Questions and Answers About Electric Pressure Canners

What do people ask first?

• Are electric pressure canners safe?What each expert source says, and what it leaves open.
• What does the National Center say?Its statements in its own words, and which machines they do and do not cover.
• Can I can in an Instant Pot?Why multi-cookers are a separate thing, even with a canning button.
• Is a pressure cooker the same as a canner?Size, proof and the in-between machines.
• Is a 4-quart pot big enough?Why four quarts of liquid is not four quart jars.
• Are pressure canners worth it?What you can and cannot can without one.
• Can I can without a pressure canner?Which foods have another tested way, and which do not.
• What can you pressure can?Foods with a tested recipe, and foods without one.
• Can I can on a glass-top stove?What makers and university experts say about smooth cooktops.
• Is an old canner safe to use?What the experts check before an old pot goes back on the stove.
• What about a steam canner?The rules in the research, for high-acid recipes.

What are the short answers?

Does the USDA approve any canner?

No. The USDA and the National Center for Home Food Preservation approve no canner of any kind, says K-State Research and Extension. A claim of following USDA guidelines comes from the maker. Presto's round badge is Presto's own.

Has anyone outside the company tested a Presto Precise?

We found no published test results. The National Center, through K-State, and Penn State say Presto's research cannot be checked. Oregon State and the National Center are reported to be working on it.

Is the Ball EasyCanner a water bath machine?

Yes. It is sold as a water bath canner. The USDA says low-acid foods (vegetables, meat, chicken, fish) need a pressure canner. The Ball EasyCanner page has the details.

How many jars fit in each machine?

Presto says 5 quart jars fit in its 12-quart and 17-quart digital canners, and 7 in its 16-quart and 23-quart digital canners. NESCO says 4 wide-mouth quart jars fit in the NPC-9. The jar lookup is on the homepage.

Do plug-in canners adjust for altitude by themselves?

Not all of them. Presto says no change is needed when pressure canning, because its sensor holds the heat. Nobody outside the company has confirmed that. NESCO's guide uses a heavier regulator above 1,000 feet and stops at 7,500 feet. Water bath canning always needs an altitude change. The altitude page sorts this out.

Is holding four quart jars enough?

No. The National Center lists the size of the canner along with venting and keeping the canner at the right pressure. It also stresses that the heat inside the jars decides. Holding four quart jars is one of several conditions. It does not prove the heating up, holding and cooling down match the tested recipe.

Does the National Center say plug-in pressure canners are unsafe?

That goes too far. The National Center does not support its steps in electric multi-cookers. It has said it cannot check Presto's claims. We found no statement from it naming NESCO or Carey.

Which machine should I look at first?

Our main pick is a stovetop canner. The National Center says its advice was written for stovetop canners. The plug-in vs. stovetop comparison sets out the trade-off.

Where do I find processing times?

Not here. This site gives none. Take them from a tested recipe in the USDA Complete Guide, the National Center or your state's university extension office (free local food-safety advice). Use your manual too.

Is your question missing?

Start with the machine types guide if you are still sorting out what is what. If something went wrong with a batch, try jars not sealing, a power cut during canning or the Presto error codes. Unfamiliar words are in the glossary. To see how we pick our sources, read how we compare.