USDA, CDC and Extension services, and we report who says what, with dates. No lab work happens here, and this site publishes no processing times or recipes of its own.
- Manuals and food-safety guidance read
- Sources and dates on every page
- No lab tests, stated openly
- No own processing times or recipes