I cant find anything on consumer reports to assist me in my decision on a brand of pressure cooker... anyone have suggestions that wont break the bank? I need one 6 qt or larger.
I'm happy with my 30 quart Presto pressure canner. I can pressure can 18 regular pints or 8 regular quarts and waterbath can 9 regular pints or 8 widemouth pints. It did cost a bit but I suggest getting one that you can pressure can and waterbath can both. You might try Craigslist for your area. Good luck!
I see them at thrift shops and flea markets a lot. But some of them are missing the pressure gauge thing. And I don't know if you can download manuals from the internet. I saw a Presto pressure cooker today at Wal-mart on clearance for $52.00. I have a Mirro 12 qt but I've seen they are up at $90.00 new. I paid $30.00 for mine about 10 years ago.
Scoop brought out a good point. If you get one used, you might have to get a new gasket, pressure guage, or weight. Sometimes those deals are not as great as you initially thought. But if you know what you are doing, you can get great deals. Those thrift shops and flea markets are great places to get the accessories you need, like the jar lifters or racks. You might check out estate sales too.
I got my Presto Pressure cooker/canner- 23qts., at this link: http://www.everyespressomachine.com/Presto-01781-PTO1038.html There is an additional 10% off and free shipping, so it came to only 74 dollars... It is a wonderful product- I love mine! Hope this helps!
Make sure you don't have a glass stovetop before you buy one though. That was close to being my big mistake until members here threw that one at me and I called Sears to see if my stovetop could take it. That was a big resounding "NO" too! Glad I didn't try it. Just FYI.
This might fall into the "break the bank" heading but we have had several pressure canners over the years and this is by far the best. http://www.allamericancanner.com/ The best thing is it doesn't have a rubber sealing gasket. all the other ones we ever had the seal would stretch over time and not seal right. the all american seals first time every time. it should last you for as long as you ever care to can. Steve in NC
I bought the same one Cattray44 did at WalMart yesterday for 62$ on sale. I needed it for venison and it seems like it will do the job nicely.
I'm going to agree with Steve. I do a LOT of canning all year round so my canner is important. I went with the very best and called it an investment. My All American is the biggest one you can get (but be careful of clearance between stove and vent) and cost me a little over 200 used on ebay but it's more than paid that back over the years that I've used it without ever having to replace anything or worry about a thing.