Tips & Mistakes to Avoid: Buying a Pressure Canner

I pretty much knew that I want to purchase an All-American Pressure Canner from the beginning. But at the point I decided to start canning I didn't have enough money saved up. So I first bought a Presto Pressure Pressure Canner. Both are excellent products.  
First things first, do you need a pressure canner? The answer would be YES! My goal was to start learning and practicing my self-sufficiency skills as quickly as possible, instead of running around not knowing what to do in an emergency situation.
For the health and safety of your family you need to memorized this...

You can cook in a pressure canner,

but you can not can in a pressure cooker!

Please make sure it actually says "Pressure Canner" on the box or ad.

First, I would recommend buying the largest capacity pressure canner that will fit on your stove. I have found personally as I learned how easy it was to can, that being able to double stack (two layers of canning jars in the canner) really deceased the amount of time I spent in the kitchen. I highly recommend a pressure canner that you are able to double stack when canning.

Measure Carefully: One of the biggest mistakes I made when purchasing my All-American was not measuring accurately. Sadly I am not the only person who has made this mistake. Imagine how disappointed I was when my brand spanking new All-American canner came and it wouldn't fit between my stove top and the mini-oven that was above my range.

Needless to say, when we were purchasing our new home, I carried a tape measure with me to measure every stove.

Since I made my initial purchase without knowing what to ask; I started with a 16 qt. Presto Pressure Canner, which I wasn't able to double stack. 

There are advantages and disadvantages to The Presto brand. One big advantage is it is lighter weight and easier to move back and forth. Also the Presto is less expensive. The big disadvantage from a prepper's point of view is that you will need to store more spare parts like a sealing ring/rubber gasket and a regulator/weight. But, Presto doesn't even recommend storing the rubber seal and the pressure plug. Hmmm...now that is something to really think about.

You may want to opt for buying the 23 qt. Presto Pressure Canner. if it fits on your stove. All in all, I have been very pleased with my Presto Pressure Canner. I still use it frequently.

BUT, I quickly made it a priority to purchased a double stack pressure canner, saved up my money and purchased my All-American within 4 months. Remember to measure carefully before you purchase.

Recently I was canning a large batch of green beans using my All-American at my new house. You know, where it fits on my stove.

I loved that I was able to get some much done because of being able to double stack. In my opinion, the All-American is a much sturdier appliance & really worth the extra cost. I think as a prepper, the fact it doesn't have parts that need replacing it a huge bonus. Instead of a rubber gasket, the AA has meal to metal construction. Which if maintained properly will last forever.
For example if you read your instruction manual, every now and then you simply need to apply a little oil to the rim of the canner and lid. I used coconut oil, since that is the only oil I have at home now.

Would you like to see the All-American in action? How To Pressure Can Green Beans Tips & more...

Having two canners certainly has it's advantages. If I have a big canning day, like when I get 40-80 lbs of Zaycon chicken to can, I am able to run two canners at a time and knock out my canning three times as fast.

Don't forget other items you will need to can. You definitely will need some canning utensils. If you are a prepper remember the "two is one and one is none" principle. 

I also recommend a having a good canning book. Most people get the "Ball Complete Book on Home Preserving".

Last point is to sit down and read your instruction manual that come with your canner. It has a wealth of information. I actually still read mine often to keep the safety measures and canner maintenance fresh in my mind. 

It may seem like a lot of up front money to start canning; but it is well worth the investment when you are able to start storing real, healthy food that you have grown or purchased instead of having cans of store bought stuff. Plus, you are better prepared to be self-sufficient if and when the S should HTF. 

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