Presto 01781 Pressure Canner and Cooker, 23 qt, Silver

Fast delivery, no damage, no missing parts and no issues at all! Large capacity and time savings! Built strong and sturdy!

I just received my unit and although I have not used the unit, I have read the book completely and called presto and they say there's no need to have the gauge checked. If it's new, it's ready go to, just follow the cleaning instructions on page 6 and 7 of the book. They also state there's no reason to buy another 15lb rocker because it comes with one. I ordered the extra rocker for $12 but the unit came last night and has a 15lb rocker in it. Pressure regulator would be the better more proper term, not rocker. I also work in the air pressure industry for a living and we rarely test our gauges unless something obvious is happening and we have variable testing at our facility that goes from 10psi to 300 psi, which that kind of pressure can be dangerous. So I'm not sure why people think they need to get their gauge tested. Even if the gauge is faulty, the rocker is going to rock at 15lbs and never let the pot get higher than this. Additionally, the books states there is a vent pipe (page4) is the "primary pressure relief valve and will release pressure in excess of 15 pounds. The pressure regulator sits loosely on the vent pipe." That's a quote. So this unit is designed to be at 15 lbs or below which the pot can handle. I'm not sure why anyone would blow the lid off unless they rolled their rubber ring, their ring was old or not seated properly or the top was not locked. Again, I haven't used the unit yet, and will follow up soon with a review on that, but from my perspective, I'm going to can tomatoes over the next couple of days and that is 11 lbs of pressure which means I will need my gauge and my rocker should never rock. I have to play with the heat to find where my stove dial holds the pot at 11 lbs and make sure I never see the pressure regulator move or that means the pot has reached 15 lbs. ?? Some of these reviews were confusing and also caused me to buy a 15 lb regulator that came with the unit. It seems unnecessary. ?? Sure seems it's ready to go out of the box, no need to check or buy another item. Okay, I went home and used it last night. I have updates. First, this is a great unit. I can't imagine anyone blowing the lid off if you align it and lock it down. I filled it with water, put it on and ran it up to 15 lbs of pressure. On my stove it took 19 minutes to get there but that's going to vary. I think I understand why people suggest getting the variable weight. In my case, I can a lot of tomatoes. I need this at 10-11 pounds for 15 minutes. I either have to play with the heat setting on my stove to get it to stay at 10-11 pounds, while keeping an eye on it, OR if you buy the rocker weight that is 5-10-15 lbs, you can take it apart, make it a 10 lb rocker and just set it and forget it. I see the logic but don't think that makes buyin the other part necessary, it just saves a little time. Plus, for tomatoes, they suggest 11 lbs. If you are anal and want 11, the variable weight can't do that. if you don't mind 10-11 pounds, no big deal. Either way, I didn't take my cooker to have the gauge tested, This is ready to go out of the box. Just make sure and put a little oil on the ring to keep it in good shape and you might just want to have a back up ring on hand as the unit ages so that on that weekend you want to can, if the ring splits, you slide the new one in and keep going. Great unit and it's HUGE! I love it. Another update...this baby is getting a good workout. Canned a bunch of sauce last night, working on more as I type. We bought the additional weight/rocker that you can make 5-10-15 pounds. Put it at 10 pounds and let it pressure for 16 minutes. Gets the tomato sauce in the jars up to 240 degrees killing all that might be present. Great pressure canner. Highly recommend. Again, still don't understand how anyone could blow the lid off if you align this properly. No blown lids here. Just gotta read the book and use it properly I think. Another update - well, we've done 7 gallons of roma tomato sauce, 5 quarts a session and this pressure canner is great. It's so easy to lock the lid. I've also realized it has a special lock that when pressure starts to build, but even before it can be read on the gauge, the lock pops up and there's no way you can open this canner with pressure so no danger. I will say that when my 16 minutes at 11 lbs for tomato sauce are up, I take a kitchen knife and lean the pressure rocker over to let the steam out quickly. Within 4-5 minutes, all the pressure has bleed out, the lock goes back down and I take the lid off. This is not in the book, but I was just dying to see how the jars looks. As I took them out, they were still boiling and we put a laser temp gauge on them and they were reading 210-215. Given the heat was turned off over 4-5 minutes ago, it's reasonable to assume it was indeed up to 240 which is what is needed to kill all the stuff for tomato sauce. Keep in mind, this is different for every food, for every size and for every elevation. So read the book for your food and it will tell you what to do. I recommend citric acid as well as the adjustable pressure regulator (rocker) and a canning kit, particularly to get the jars out. Taking them out at 215 degrees is careful business. But it's cool to see them boiling inside the jars. And within 10 minutes, they are down to 160 which is when the 'tinning' or vacuming starts. As you know, the cooling is what causes the air tight seal, not the pressure canning. Pressure canning is to raise the temp up high enough to kill all the germs, when you take them out, they do the tinning sounds and you can hear all the tops going ting, ting.....ting...then you know you are getting a great seal!

I've been using this for over a year now, and it's been amazing. The quality is really good and it's the best canner I've used. I checked prices everywhere, and Amazon had the best deal by far. It's all aluminum and works great on my glass-top stove. The thick bottom plate spreads heat evenly, and it easily holds 18 PSI by adjusting the heat. It's way lighter and much quieter than my old All American canner - no loud noise that bothers anyone in the house. I use it almost weekly for canning vegetables, meats, and soups. It holds a lot, heats evenly, and keeps pressure really well. Super simple to use, and cleanup is easy too. If the rubber gasket wears out, it's only $7 to replace. The manual warns not to use it on outdoor propane burners over 12,000 BTU or it'll warp, but on a regular stove, it's perfect. It's held up perfectly with frequent use. Definitely worth the investment and should last me a long time. Highly recommend if you want a solid, no-fuss pressure canner.

23 Quart pressure canner for $76 plus free shipping? Okay, sounds great. Shipped USPS on 10/22 arrived on 10/23 [Sunday]?? Stunned, is what I am, stunned. A big THANK YOU to the shipping team at Amazon!! Okay, so here's my review. All aluminum, body & top are lightly polished. The bottom has a 10 inch diameter, 1/4" thick bottom-plate to disperse heat better. The pressure caner can be used on a glass-top range... just tested it on mine [a Jenn-Air Model... well in Jenn-Air fashion, they put the info on the underside of the stove... very smart move!], worked great. In the Presto manual, there are more than a few warnings NOT to use this unit on an outdoor propane cooker as the excessive heat will warp the bottom. It states, nothing over 12,000 BTU burner, which is a normal large burner on an average range top. I also own an All American 21.5 qt pressure caner. My personal opinion is, the Presto is better for non-industrial useage. The Presto costs 66% less, is MUCH lighter, can be used on a glass-top range where the All American cannot, mostly because of it's weight. The Presto is WAY quieter. The shuka - shuka - shuka of the 'vent-weight' on the ALL American is so loud my wife asked me never to use it when she's home reading or watching the Idiot Box. To keep 'things' copacetic at home, I obliged. Presto's is as quiet as it gets. No complaints from the wife, 10 feet away, reading... always reading. If the Presto's rubber gasket fails over time, a new one can be had for $7. If the aluminum mating surfaces of the ALL American fail, you have to buy a new pressure caner, or take it to a machine shop that can accommodate a 15 inch part on a lathe. How can it fail? If you don't clean it immediately after use, maybe, for whatever reason, you don't get to it for a week, pitting of the mating surfaces will occur. At that point, unless you have a lathe that can chuck a 20" part, the ALL American is toast. I've personally seen this pitting happen more than once. This happened when cooking a roast, beef tongue, not canning. The meat was removed, the liquid was left behind for about 2 weeks because of an out-of-state family emergency. "Somebody" was not pleased when he attempted to use it the next time. The ALL American, no matter how tight the lid, would not hold pressure. All American caners/cookers are super high quality, VERY heavy duty. But as we age, that weight can become a problem. So, I'm pretty stoked with the Presto, the price and, the shipping miracle.

The Presto 01781 Pressure Canner and Cooker, with its 23 qt capacity and sleek silver design, has been a game-changer in my mushroom growing endeavors, and I am more than happy to share my positive experience with this versatile tool. From the get-go, what impressed me was its sheer size and simplicity of use. The canner is spacious enough to accommodate all my sterilization needs without feeling cumbersome. Its construction is robust, promising longevity and resilience, especially important when dealing with the rigors of regular sterilization processes required in mushroom cultivation. The ease of assembly and operation is noteworthy. Setting it up was straightforward, thanks to the clear instructions provided, making it ready for use almost immediately. The inclusion of a 15lb pressure regulator, contrary to my initial belief, negated the need for any additional purchases, streamlining the process further. Its performance in sterilizing mushroom substrate jars has been exceptional. The canner efficiently reaches and maintains the necessary 15psi, crucial for eliminating any contaminants, thereby ensuring a sterile environment for mushroom spawn. The safety features, including a lock that engages with pressure buildup and a vent pipe acting as a primary pressure relief valve, instill confidence in its use, mitigating any concerns of potential mishaps. The capacity to hold and effectively sterilize multiple jars in a single session has significantly optimized my workflow. Not only does it save time, but it also allows for larger batches to be prepared, enhancing productivity. The durability of the canner, evidenced by the heavy-duty seal and quality materials, ensures that it can withstand the demands of frequent use. While primarily purchased for mushroom growing, its versatility extends beyond, capable of canning a wide array of foods, which speaks to its multifunctionality. The only caveat noted was the gauge and weight discrepancy during operation, which required some attention to ensure accurate pressure management. However, this was a minor issue in the grand scheme, easily overshadowed by its overall stellar performance. In conclusion, the Presto 01781 Pressure Canner and Cooker has been an invaluable addition to my mushroom cultivation toolkit. Its robust construction, ease of use, and exceptional functionality make it a highly recommended purchase for anyone in the field. Whether you're a seasoned mycologist or a hobbyist looking to dive into mushroom cultivation, this pressure canner and cooker is a wise investment that promises reliability, efficiency, and safety.

The Presto 0178107 works perfectly and feels solid and well made. It holds pressure very well and does exactly what it should. The only downside is that it only comes with a 15 PSI weight — it would be much better if Presto included the adjustable 5 / 10 / 15 PSI weight as standard. Other than that, it’s an excellent canner and I’m very happy with it.

I got this specifically for canning, and have used it now to make pickles, apples, applesauce, applebutter, roasted peppers and am going to be doing squash next. It has worked great, it seems of good quality, but this is ENORMOUS! I don't think I really realized how big it would be. Due to it's size you have the advantage of being able to get the water deep enough to hold 2 tiers of pint cans for a boiling water bath (though getting an extra rack would make that easier), and it holds 7 quart jars as well. Thing is though that the 16 quart says it can hold 7 quart jars as well, and while probably it couldn't do 2 rows of pints as a boiling water bath, I bet it gets up to temperature alot faster and doesn't take up so much space. Those are really my only complaints with this, it takes quite a while to build up pressure and it is just so big I have no choice but to stick it in the room I keep my canned products, no room in my kitchen. That said, before I bought this I had no idea you can use a pressure canner to cook. I tried using this to make a beef roast, and it was UNBELIEVABLE! In like 40 minutes I had beef that fell apart like I had roasted it all day, only it was juicier and the flavor was MUCH BETTER penetrated through, amazing! Of course the problem was clean up... it's just so big that it barely fits in my sink. I ended up finding an 8qt pressure cooker that I've been using since to do my day to day cooking with (and you can save money buying cheaper meats that will taste like you cooked them all day!) and I pull out this for the canning... though I am seriously considering doing my Thanksgiving turkey in this!! (I bet it will be good too). This is I am finding out what is known as "first generation" for a pressure cooker, and it makes quite a bit of noise, but that doesn't bother me so much, those others are alot more $$ of of my pocket... I can handle a little noise, thank you. If what you want is a really big quality pressure canner that looks like it will probably last the rest of your life (with maybe a replacement gauge or seal or something along the way), this is a great choice for the money.

YES , invest in your family now , buy this , i mean it .... give your family great quality made , nutrient dense packed home made foods today , really , you should . the crap on the store shelves is keeling American's by starving the people of nutrients , making them zombies . this is an amazing and wonderful thing to do for you and your family . Start canning today , its 100% worth the investment . its been about 3-4 yrs. since i bought mine now , and i only wish id started much earlier ..... no regrets , DO IT !