The holes are to allow for adequate movement of the air and water throughout the pot/container. Water has to be able to freely surround each jar in a BWB and the old "what goes up must be able to drain back down" sort of thing applies. ;) I suppose that if the sides of the pan didn't touch the sides of the pot and there was room for the water to move freely then it would be no problem but something with holes would work better. And old metal pie or cake pan that is smaller in diameter than the pot with lots of holes punched (hammer and a screwdriver or ice pick) in it (aluminum pie pans won't support the weight) and set upside down on the bottom level of jars and top level of jars set on it works well. As mentioned cake drying racks work well too. There are all sorts of cheap metal things sold in the housewares dept. that can be made to work. Yard sales are also a good source. And if all else fails you can always make a spacing rack using extra rings/bands wired or screwed together in a circle. Just have to think a bit outside the box (or the pot in this case. :) Dave

Yes you may as long as it is deep enough for there to still be 2" of water on top. Usually a rack between the stacks is the ideal but if you don't have one or can't come up with something then be sure to stack the jars in an alternating fashion. You want the top jar sitting on the rings/bands of the one below rather than right on the lid of the one below. Dave

< I remove the lid as soon as the pressure drops and let it sit with the lid off, > Suggest some reading on the current guidelines about the depressurizing steps. Note steps 8 and 9 in the link below that explain the canner sit for 10 min after the weight is removed but before the lid is removed. Plus I need to correct myself when I said "slide" I meant lift and sit rather than slide. http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/using_press_canners.html You could siphon floral - with great care - but there is only about 3 inches of water in the pot anyway. In this case the problem is the clearance height. The stoves with the low-set vent hoods or the ones with the microwave right above the range top just aren't at all convenient for canning. They work fine for normal pan heights but not for 12-16" tall pots. Plus most of the weight in moving a canner is from the filled jars inside rather than the water itself. Dave

Hmmm... I have wondered about the cool down time for my Presto. I bought it new about 3 years ago. I know when I first started using it I got very good information from you, Dave, when I was questioning how long it should take - rough averages- for lid lock to pop up so I could start the 10 min venting, how long to get up to pressure with the weight jiggling, etc.. I questioned that in part due to the fact that water bubbles and spits around the top of the lid lock before it pops up. I usually wipe that away several times because it seems like that might be hindering it from popping up cleanly. If I don't wipe the water away, it takes longer to eventually pop up. When not in use it moves up and down freely and doesn't seem like it is misshapen. Maybe this is faulty in some way, and is also a factor in why it takes so long to release and go back down. I use the standard 3" of water or a little mor if doing long 90 min processing. Ambient temps are upper 60s to low 70s in my kitchen this time of year. I wonder if it would help to contact Presto and see if they have a customer service or tech support?