All American 1930-21.5qt Pressure Cooker/Canner (The 921), Berry Blue - Exclusive Metal-to-Metal Sealing System - Suitable for Gas, Electric, or Flat Top Stoves - Made in the USA

This is my 2nd All American Canner. I wanted the 41 qt it and it is a game changer! It holds so much more than my 21 qt! It is heavy duty and well made. There just isn't another canner on the market that compares to All American! It is worth the money if you are canning! During the first use, the pressure gauge had some condensation. I called in and sent a photo. They shipped a new one out and it arrived 3 days later. The only other difference in this one vs my 21 qt is the canner racks. The ones sent with this are wire racks instead of the aluminum ones that came with my 21 qt years ago. The wire racks will rust so be sure to pull them out when you pull out the cans. I should be able to can all summer long.

This 41 quart pressure cooker is more like a full sized appliance, and certainly not grandma's stove top Presto cooker. The principals are the same however and if you have the space, intelligence to thoroughly follow important instructions, and the need for a huge pressure cooker/canner, THIS IS IT! I was nearly able to process an entire deer in one round of pressure canning with this pig. It's well built, reliable, really easy to use, and not scary at all if you FOLLOW DIRECTIONS. I am reviewing the the 41 quart version, and I assure you it does not fit on my stove top without hitting the exhaust fan shroud above....not that I would consider trying to use this unit on my stove top, but realize this thing is very large. I used a quality outdoor propane burner for heating this behemoth, and I do mean quality propane burner that has the ability to be well regulated for heating purposes. If you're a homesteader, hunter/fisherman, big gardener, etc., and time is important to you, AND you do your own canning, then this might be the unit for you. I have pressure canned HUGE volumes of vegetables in short order with this, once prepped to do so, it took far less time than a stove top pressure cooker. The actual process is easy, it's the preparation that is paramount when setting this unit up. Having your product ready to can, whatever that may be, jars/lids sterilized and ready, and room enough to proceed and finish without interference is the key. This unit, if properly maintained, could be potentially handed down for generations, it's that well built. Lock handles, lid, gauge, instructions, etc. are all high quality. PLUS, this product is made in the USA, which is a big bonus in my world...American people, American jobs, American product. I love this pressure cooker/canner and use it year round, mainly for summer vegetable and fish, and fall/winter game meat. Bottom line, if you're into doing your own pressure canning with VOLUMETRIC efficiency, I would recommend this product highly.

This is an absolutely beautiful Pressure Canner made right here in the USA. After a long while trying to decide which model to get I finally decided on the 41.5 quart. The first thing I did when the UPS driver left was to fill the canner with 19 empty Ball quart jars. They fit perfectly. My mother had an old Mirro pressure canner that would only hold 7 quarts. When she saw it her first comment was how much faster I'd be able to get the canning done. As far as quality goes I don't see how you could get any better. This thing screams American made quality. Every part seems to be heavy duty and the fit and finish are second to none. I think this will be something the family will be fighting over after I'm gone so I guess I better start deciding who I'm going to leave it to in my will. One thing to remember - this pressure canner is huge. You will probably have trouble fitting it on top of the stove in your kitchen unless you pull the stove out in order for the canner to clear the fan. I'll be using a Bayou Classic single burner patio stove outside in the garage when I do my canning. I've seen others do this on youtube and I think it's the way to go with this particular model. This canner weighs 39 pounds empty. It has good handles so if you need help two people could pick this up before you put water and jars in. It's my hope that more younger people get into canning and I think this is the canner to get if you really want to put up a years worth of food without spending a week in the kitchen. ***UPDATE*** 09/07/2014 I have had this pressure canner for two days and I just did my first batch. I canned 24 Ball widemouth PINT jars of pinto beans and ham. The following is my timing list... 1. @ 10:40am I lite the propane gas burner 2. @ 11:04am the first sign of steam appeared (I could have turned up the flame more and reached this point faster) 3. @ 11:12am a steady stream of steam was visible - I let this steady stream go on for 13 minutes which is a little longer than needed before I added the weight. 4. @ 11:24am the gauge was reading 5psi without my adding the weight (10psi setting on the weight at my altitude - your setting may be different) 5. @ 11:25am I put the weight on using the 10psi setting 6. @ 11:28am the pressure reached 10psi 7. @ 11:30am the pressure gauge was reading just over 11psi which is perfect for my altitude - at this point I had to turn down the propane burner so low that the flame was barely able to maintain itself. That means it uses very little propane once it reaches temperature. 8. @ 1:00pm exactly 90 minutes after the pressure gauge was reading 11psi I turned off the gas burner. 9. @ 1:40pm the pressure gauge had returned to 0psi 10. I removed the weight and then carefully removed the lid and placed it on the same towel that I used to put the jars on. It took 3 hours for me to go from lighting the burner and then going back to 0psi after 90 minutes of processing. Not bad at all. All 24 of the jars did perfectly. I did not watch to see how long the contents of the jars continued to boil. I wanted to give out this information about my first experience with this canner because this is all the information I wanted to know before I decided to purchase the model 941. I am extremely happy with this purchase and will be recommending this size pressure canner to everyone.

The AAPC is the best unit on the market for my money. I can about 2,000+ jars a year so I know my equipment. With shipping and tax Amazon does have the best price..my last AAPC was bought as a gift for me on another account which is why this is not a verified purchase review. The AAPC's are made in the USA and its built like a tank. Boiling hot liquids, steam and glass under 15lbs of pressure make that a very good thing. There are no plastic seals or gaskets to mess with or replace, easy to clean and AAPC sells replacement parts reasonably and provides inspection services and their warranty is outstanding. All AAPC units are heavy for their size..again that is a good thing. Look at what they weigh before you buy...plan on unloading jars on the stove instead of moving them loaded...it's no big deal. They can shatter or break flat cooktops. Make sure you have a burner large enough "around" for the unit base. This isn't about BTUs...it's how big the bottom of the pot is compared to the diameter of your burner..if the burner is too small, the canner and the heat sits on your cooktop...bad things can happen. If you have one of the small units you should not have any problems. Follow the first time use directions carefully or you can ruin the seat. Lube your seat well (yeah I know how that sounds)..DO not use "scented" Vaseline or the like, they can have abrasives in them and might pit your seat (I know that sounds bad too). These are safe and easy to use, don't be intimidated. Occasionally they vapor lock at zero pressure. Loosen the two clamp screws with a paper towel wrapped flat head and let it sit for a few.. it should turn freely..if its good and stuck use a dish towel wrapped flat head duty screw driver to gently pop the lid under the arms. Always wrap your screw driver...this is aluminum it protects the metal. Always use with the label facing you do not remove the label...match the pot and lid arrows up. Tighten the knobs correctly, two at a time across from each other gently at first, this ensures even sealing, when all are done, go back and tighten two at a time harder the same way. If you don't that, you will get uneven seals, uneven wear on the knobs and lots more vapor locks. Tighten the two clamp screws if need be. IF you process a great deal of low acid quarts spend the extra money and buy the double stack quart units like the 930 model. If all you do is pints make sure its sized for your needs..if you don't need 18 pints at a time don't buy the double stack. A little research goes a long way for sizes. I love my 921 for processing 18 pints but 3-4 hours of prep and process for 7-8 quarts of low acid like corn, didn't work for me. I had to buy a second unit the 930 (14-16 quarts) to make it time efficient. You will get mild to heavy mineral buildup depending on your water supply. Do not use just anything to clean them. Aluminum and cleaning products are not always good friends.. chemical reactions and pitting can occur and use a soft sponge or such. You can also use filtered, distilled or preboiled water to fill..it's only an inch or two of water you need and it saves you a lot of time cleaning the unit and the processed jars from scaling. I use this strictly as a pressure canner..yes people use them as a pressure cooker..I don't..it can reduce the lifespan and its more work to clean plus, you may get pitting from acid erosion with certain foods. Pressure cookers are cheap comparatively..pressure canners like these...not so much. I have had my AAPC 921 for over 4 years and no noticeable wear ...seriously I can 2,000+ jars a year that is more than most people do in 5 years. If you buy an AAPC and don't use it, put it on craigslist and you can sell it in a day... canners in your area will beat your door down to buy it for less than new...that's how good and how well known these are with canning enthusiast.

When I purchased this item, I didn't expect the manual to double as a cookbook! But it does. And it has stuff that would be hard to find...not just meats, but also tounges, liver, and various other animal-related things. It ALSO has instructions for canning...in CANS! Yes, actual metal cans, not just jars! (Aparently you can buy cans and lids for this purpose!) And don't forget you can use this as a pressure COOKER. it has instructions for that, too. It has a lot of recipes for meats and meals! Okay, onto the most important item...the canner itself: As stated, this unit is heavy, and heavy-duty. There is no gasket, just follow the instructions and "grease" the slanted inside lip with olive oil (or vaseline, but not general-purpose cooking oils) every 3-4 uses. They recommend an empty run so you know what noises a pressure canner makes when it is venting, and how to control the heat. With an electric stove, this is not difficult. One note, I find that I put the number dial on my electric stove 1 # lower with filled jars in the canner than with an empty practice run. It is easy to use, just make sure you have space above your stove to get jars out of the canner. I think someone else mentioned the unit by itself is 16" tall. As they say, tighten two opposite wingnuts at a time. It is easy, though I have yet to keep my vegetables from floating. It could be I have to switch to hot-pack (though I've read cold-pack is just safer since food won't be so packed it doesn't heat fully inside). I find my squash-tomato combo floats and liquid is lost. However, the jars sealed perfectly, which is the most important thing. I shook them down the next day to get the veggies back under the liquid, for the most part. (This is not a safety issue, though food above the liquid may discolor if on the shelf a long time. I'm not sure that will happen since I plopped into lemon-juiced water, and blanched the squash in same liquid before draining and adding tomatoes.) They are also very serious about burn issues. I am short, so to reach around the canner and adjust my stove temperature, I wear an oven mitt and drape a potholder over my forearm with the other hand. The instructions are quite complete, and I am impressed with the heaviness of the unit, and confident it will last and last! Even if the pressure dial ever wears out, the weighted gauge never will, so this is safe. Besides, the unit is MADE IN AMERICA, and parts can be ordered at any time. If you use this for years and years, maybe this will be the pressure dial or (I forget what to call it) emergency pressure release (rubberized thing stuck in a hole in the cover), or if you ever dropped the unit, a wing nut. You can get a new manual at any time. You can get a new safety label for FREE if the old one ever comes off. You can send the item for SERVICE IN THE U.S.A. if service, or just evaluation, is ever needed! I LOVE that Wisconson Aluminum Foundry is a good, old-fashioned, service-oriented AMERICAN company! Thank you!

I first started canning in college back in the 80's. I got out of it for many years because my work prevented having a good garden, or the time for canning. In so many ways, freezing is easier. Of course, when Hurricane Ike came through my town in 2008, I was without electricity for 3 weeks-so much for freezing. I have the time and the inclination to can again. I know from web research that Presto and All American are the two big brands over here. The Presto is a fraction of the cost of the All American, and there is a reason for that. The canner is much, much lighter in construction and, from the samples I looked at, also don't match the workmanship. Some reviewers will probably go on and on about not having to buy gaskets for this brand; I never minded buying gaskets periodically. The one caveat with this brand is that they are heavy-really heavy. I would've loved to get at least one size larger, but I'm physically limited so the 15.5 quart was the most I could pick up-and that's empty! Furthermore, it is so very nice to find a great product that is still made in our country instead of Red China or somewhere else equally goofy. It is obvious when buying one of these canners that they will be around for a long, long time. It amazes me how much really rough old ones go for on EBay. It should be noted that, while this canner is quite heavy, there is a very comfortable lid handle and also two large metal handles on the sides of the bottom. There are instructions given in the owner's manual for using this canner for a pressure cooker, but I can't see myself using it for that; it's just too bulky and heavy. Get a separate pressure cooker, preferably one in a smaller size. FOLLOWUP IN JULY 2012: one characteristic of both this canner and the smaller 10.5 quart that I also own is that these make superb cooking pots, even not under pressure. I own a couple of huge roasters that I use about twice a year and store in my garage. Today, I made a huge pot of chili in this canner with some roasts I got very cheaply. All one has to do is set this tight-fitting lid on top of the base, don't tighten any of the thumbscrews, and just leave the weight off the lid to allow venting of the cooking. I'm going to now have enough chili (I'm alone) to give it away for the next month or two! Again, these canners are just superb, a pleasure every time I use them. PS-these are delivered with a couple of really huge ugly orange labels, one on the top and one on the side. All they do is warn against working with a hot canner. Makes one wonder how much longer we'll even be able to get these! Anyway, a careful peeling will pull virtually all of the labels off, and a little Goo-Gone or Goof-Off will get any remaining glue off. I didn't want those looking at me all the time for no reason. Company must be worried about suits, since they offer to send replacement labels for free in the owner's manual!

I have wanted one of these pressure canners for years but didn't think I could justify the cost. When it went on sale earlier this year before I planted my summer garden I decided to invest in one. Now, I couldn't live without it. This is the absolute best pressure canner I've ever owned and I own several including a Granite Ware 0730-2 Pressure Canner/Cooker/Steamer, 20-Quart and Presto 01745 16-Quart pressure Canner . I learned to pressure can with a Presto Canner and have used that brand for over 15 years but it got no use this year. I read the instruction manual before beginning. It was easy to understand and follow. There is an included cd/dvd but I've not looked at it yet. I made sure to apply olive oil on the rim of the canner and the screws prior to using and I've had no problems getting the lid open or off. What I Like: It's still Made in America. It doesn't require a gasket. Once the lid is placed correct and locked down I've had no problems bringing it up to pressure, keeping the pressure constant and although the side walls are thicker than other canners it cools down and releases pressure relatively quick. It is heavy and I'm getting older so I have to take those things into consideration. To work around the weight issue I place the canner on the stove and then add insert, filled jars and water needed to build pressure. I couldn't lift and move it filled with the lid attached but that's just me getting older and no fault of the canner. My 70 year old Mother and I used it to can tomatoes together this summer. She has been at this much longer than me and she loved it as well. We had this canner going as well as my Graniteware canner. We had completed two batches with the All American before the Graniteware finished one batch. I expect this canner will outlast me and be passed along to my daughter. It's quite simply the best canner out there.

Using this product is easy. The no gasket seal is great. I rubbed a little olive oil on the sealing surface and was only somewhat careful in keeping an even gap and there was no leaking. This canner is really big, so it takes a long time to come up to pressure. With water in the bottom already boiling and the jar contents hot packed, it took 10 minutes to reach 15 psi. It takes even longer to come back down from pressure. That being said, I feel some of the cooking times are off. My carrots ended up mushy. It makes sense why: If you wait until full pressure is reached to start timing, but then can't remove the contents until all pressure is relieved everything gets overcooked. The whole time there is pressure in the can the food will be cooking at hotter than boiling temps. At my altitude the carrots should have a 30 min cooking time (43 minutes according to USDA). There is 30 minutes spent above 1 atmosphere simply pressurizing and depressurizing the canner, but you are not supposed to start timing until the weighted gauge sputters. If you are wondering what size to go with, it comes down to money and muscle. I bought the 30 quart thinking about the future when my garden will be bigger then I will need the extra canner space, but already my carrots filled 8 quarts, and had I not bought the 30 quart that would have been a second processing batch just because of one jar. Also the 30 quart is heavy and tall. I have a glass cook top so I have to can outside on a propane stove. Moving a loaded 30 quart canner from inside to outside takes a strong back or a couple of people. This is clearly a very well made and well thought out product. After reading some other reviews I was worried that I may get an "ugly" product, but I couldn't be happier, and mine is far from flawless. In fact I have even enjoyed looking at the flaws. I am a machinist by trade so not only can I see every flaw -- dull tooling that left abnormalities in the surface finish, places where the casting didn't quite clean up and they blended it with a file, marks from being mounted in a fixture -- but I can also appreciate the value in this product. There are several processes each of these go through to get all the machining done.To get an American made product of this quality, blemishes included, and at this low a price is really a testament to their efficiency. They obviously have their manufacturing processes well thought out and perfected. There is clearly a lot of work and materials that go into this product: from casting, to machining, and then assembly including all the other parts and fixtures, not to mention the engineering, safety testing, and inspection that must be done -- all while turning a profit, and Amazon in turn doing the same. You may get a lid with some pitting, (mine has a lot) but that is the nature of a sand casting. Yours may have some other dents or scrapes, but know that this was handled by American craftsmen, and has been in and out of a mill and a lathe, along with their work holding fixtures. I am not affiliated with All American products, but I know what its like to machine aluminum and castings. I sometimes get down on myself because I see every flaw in every part I make. Aluminum is especially hard to keep looking pretty because it is so soft. Every piece is different and responds differently because of internal stress, tooling, temperature, machine wear, rigidity, etc. There will be flaws, but when you step back and look at the product as a whole it's really quite impressive.