Is a Used or Vintage Pressure Canner Worth Buying? What to Check

Is a used canner a bargain?

The experts do not all say the same thing.

• National Center for Home Food Preservation: a secondhand canner may be no bargain, because parts may be gone and the manual hard to find. It also says outdated and possibly unsafe canners should not be used.
• University of Maine Extension: its author has seen everything from a new model still in its box to warped old pots that should not be considered. It gives a checklist of what rules a canner out.
• K-State: old canners from sales and auctions may look fine and often need new parts. If a pot passes its checklist, it says parts are available from hardware stores and current makers.
• Cornell Cooperative Extension: one blog post follows Master Food Preserver volunteers who checked a used Presto, replaced parts and then used it. It is one canner. It is not a general finding.

So nobody says yes or no for every old canner. We will not either.

Is it really a pressure canner?

The National Center says to make sure what you have is a pressure canner, not an old sterilizer or steamer. It describes models made before the 1970s as heavy-walled pots with clamp-on or screw-on lids, a dial gauge, a petcock or counterweight, and a safety fuse. It also says to use only canners with the Underwriter's Laboratory approval mark. It may be engraved on the pot or appear only in the manual.

The USDA recommends a canner big enough for at least four quart jars, says the National Center. Our page on small pots explains why.

Age matters for one feature. The University of Maine says safety standards began requiring locks in 1979, so the lid locks while there is pressure inside. Presto's care sheet says its air vent/cover lock is not on canners made before 1979.

What should I check?

The handles row shows two sources that do not agree. We leave that open. Your extension office can look at your actual pot.

In Cornell's story, the cover did not match the body. The team could not identify it to find parts. Presto's current manual says to use only the cover that came with the canner when new.

Can I use any replacement part?

The sources differ here too. The University of Maine says to fit new parts suitable for your make and model. K-State says replacements may not look identical to the originals and should do the same job. Presto's manual says to use only genuine Presto parts.

If a part only nearly fits, ask the maker or your extension office first. Our parts page has more.

What do we know about each brand?

• Presto, National, Magic Seal, Maid of Honor. Presto says its testing unit checks dial gauges for these four. It says National was made by the National Pressure Cooker Company of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Magic Seal was sold at Montgomery Ward and Maid of Honor at Sears. The unit goes only to extension offices, so call your county office. See dial gauge testing.
• Mirro, National No. 7 and other old model numbers. We read no maker's document for these. So we say nothing about their jar counts or parts.

Old recipe booklets need their own warning. Presto's current manual warns that canning advice from before 2015 may be wrong and could be a serious health risk. So even a well-kept pot needs a current tested recipe.

The University of Maine suggests searching for a missing manual by make and model. Our manuals page helps with that.

When does a new canner make more sense?

If your pot fails a check above, or you cannot find the parts, look at new ones. Our stovetop guide compares them. Are pressure canners worth it helps you decide whether to buy at all. The overview of all machines shows where each kind fits.

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: If an old pot does not pass, this is our stovetop pick. Presto publishes its jar chart, parts list and care sheets, and says it holds 7 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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