I'm thinking I should just use the Fagor for cooking, and use the water bath for canning. Am I really missing out on alot by not canning with pressure? I don't think I would ever can a huge variety of items, although I do have a large garden. Most things I end up freezing. Then the odds are that no, you wouldn't be missing out on much. Pressure canning is in some ways a whole different world of canning and it doesn't appeal to all. IMO it expands the canning horizon 10 fold and I'd never want to be without it - waaay too limiting. ;) We do lots of meats, all sorts of beans, carrots, mixed vegetables, etc. that can't be done in a BWB and for us canned goods have a much longer shelf life then frozen, better flavor in many respects, never have to worry about lost electricity, or running out of freezer room. But that is just us. As Lizzy said above, never do it and get along just fine. PC is geared to vegetables (other than tomatoes), meats, and mixed low acid foods so if you elect to freeze all those things instead that's fine. Tomatoes aren't safer if done in a PC, just much faster to can. BWB tomatoes with the added acid is just fine. Just so you recognize that it is an either/or situation - you can't pressure can without the proper equipment. And as discussed above, while the Fagor may be great for cooking, it isn't an approved canner. So use it for cooking and keep on freezing and BWB acid foods OR invest in the 16 qt. Presto (cheaper anyway) and take up pressure canning. OK? Hope this helps. Dave

I do not like Mirro and have never liked Mirro. However, I do remember a previous thread in which KatieC gave instructions for the newest Mirro, which does operate quite differently re venting. Nate, as I mentioned earlier, my DH is saying absolute pressure is certainly possible, especially with a more expensive (and more engineered) pressure cooker. However, he doesn't know how the Fissler is designed or what mechanism they use to achieve that, so there's no way to verify beyond the company's assertion. While they're a very highly regarded old-line company, when dealing with low-acid product that assertion falls short of the line for complete confidence, which is why I suggested a second communication with the company to clarify. Barring proof, your decision not to use the Fissler for canning is most sensible. Linda Lou, I assume your pc is a Sitram? What a bargain! One of the issues with some of these companies like Magefesa (which does manufacture 23-quart canners) is simply parts availability. I'm also suspicious of continuing parts availability for Mirro, while Presto and All-American continue to have a reliable line of parts, even for the oldest canners. Carol

I'm probably not the best one to respond, as I have only used a 6 quart Presto (stainless) and I like it so well that I have not looked into the more modern versions from Europe. This Presto was my Mother's (died in 1987) and she had it for years. Since there are just 2 of us, and you can't fill it more than 2/3 full, it is a great size. While more a cooking technique than anything to do with the cooker, I love Miss Vickie's suggestion of the "PIP" cooking of smaller amounts of food and particularly rice and beans. Her cookbook is also great. It has the best scalloped potato recipe in it done in 5 or 10 minutes. Don't know if you are familiar with PIP, but it is just a strip of foil in the bottom of the cooker with a stainless steel bowl over that. Depending on what you are cooking, you may cover it with foil. Miss Vickie has all cooking times in her cookbook and on her website. For the two of us, a cup of rice or beans will be done in minutes. You lift the stainless bowl out with the strip of foil and it is ready to serve or fluff (rice). For small quantities of food, it also means that the bottom won't burn (if I bought a new one, it would have a thicker bottom than my old 6 quart Presto)and I don't even have the pot to wash (well, maybe just a little). My wife likes her rice done in the PIP method better than any other way. Well, that is my 2 cents worth. I think others will provide you info on more modern alternatives. Jim in So. Calif.

Nancy, the nice thing about a PC is that you can cook stuff quickly that you ordinarily wouldn't bother to do. I love steamed fresh artichokes, but who has the hour it takes to prep and steam them? A PC has them ready for you in 12-14 minutes after you trim them. Likewise, healthy stuff can be cooked quickly--beans and grains in about a third of the time. If you want to pursue healthy veggie stuff, Lorna Sass has written an excellent book along those lines--see the link. And Lorna has also just released a new book on Whole Grain cooking which I may just have to add to my collection. But it's not just health food. You can make incredibly rich artery-clogging pot roasts and corned beef & cabbage, meat-fallling-off-the-bone ribs, veal shanks...yum. Here is a link that might be useful: vegetarian PC cooking