Hi Tracey, The link for the web site you want is below, for the Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry, makers of the All-American. They have a "contact us" on the left side and are responsive to questions from users of their canners. I am sure they can advise you on what is appropriate to do and what parts you will need. I would be surprised if there is rust on the inside of the canner, I believe they are made of cast aluminum. However I suppose there could be some discoloration. I can't believe that scrubbing with an SOS pad would be a problem, but I suspect that it wouldn't matter if you left it alone. Petro Here is a link that might be useful: Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry

A smaller canner will come up to pressure and drop down faster. However, any canner that can hold 4 quart jars is big enough to safely meet current standards. AFAIK, the Mirro 12-quart is the smallest that will achieve that. Stacking jars won't make any difference, so if you have just enough jars for one layer I wouldn't fiddle with stacking. I have the All-American 21.5. It's a great canner. Be aware (as I discovered) that not all pints can be stacked. If you look at Ball pints versus Kerr pints you'll see a difference in height. I have both kinds of jars and if I want to do two layers in that canner I have to think about which jars I prepare because two layers of tall pints won't work. My old Presto, on the other hand, no problem because it's taller and narrower. Don't get me wrong. I love my All-American, but if you're routinely stacking jars you might consider an even bigger size. If you only occasionally stack jars or think you might, then the additional cost might not be worth it to you, especially if you have shorter Kerr pint jars. Carol

I can on our Kitchaid gas cooktop in our separate Canning Kitchen. So, we have the right stovetop. I understand All American has no gaskets, just "metal to metal" where it seals closed. So, I need to check the inside bottom to make sure it's not warped and that there's no pitting. (Would the pitting just indicate improper use or wear, and that would shorten the life of the canner?) If the pressure dial isn't zeroed out, I know one can be purchased from All American for about 15 bux. And the same for the weight. That being said, I don't intend to do more than 10 quarts or 20 pints at a time, so ... perhaps I don't need this LARGE size canner. (And, yes, it is a canner with the racks.) Would a smaller pressure canner take less time to "heat up" than a not-to-capacity filled large one? (I would think so.) I appreciate what Ken and Dave have written me. And any comments to this particular email would be appreciated, too. Thanks so much. Kathy in Sequim, Washington

I have the 930. I noticed that the arrow on the lid is well defined but on the pot, it's really more like a v shaped groove. Try looking at the right-hand edge of the label on the pot and going upward. Is there a little v shaped vertical groove near the top edge? That's the 'arrow'. Even if it's not there, though, not to worry. The arrows are just a help to get it in proper alignment so you can tighten up all those black plastic wingnut assemblies. If the 925 is like the 930, you'll find that at every other tightening station there is a little L-shaped bracket extending down from the lid half of the tightening station. You put the top on and turn it clockwise, and those little ells act as a stop when the arrows are aligned. When the arrows are aligned the wingnut assemblies line up properly so the bolts can be flipped up and then they can be tightened down. One other test: when it's properly aligned the lid handle is parallel to the top edge of the pot's label. It's pretty intuitive as to how to line it up. One hint: tighten those wingnuts like you tighten the lug nuts on a tire (that is, tighten one, then the one across from it, then back to the one next to the first one, and work your way around the rim in a star-type pattern). Watch the gap between the lid and the pot as you tighten the nuts--the gap should be pretty consistent all around the circumference. You don't want the lid really tight on one side and not as much on the other. You may want to take a trial run--put a gallon of water in it, fasten the lid, bring it to a boil, let the steam escape for 10 minutes, then put the jiggle weight on it on 15. If it gets up to 15 psi, you did it just fine. Congrats on your purchase!! It's a great item. Your grandkids will fight over who inherits it. I use mine a few times a year to can humongous batches of chicken broth. It also works well as a pressure cooker if you have to feed a small army. (Beef stew or chili for 40? No sweat.)