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The Spruce Eats / Vicky Wasik
Using a pressure canner is the only safe way to can low-acid foods like corn, beans, and pork without pickling them. The large pot creates a tight seal, heating water above its boiling point and trapping steam to create pressure, while the ultra-high temperature kills bacteria—most importantly, those that cause botulism—according to the CDC.
The National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) doesn't approve specific canner models, so you'll need to look for several features: Will the canner hold four quart-sized jars? Can you vent, monitor, and adjust its pressure? Does it work on a stovetop or pressurize and depressurize as slowly as a stovetop pressure canner? All of those answers should be "yes" if you want to use the device for pressure canning. Always read and follow your canner's directions, as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture instructions to ensure that your canned food is safe to eat.
Best Overall
Presto 16-Quart Aluminum Pressure Canner and Cooker
Affordable
Durable
Mid-size capacity
Works on most cooktops
Holds quarts only when pressure canning
This classic 16-quart pressure canner has stood the test of time and resembles models the USDA used to set its pressure canning guidelines. It holds 10 pint-sized jars, and like many larger canners, it can also hold seven quart-sized jars. It even doubles as a water-bath canner for pint and half-pint jars (but not quart jars) of high-acid foods.
We love the versatility of this pot. During testing, we found out that one can be used for multiple home canning projects, as well as pressure cooking. We also like its sturdiness and longevity but found that using it on large burners above 12,000 BTUs can warp the bottom.
This aluminum pressure canner works on gas, electric, and glass ranges, but not induction cooktops. The dial pressure gauge helps you adjust the pressure needed for safe canning at high altitudes, and the 35-page instruction manual includes recipes for pressure canning, water-bath canning, and pressure cooking. Basically, this one works efficiently, independently, and safely, just like this appliance should.
Liquid Capacity: 16 quarts | Mason Jar Capacity: 13 half-pints, 10 pints, 7 quarts | Material: Aluminum | Dimensions: 17.52 x 13.5 x 12 inches | Weight: 9.25 pounds
The Spruce Eats / Julie Laing
The Spruce Eats / Julie Laing
The Spruce Eats / Julie Laing
The Spruce Eats / Julie Laing
Best Large-Capacity
Presto Pressure Canner and Cooker
Works on most cooktops
Built to last
Lightweight for size
Needs recalibration occasionally
Comes with only one rack
A bumper crop or large catch calls for a large-capacity canner; the trick is balancing size vs. weight. Larger pressure canners are available, but this 23-quart model weighs less than 11 pounds when empty, holds 20 pint-sized jars, and isn't too heavy to lift when fully loaded. You'll need to stack the jars to fit that many pints, which is easiest if you purchase a second rack.
In its test batches, we found that this 23-quart stovetop canner ran like clockwork. The locking cover felt firm and secure, and the size was ideal for pressure canning quart jars of baked beans and turning a bumper crop of rhubarb into 13 12-ounce jars of sauce in a single water-bath batch. Just note that you will likely have to bring water to the canner rather than setting the canner in the sink, as it didn't fit in the basin or under our faucet.
The canner's dial gauge makes necessary altitude adjustments easily, but like all dial gauges, it should be tested and recalibrated occasionally. The aluminum pot can double as a water-bath canner for all jar sizes and works on gas and electric stoves. Newer glass cooktops may support its loaded weight, but you should check your stove's rating first.
We believe that with the proper care, this pressure canner can be a staple appliance in your kitchen for years and years to come.
Liquid Capacity: 23 quarts | Mason Jar Capacity: 26 half-pints, 20 pints, 7 quarts | Material: Aluminum | Dimensions: 17.5 x 13.5 x 15.5 inches | Weight: 10.32 pounds
The Spruce Eats / Julie Laing
The Spruce Eats / Vicky Wasik
Best Small-Capacity
All American Pressure Cooker & Canner
Takes up minimal space
Seals without a gasket
Reliable
Easy to use and maintain
Expensive
Heavy
If you can small batches and treat your pressure canner with love, a small-capacity canner can last a lifetime. All American makes some of the sturdiest and most reliable canners out there, but they're also among the heaviest and most expensive.
This 10.5-quart pressure canner is among the smallest on the market that meets NCHFP guidelines, holding four quart- and seven pint-sized regular-mouth jars. Even then, it's too small for safely canning smoked fish, but its size makes it the lightest All American model, weighing approximately 14 pounds when empty.
It comes with a dial gauge and regulator weight that does the real work of maintaining consistent pressure, so the canner doesn't need recalibration. The overpressure plug should still be replaced annually. Its sealing system also differs from other brands: Instead of a gasket that can wear out, wing nut clamps seal the lid to the pot. We recommend oiling the beveled edge of the pot with a bit of olive oil to help keep the metal-on-metal seal easy to open and close, but we were impressed with the minimal maintenance and assembly required.
Liquid Capacity: 10.5 quarts | Mason Jar Capacity: 7 pints, 4 quarts | Material: Aluminum | Dimensions: 12.25 x 12.25 x 11.8 inches | Weight: 14.8 pounds
The Spruce Eats / Julie Laing
The Spruce Eats / Julie Laing
The Spruce Eats / Julie Laing
The Spruce Eats / Julie Laing
Best Budget
Mirro Polished Aluminum Pressure Cooker
Affordable
Lightweight when empty
No need for annual recalibration
Holds lots of jars
No fine-tuning at high elevations
Locking lid is tricky
Only works on gas and electric stoves
For a large-capacity canner on a budget, Mirro's 22-quart model might be perfect. It holds 7 quart-sized jars, 18 stacked pint-sized jars, or 24 half-pint jars. If you live near sea level, you'll love the weight gauges for different pressure levels. This is less ideal if you live at a high altitude; instead of making an incremental pressure adjustment for your elevation, you must use the 15-PSI regulator, potentially affecting food quality. We tested this one at 3,000 feet of elevation and had to adjust the burner heat more often than with dial-gauge canners to keep the pressure steady.
Mirro's pressure canners have concave bottoms, so they aren't suitable for flat-top surfaces, whether glass or induction. The 22-quart canner comes with two jar racks: one for the pot's bottom and one for stacking pint-sized or smaller jars. The only added expense will likely be the occasional replacement of the rubber sealing gasket.
We found that the canner worked well when processing beans in mixed batches and sealed all lids when jarring soup, though it took a few tries to get the perfect alignment and lock the canner's lid closed. While this product is marketed as a pressure canner and pressure cooker, we think it's so big that you'll likely never use it to pressure cook unless you're making huge batches.
Liquid Capacity: 22 quarts | Mason Jar Capacity: 24 half-pints, 9 pints, 7 quarts | Material: Aluminum | Dimensions: 17 x 14 x 17 inches | Weight: 15 pounds
The Spruce Eats / Julie Laing
The Spruce Eats / Julie Laing
The Spruce Eats / Julie Laing
Best Digital
Presto Precise Digital Pressure Canner
Easy to use
Simple controls
Cycles automatically through processing steps
Built-in venting and cooling times
Food safety not yet verified by USDA
Hard-to-read labels for positioning
Presto released an electric pressure canner that the brand claims has been tested against USDA guidelines. However, the USDA and NCHFP have yet to weigh in publicly on its safety for pressure canning. We're including it on this list since it's the only potentially safe digital canner on the market right now.
Consider this model a smart canner; after filling it and selecting pressure-canning or water-bath mode, the machine takes over. It's equipped with a sensor that automatically selects temperature and pressure settings, and it automatically cycles through processing, a 10-minute venting period, and a cooling period. For those who are intimidated by the canning process, this could be an incredible choice.
During testing, we felt pretty confident in trusting the appliance since the instruction manual follows USDA recommendations for safe canning. The cans sealed properly in both pressure-canning and water-bath modes, but it's imperative to follow the manual's instructions for safety reasons.
Liquid Capacity: 12 quarts | Mason Jar Capacity: 10 half-pints, 8 pints, or 5 quarts (quart-sized only in pressure canning mode) | Material: Nonstick stainless steel | Dimensions: 17 x 14 x 16 inches | Weight: 20.5 pounds
The Spruce Eats / Julie Laing
The Spruce Eats / Julie Laing
The Spruce Eats / Julie Laing
The Spruce Eats / Julie Laing
Best for Small Kitchens
Granite Ware Pressure Canner Cooker Steamer
Versatile
Doesn't need recalibration
Small pint jar capacity
Granite Ware is known for its speckled water-bath pots, but has branched into pressure canners with a different, hard-anodized aluminum look. If you have limited storage space and want one pot that will steam tamales, cook beans, and can soups, this 20-quart canner may be your ideal tool.
The weighted-gauge canner has three interchangeable regulators for different pressure levels, and the steamer rack sits several inches off the bottom. The canning rack features folding handles familiar in water-bath canners, too. It can hold seven quart-sized jars, but only eight pint-sized jars because of its low sidewalls. On the upside, it's easier to pull jars in and out of a short pot.
"Weighted gauges are usually designed to 'jiggle' several times a minute or to keep rocking gently when they are maintaining the correct pressure," says Elizabeth L. Andress, a Ph.D., Professor Emerita and Extension Food Safety Specialist at the University of Georgia. "There are several different styles of weighted gauges. Read your manufacturer’s directions to know how a particular weighted gauge should rock or jiggle to indicate that the proper pressure is reached and then maintained continuously during processing."
Liquid Capacity: 20 quarts | Mason Jar Capacity: 24 half-pints, 8 pints, 7 quarts | Material: Aluminum | Dimensions: 14.5 x 14.25 x 13.38 inches | Weight: 10.5 pounds
Best for Induction Ranges
Presto Pressure Canner and Cooker
Works on all cooktops
Large capacity
May not work with portable induction burners
Pressure canners are generally aluminum, but Presto added a stainless steel-clad base to this 23-quart model so that it works on gas, electric, and smooth-top ranges. It's still best to check burner specs on glass ranges and induction burners to make sure they can withstand the weight of the canner when it's full, but users note that it's consistent on all range types, easy to use and long-lasting when treated with some care.
Besides the stainless steel bottom, the induction canner is essentially the same as Presto's highly-rated, all-aluminum 23-quart pressure canner. It has a large capacity to process big batches and a steam dial pressure gauge. Just note that a portable burner may not be the best choice for using this product (or any canner), since they can lack the heating power needed to achieve canning pressure.
Liquid Capacity: 23 quarts | Mason Jar Capacity: 26 half-pints, 20 pints, 7 quarts | Material: Aluminum | Dimensions: 17.5 x 13.5 x 15.5 inches | Weight: 10.32 pounds
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The Spruce Eats / Julie Laing
Final Verdict
The Presto 01755 16-Quart Aluminum Pressure Canner and Cooker is our top choice because it is large enough to hold a full batch of jars, but small enough to move when full. For a more affordable option that's both large-capacity and lightweight, the Mirro 92122A Polished Aluminum Pressure Cooker thoroughly impressed our home tester.
How We Tested
We sent some of the top pressure canners to the homes of our experienced food writers so they could spend weeks testing their capabilities. Our testers used the different models to pressure can and water-bath can foods like soups, jams, produce, stocks, pickles, and even meat and fish. The canners were evaluated based on their value, safety certifications, versatility, features, and performance, as well as their ease of use, cleaning, maintenance, and storage. Canning can be intimidating at first, especially when you factor in calibration and whether you're working at high elevation or sea level, so our testers kept both user-friendliness and reliability in mind.
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The Spruce Eats / Sara Bir
What to Look for in a Pressure Canner
Capacity
Based on USDA safety regulations, pressure canners need to hold at least four quart-sized jars with lids for safe processing.
Large canners that can handle seven quart-sized jars and sometimes three times as many pint-sized jars will make quicker work of your harvest.
Even larger canners are available, but are heavy and difficult to move when full.
Overall Size
A pressure canner spends more time in storage than in use, so be prepared to stash away a big pot with a bulky lid.
The larger the pot, the heavier it will be, especially when it’s full of water and jars of food. When choosing a pressure canner size, how much weight you want to lift is just as important as how many jars you want to process at one time.
Features
Pressure canning combines heat and pressure to kill microorganisms. To do this safely and effectively, a pressure canner must have a UL approval symbol and meet NCHFP guidelines.
Most modern pressure canners should also have the following key features: removable ventilated racks, a locking lid, an automatic vent/cover lock, a steam vent, a pressure gauge or regulator, and a safety plug.
Material
Most pressure canners are made from aluminum to cut down on weight and cost. You’ll need one with a stainless steel bottom if you have an induction cooktop.
FAQs
How do you use a pressure canner?
Pressure canning is a process, and each step ensures your jars of food are safe to eat. Be sure to read and follow the specific directions that came with your canner, plus the NCHFP instructions for pressure canning.
They’ll tell you to heat several inches of water, add properly filled and lidded jars, and lock on the canner lid. Let the canner steam and then come up to and maintain steady pressure before you start timing. When your kitchen timer goes off, let the canner cool and depressurize naturally before removing the lid and jars.
Those are the basics, but the safety really is in the details from the canner’s manufacturer and the NCHFP.
When should you use a pressure canner?
To ensure food safety, use a pressure canner any time you want to preserve low-acid foods at their natural pH level. This includes meat, poultry, seafood, and vegetables, including soups and stocks.
Low-acid foods have a pH higher than 4.6, according to the FDA. You could use pressure canning for high-acid foods, like most fruits, but it will take more time and might be less tasty than if you chose boiling water-bath canning.
Are pressure canners and pressure cookers interchangeable?
Pressure cookers resemble pressure canners, but they're not always dual-purpose, even when marketed that way. The ones that are right for canning must pass two safety checks: The first, by Underwriter Laboratories, certifies that it works safely (look for the UL approval symbol stamped on the pot's bottom) and the second, regulated by the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP), ensures that the food sealed inside jars is safe to eat.
If the thought of pressure canning makes you feel like a mad scientist, an electric pressure cooker or multicooker may seem tempting, but researchers have questioned their safe use for pressure canning. Preliminary research from Utah State University found that using electric pressure cookers "may not destroy the bacteria that is responsible for botulism poisoning."
What is the difference between pickling and pressure canning?
The alternative to pressure canning for low-acid foods is pickling. By adding an acid like vinegar to a low-acid food like green beans, you can raise the pH enough to safely process the jar in boiling water.
Without that extra acid, you need the combination of ultra-high temperature and pressure—achieved with a pressure canner—to kill microorganisms.
If you want canned green beans that mimic their fresh flavor, choose pressure canning. If you want green beans that keep their fresh crispness, but have a tangy taste, pickle them.
What else do you need?
Canning requires jars specifically made for home canning and flat canning lids with rings to hold them in place until they seal.
To have the most fun and least mess when canning, you’ll also want a ladle, a wide-mouth funnel for filling jars, and a jar lifter for moving full and hot jars.
A second jar rack helps when stacking jars in a pressure canner.
Don’t forget a marker or labels, so you can write down what’s in the jars and when you canned them.
Why Trust The Spruce Eats?
This roundup was written by Julie Laing, who has been a writer and editor for more than 25 years. She currently specializes in pickling, preserving, sourdough baking, and generally making good food from scratch year-round. She grew up pressure canning foods from the family garden and published her first cookbook, "The Complete Guide to Pickling," in 2020.
This roundup was updated by Sharon Lehman, a home cook who happens to be a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, and Katya Weiss-Andersson, a writer and editor who has nearly a decade of experience as a professional chef.
Sources
- Elizabeth L. Andress, Ph.D., Professor Emerita and Extension Food Safety Specialist at the University of Georgia