Pressure cookers are used to quickly and easily prepare meals. They use pressurized steam to heat food in a fraction of the time that’s needed for a regular pot, slow cooker, or roaster.
Pressure canners, on the other hand, tend to be larger cooking units that are primarily used for canning and preserving fresh goods.
Both units can cook and prepare food, but with one large difference: pressure cookers cannot can and preserve foods. Pressure canners have the ability to do both canning and cooking. Learn more about the differences between pressure cookers and canners with Blain’s Farm & Fleet.
When water or other liquids reach a boiling point, steam is produced. Pressure cookers trap steam inside, which builds the pressure. Under this pressure, cooking temperatures raise significantly higher than under normal conditions. Then, food cooks quickly and evenly.
You can buy pressure cookers either as stovetop models or as an electric appliance. You can cook meats, pasta sauces, fresh vegetables, rice, and other foods three to 10 times faster with this unit than with regular cooking methods. Plus, faster cooking means you can save money on energy bills.
Choose your pressure cooker based on the number of people you plan on serving. A 4-quart model is perfect for one or two people to prepare a whole meal. 6-quart models are the most popular size for the average family, while 8-quart models will accommodate a larger family.
Pressure canners are really just large pressure cookers. You can also use these units to cook various foods at an accelerated rate. Although canners can be used for cooking, they are primarily designed for canning.
Pressure canners larger than 16 quarts may be a bit too bulky to use on a regular basis to cook. If you are going to be pressure cooking using these units, it should only be for a very large group of people.
These units also come with canning racks that are specifically used for processing mason jars.
If your intent is to can and preserve your garden harvest or other foods, buy a pressure canner.
Most consumers find that having two separate units (one to pressure can food and another to pressure cook food) is best. This will ensure you’re not dragging your large canner out every time you want to cook a small meal.
For more canning tips and ideas, visit Blain’s Farm & Fleet’s Canning Blog.
