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After reviewing many options, I decided on this model because it has the weighted pressure control rather than the pressure gauge, which seemed to have a higher incidence of issues and failures.
The 22 Qt. comes with complete canning instructions, but the recipes are for "pressure cooking" rather than being "canning recipes. There are a number of great books out there for good recipes, including the one I use for all my canning Ball Blue Book of Preserving
I am impressed by both the "small footprint" of the base of this cooker as well as the numerous safety systems in place to prevent problems, an issue which several elderly friends who used some of the older pressure cookers assured me was VERY important some carrying scars to prove it.
In addition to the vent tube, the safety systems include safety locks, an overpressure plug, an over pressure window (which blows the gasket and allows steam to escape in case of the vent & plug being blocked. There is a spring safety device that prevents the pressure from building unless the lid is correctly placed on the cooker.
The 22 Qt comes with two cooking racks to allow jars to be stacked. Since there is some question concerning quantities, I obtained this information directly from the manufacturers guidelines for BOTH the 12 & 22 Quart, in case you are trying to decide:
Mirro 12qt. Pressure Cooker/Canner, Aluminum 12 qt holds 10 half-pints, 8 reg pints, 7 wide mouth pints, 5 quarts.
The product I ordered on this page the Mirro 22 qt holds 30 half-pints, 16 reg pints, 14 wide mouth pints, and 5 quarts. (The description on Amazon is incorrect on this for the quarts)
You will notice that both the 22 quart holds double of everything except the quarts. This is because of the stacking capability in the 22 quart. Both are identical in width, the major difference is in height. If you are only interested in how many quarts it holds, the smaller canner will hold the same number as the larger one. If I had been certain of the quantities it held, I would likely have chosen the smaller one, but will take advantage of this one since I have it.
Hope this answers some questions for you canners looking for your first pressure canner and who are unsure about the sizes!
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I know about canners. I can A LOT, and run two canners at one time. It is really getting hard to find a canner like this with a "jiggler" on top rather than a pressure gauge. I cannot stress enough that a weight system like this is just SO MUCH BETTER than a gauge if you are doing any volume of canning. If you are canning meats, you need to monitor your canner for 90 minutes, and if you have to babysit a gauge, you will get sick of it really fast. With a jiggler like this canner has, you can just listen, and know the pressure is correct. As long as the weight on top is just gently jiggling, everything is a.o.k. and you can read, or go the the restroom, or whatever you need to do. Plus, as years go by, I find it really hard to trust a gauge. You know the weight on this one will stay constant. I have one of this model of canner, and I'm buying another one today, to replace a perfectly good machine with a gauge.
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OK. I read several other reviews AFTER reading the instruction manual but BEFORE using the canner. I thought, "Come on people! How hard can it be?" Then I used the canner and momentarily feared for my life!
The directions clearly state that you should put your canning jars in, seal the lid, put your burner on high to heat the cooker WITHOUT the weight, and wait for steam to come out the pressure vent tube. Once steam comes out of the vent tube, you should set a timer for 10 minutes to allow the cooker to come up to pressure before applying the weight. Once the the weight has been added, you should reduce heat until the weight jiggles. Easy, right? Keep in mind that the directions are also very clear that if you see the red reusable overpressure plug pop or steam come out of the safety window, you should protect your face, turn off the heat, and allow the cooker to cool.
So, imagine my surprise when while bringing the cooker up to pressure, steam started to spill out from around the handle and a red button on the handle popped. I hit the deck and slunk toward my cooker like I was entering enemy territory. With a racing heart (this is the fearing for my life part) I quickly turned down the heat. I readjusted the gasket and tried again only to have the same thing happen. I was about to take the stupid thing back until I did an internet search and found that the button on the handle is the PRESSURE MONITORING GAGE. It pops up when the cooker is up to pressure! The overpressure plug is on the lid. The pressure monitoring button is called out on the box but IT IS NOT MENTIONED IN THE DIRECTIONS. After I acquired this jewel of information, the thing was a breeze to use. You don't even have to worry about the jiggling (which I also found out from my internet search is more a hissing), because as long as the pressure button is up, you are good to go! Another thing the directions do not tell you is how much water to add. I have the book "Preserving the Harvest" and it states to add 2-3 inches. So, after a little trial and error, I have found the cooker to be extremely reliable and easy to use. The directions? Not so much!
Hopefully, this little bit of information about the pressure monitoring button will spare someone else the terror of thinking their kitchen is going to be blown to pieces:)
Honest reviews on Mirro Polished Aluminum Dishwasher Safe Pressure Cooker Cookware
After two months of searching for the perfect canner and stewing over the decision of size and type, I finally settled on the 22 qt Mirro. There were a couple of reasons I chose this model. First, there seems to be a lot of debate over the perks of a pressure guage vs the weighted toggle. I found that most people considered the pressure gauge to be some what unreliable. More important, I live in a very rural area where I can't take the guage to the county to have it tested every year as recommended. I wanted to can veggies and tuna, so I wanted something reliable from year to year. Second, Tuna has to be processed for 90 minutes and I didn't want to have to stare at a pressure guage the entire time to monitor the pressure. I like being able to clean the kitchen, or run to the bathroom quickly with out the overwhelming fear that the canner will explode without my ever present eye. Third, I wanted a canner that had some back up pressure releases. I read a few accounts of pressure cookers blowing up in people's faces, and I would rather not mess with explosions in my house.
This pot does this and MORE!! I have canned a couple batches of peaches and apricots. The apricots I cold packed and didn't like the results, the fruit floated to the top. The peaches I hot packed and they came out better than I could have dreamed. During the end of the Razor Clam season, we collected several pounds of clams and canned several. They came out GREAT! Since then, we have also canned tuna. I have to say, it is a bit loud to can the tuna, but our jars were pretty and the tuna was fantastic.
One batch of tuna had a problem. My boyfriend was on his first solo canning experience after helping me several times. Once the canner was up to pressure and toggling, he did not turn down the stove. The burner was too hot and blew out all the water. We both noticed a different sound from the toggle. We turned the burner off and gently moved the canner to the center of the stove off the burner. None of the cans were broken because we were being vigilant.
So here is what impresses me. There are not just two, but three safety mechanisms on the pot. Two on the top and a side valve that actually releases the gasket at the lid. I don't consider this pot exceptionally heavy when full. After hearing stories of how heavy a full 22 qt pressure canner can be, I was very worried. I was able to move this pot without huge effort. I'm not saying that it is light as a feather, but I felt comfortable moving it. This canner has the weighted toggle and comes with 3 weights (5, 10, and 15). This allows me to use the same canner for fruits and vegetables while also allowing me to can meats. What more? When you move up in elevation, you have to pressure cook at a higher pressure. All three of these weights cover your base from sea level to 5000 feet.
What I would like to see? I had to rely on the internet to describe how to process the foods I wanted to can. The instruction book is great on how to use the canner, but it does not describe processing times, and is skimpy on the info as to how much water to add to the canner. Also, I am canning tuna and clams (and can't use a quart or even a pint all at once), and my loads are pretty small because you need to put a rack to seperate the cans. This package comes with 2 racks. I have found parts and can buy additional racks for 11-15 dollars. I bought mine from Crazydavestoolshed. It took far longer to arrive than I had hoped (2.5 weeks from the time I ordered it). It was due on July 3 and didn't come until July 7. I am sure the holiday played into it a bit, but shipping for me was nearly 17 dollars and I expected it on time for the cost of shipping.
Honestly, I can't imagine using another type of canner. This one is great, particularly for a novice that is concerned with safety.
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I use this canner approximately twice a month. I bought it about 6 months ago and it is a wonderful product. It's nice that there are no moving parts to replace. I don't need to worry about the dial guage being calibrated. The canner comes with an EXCELLENT recipe book! The shrimp creole and beef stroganoff are absolutely delicious and easy to make. My husband was really impressed.
I highly recommend this canner, along with the 12-quart from the same company. They are both excellent and should last a lifetime. This canner is an excellent value as well.
