You cannot safely use a pressure cooker to can it. It will not hold 4 quart jars so it will only be a cooker.
Pressure canners cost about $80 or more.
You can get a new vent pipe and weight set for the All American. All of the models can be converted if it doesn't have a weight set. You leave the dial on. Don't worry with it. You replace the vent pipe, not the dial gauge.
Then get the weights with the new vent pipe and there you go.

Walmart has a 16 Qt. Pressure CANNER/cooker for about $65. It can be used to double as a water bath canner, but NOT for quarts. It's not tall enough to do that, but it will work for pints or half-pints.

BTW, this is the cheapest I've been able to find any canner. (Please note: this does not have a gauge, only weights for 5, 10, and 15 lbs. Which I prefer, since you don't need to get it calibrated every year...FYI.)

Here is a link that might be useful: Presto 16 qt. pressure canner/cooker link...

I noticed on the All American site that they advise against using pressure CANNERS or COOKERS on glass tops because of weight and diameters that extend beyond the edge of burners.

I just noticed the same warning. My sis in law does put her 22 Qt All American on her glass topped stove, I've always wished she wouldn't....but at least it hasn't broken it.

This is just curiosity and I don't mean to hijack here, but I see the same warning says this size (15 Qt) All American is not recommended by the manufacturer for fish. If it holds 7 qts, does anyone know why that would be?

Again, just curiosity, if an All American does someday happen to fit into my budget, I would buy the 22 qt size.

ajsmama, here's a pic (and the warning) of the current 15 qt model. It shows the dial gauge on the left, and to the right, the second round gauge with weight for 5, 10, 15# pressure.

Here is a link that might be useful: All American

The 15 1/2 quart will accomodate up to 7 quart jars. It is a canner, but not big enough to stack pints.

Carol

All-American says the 915 15 quart will hold 7 quarts, l0 pints. I'm not sure if this is the same as you bought. since they do not list a 7 15 1/2 quart. Some retailers (and outlets) list it as cooker/canner but AA doesnt. They call their cooker something else. You probably need to contact them and ask about the one you have.

http://www.allamericancanner.com/allamericanpressurecanner.htm

The warnings on their site are BIG and clear about not using on glass top. Weight and diameter too much.

If you plan to use on gas-fired grill with burner on the side, I must say I have visions of the grill tipping over under the weight.

I looked at the Presto at Walmart(on line) and it got generally good reviews. Wonder how much it weighs compared to the AA.

k

Why not use the main part of your gas grill? I guess it depends on how many zones you have to turn on and off but I've seen grills where you can turn only half the cooking surface on at a time.

I know people who use a two burner Coleman camp stove for canning. I'm sure it's not approved for this by Coleman but it does work. Make sure you do this OUTSIDE if you try it.

Congrats on finding an All American. They are great canners (I've got the 10 quart size) and you are so lucky to get one so cheaply. Do get the replacement vent pipe and weight for the canner as others have suggested (that will only cost $17-$20. It's so much easier than getting the gauge tested.

So what are my options if I don't want to spend $70+ on a new PC?

None. Sorry. The cheapest canner on the market is the 16 qt. Presto mentioned above and as Kay said it gets good reviews.

You might find a good used Presto for less (even the used All Americans will sell for over $100) but used canners have their own set of potential problems. Check the sales on eBay and look for one that isn't label "vintage" and that has both a gauge and a weight/counterweight rather than one with just a gauge.

Dave

The only bad reviews (2) on the Walmart site:

1) a person who thought that the 16 qt. label meant that it would can 16 quart jars at the same time (the person didn't actually READ anything about the product).

2) a person who thought that they would be able to use the water bath canning method with quart containers (again that person didn't READ, because it is mentioned that the WBC method is only an option for pints or half-pints).

In other words, anybody who actually did some research would have known both of these *problems* ahead of time.

I had never head about the 15 qt. All American not to be used for fish.
Hmmm, if you put in enough water it should be fine. Going dry during processing is my only thought of why not to use it. You vent it out just like any other size, etc.
Yes, those glass top stoves are not good for canning on, but Presto is the only pressure canner that says it is safe for glass top stoves IF your manufacturers manual says it is fine.
My friends stove does say canning on it. I think it is a GE. It is glass top and a new model.

It's funny that the dial on the All American says "pressure cooker" - it did come with a rack. But I don't want to ruin a $1000 stove (I haven't even measured the largest burner, but 12" is about the largest pan I can fit, I think the PC is larger). Don't want to ruin DH's new (after 15 yrs I finally got him a new one for Father's Day) grill either.

Will a gas grill (main surface, lid open) be able to hold the pressure steady? My Kenmore range probably can't anyway, I have problems just BWBing on it.

If this is a good canner, I'll look into a camp stove and weights. Or is this "vintage" (30-40 yr old?) PC unsafe even with weights? It has screw-down clamps all around the rim, no gasket that I can see - but no groove for one either. What makes "vintage" PC's unsafe besides uncalibrated dials? Can they explode on you? I thought that was pilot error in most cases. But since I don't have a manual for this maybe I shouldn't use it. I'll check out their website.

BTW, I thought Carol said you can use a "cooker" as a canner as long as it could hold certain number of jars (I forget how many/how large). I wouldn't be doing large batches. If someone could refresh my memory so I don't have to use a GW search, I'll look at the BJ's one this week (if they still have it).

The All American canner will be safe no matter what age it is provided it hasn't been abused or altered. It does not use a gasket. Please download the user manual from their website before using it if you aren't familiar with it. Wonderful canners but you do need to know how to put the lid on safely.

Dale

4 quarts is the number you're looking for. If the vessel accomodates 4 quarts and is capable of maintaining the appropriate pressure, there are no problems canning with it.

I've never heard the "no fish" provision. I wouldn't think the All-American would lose water so quickly that would be an issue. It's a pretty efficient piece of equipment.

Carol

I thought Carol said you can use a "cooker" as a canner as long as it could hold certain number of jars (I forget how many/how large).

It isn't that you can use a "cooker" as a a canner. The guidelines - discussed in detail on NCHFP How to use pressure canners is to qualify as a canner it must be able to hold and process 4 quart jars.

All of your questions, except the heat source one, are covered in detail on the All American site and on NCHFP. The heat sources that will and won't work are covered in several previous discussions here especially the one linked below. Most grill burners will not work but a few will. It all depends on the BTUs of the burner.

And these discussions about pressure canners are also worth the time to read. Pressure canning is more complex than BWB canning and has a much higher learning curve. It pays in terms of safety, quality, and expense, to do your homework.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Pressure canner heat

"So what are my options if I don't want to spend $70+ on a new PC?"

You shouldn't judge the value of a purchase like this based strictly on the initial price. I bought an All American 30 quart canner for $240, but this canner is built like a tank and will out live me. I fully expect to be canning for another 25+ years, so from my point of view I am paying less than $10/year for the best equipment, and the joy it brings is easily worth that.

Even lower cost canners should last a good 10+ years, so a $70 canner costs less than $7/year (or 58 cents/month if you prefer).

It's all a matter of perspective. Of course, if you don't have the $70 at this time, then that trumps perspective ;-)

TomNJ

Thanks Dave for the link on heat source discussion. My cousin has a very small gas grill (15" diameter?) that perhaps he will let me use whenever I need to PC something. I did do some reading on Internet about All American canners after kay posted link, haven't found the manual for this exact model but will download a current model's manual. I did see after I posted about the gasket that the AAs don't use gaskets.

I'll have to look for weight set to use with this. The cooker at BJ's *was* the small (6qt) off-brand, so I will either see about getting weight set for AA next year and using on a grill/campstove, or save up for Presto (Walmart near me hasn't put any of their canning supplies on clearance yet).

It's going to be an expensive Xmas - I broke my glasses and had to spend $125 (copay! It was over $200) for new lenses, even though I had a spare frame. Then DH came home last night and said the 1996 model car he's been commuting with is on its last legs - caliper sticking *again* (he did brakes in the spring and new battery last month), and bearing is going. Engine's still good, no rust, but it's got $189,000 miles.

omg! I was trying to finally find parts for this all American old no. 7 that my husband picked up for me at an auction for a buck. I thought I was looking for a gasket and alteration parts so I could use a weight... had I known they were in my house all along it wouldn't have been sitting in the basement when I needed it this canning season!!
heres what I learned:
1. sweet! it needs no gasket!
2. the part for the venting is easy to find! at www.pressurecooker-outlet.com - All American Pressure Canner 69 Vent Pipe and 68 weight.
3. when replacing the vent, leave guage on and put in place of old venting system (remove with 18mm wrench and replace with 7/16 wrench)

I can now use this canner!!! YES! thanks folks for posting! I know it may be an old thread, but folks will search and find far into the future!