Canning your own food is one of those skills that feels old-fashioned until you do it. Then you realize why your grandparents did it. You grow tomatoes in August, can them in September, and eat pasta sauce in February that tastes like summer. There is nothing in a store that compares.
But canning has rules, and breaking them can make people sick. Botulism is rare but real, and it comes from improperly canned low-acid foods. The good news is that following the rules is straightforward. The two things you need to understand before buying equipment are the difference between water bath canning and pressure canning.
Water bath canning uses boiling water (212F) to seal jars. It works ONLY for high-acid foods: fruits, jams, jellies, pickles, and tomatoes with added acid. The acid prevents botulism growth, so boiling temperature is enough to kill other bacteria. A water bath canner is just a big pot with a rack. Entry cost is under $40.
Pressure canning uses steam pressure to reach 240F, which is hot enough to kill botulism spores. You MUST pressure can all low-acid foods: meats, poultry, fish, vegetables, soups, stocks, and beans. There is no safe alternative. A pressure canner costs $80-110 and has a learning curve, but once you’ve done it twice, it becomes routine.
If I could only buy one, I’d buy the pressure canner. It can do everything a water bath canner does (just use it without the weight on the vent), plus it handles meats and vegetables. The water bath pot is cheaper and slightly easier, but it limits what you can preserve.
Presto 23-Quart Pressure Canner
The Presto 23-quart is the canner that most home canners start with and many never feel the need to replace. At $80-110, it’s remarkably affordable for what it does. The 23-quart capacity fits 7 quart jars or 20 pint jars per batch. That’s enough to process a bushel of tomatoes or a batch of chicken stock in a few loads.
The weighted gauge (also called a jiggler) sits on top of the vent and maintains pressure at 5, 10, or 15 PSI depending on which ring you use. Most recipes call for 10 PSI at sea level. When the weight rocks gently 1-3 times per minute, you know the pressure is right. No watching a dial. No adjusting a gauge. Just listen for the rocking.
The Presto also works as a regular pressure cooker for daily cooking. Beans in 25 minutes. Tough roasts in 45 minutes. Stock in an hour. Buying one piece of equipment that does double duty is smart.
First-time users find pressure canning intimidating. That’s normal. Modern pressure canners have multiple safety mechanisms: a locking lid that won’t open under pressure, a safety plug that releases if pressure exceeds safe levels, and the weighted gauge that self-regulates. Follow the instructions, process at the correct time and pressure for your altitude and recipe, and you’ll produce safe, shelf-stable food.
The Presto is made of aluminum, which is lighter than stainless steel models. This makes it easier to handle when full. The downside is aluminum can’t be used on induction cooktops. If you have an induction range, you’ll need the Presto stainless steel model or the All American (which costs 3-4x more).
Ball Mason Jars
You can’t can without jars. Ball mason jars are the industry standard and have been since 1884. They come in two mouth sizes (regular and wide) and multiple capacities (half-pint, pint, quart, and half-gallon).
Wide mouth jars are what you want for most canning. The opening is large enough to pack whole fruit, chicken pieces, and chunky soups. They’re also much easier to clean. The wider opening means you can get a sponge inside without a bottle brush. For daily use (storing leftovers, drinking glasses, dry goods storage), wide mouth is more versatile.
Regular mouth jars are fine for jams, jellies, sauces, and other pourable items. The lids cost slightly less than wide mouth lids. Some people prefer the look for gift jars.
The jars themselves are reusable forever (as long as they’re not chipped or cracked). Inspect the rim before each use. Any chip on the rim prevents a proper seal. The lids with the red sealing compound are single-use. You must buy new lids each canning season. Rings (bands) are reusable until they rust.
Buy in cases of 12. Expect to pay $10-15 per case for pint or quart jars. Start with 2-3 cases to have enough for your first canning session with extras for replacements. Over the years, you’ll accumulate hundreds of jars. That’s normal.
Granite Ware Water Bath Canning Kit
If you’re only canning high-acid foods (jams, pickles, tomato sauce, fruit), a water bath canner is all you need. The Granite Ware kit comes with a 21.5-quart enameled steel pot, a wire jar rack, and a lid. The rack keeps jars off the bottom of the pot (important for even heat circulation) and has handles that hook on the rim so you can lower and raise jars without reaching into boiling water.
The process is simple. Fill jars with your prepared food, wipe the rim, apply a lid and ring, lower into the boiling water, and process for the time specified in your recipe. The boiling water heats the contents to 212F, driving air out of the jar. As the jar cools, the lid seals with an audible “pop.” That seal keeps the food shelf-stable for 12-18 months.
The enamel coating on the pot prevents reactions between the steel and acidic foods. Over time, the enamel can chip, especially if you bang jars against the sides. Handle it gently and it lasts for years. Some canners prefer using a regular stainless steel stockpot with a rack instead, which works just as well and avoids the chipping issue.
At $30-45, this is the cheapest entry into home canning. If you’re nervous about pressure canning, start here. Make a batch of strawberry jam or dill pickles. The confidence you build with water bath canning makes the transition to pressure canning feel less daunting.
Ball Canning Utensil Set
You could technically can with kitchen tongs and a ladle. But you’d burn yourself, spill food on jar rims, and struggle to remove jars from boiling water. The Ball utensil set costs under $15 and includes the four tools that make canning safe and efficient.
Jar lifter is the most important tool. These rubberized tongs grip the jar rim securely so you can lift jars in and out of boiling water without dropping them. Regular kitchen tongs are too slippery for this. Dropping a quart jar full of boiling sauce is not an experience you want.
Wide-mouth funnel sits in the jar opening and lets you ladle food in without getting it on the rim. A clean rim is essential for a good seal. Food residue on the rim prevents the lid from sealing properly.
Lid lifter (magnetic wand) picks up flat lids from hot water using a magnet on the end. This keeps your fingers out of the hot water.
Bubble remover and headspace tool is a flat plastic stick with measurement notches. You slide it around the inside of a packed jar to release trapped air bubbles, and use the notched end to measure headspace (the gap between the food and the jar rim).
All four tools for under $15. Buy them. Use them. Your canning sessions will be safer and less stressful.
COSORI Premium Food Dehydrator
Not everyone wants to do traditional canning. Dehydrating is a simpler preservation method that requires less equipment, less time, and less precision. You slice food thin, arrange it on trays, set the temperature, and walk away. The machine does the rest.
The COSORI is the best home dehydrator in the under-$100 range. Six stainless steel trays (not plastic, which absorbs odors and stains) provide about 6.5 square feet of drying space. The rear-mounted fan circulates air evenly so you don’t need to rotate trays. A digital timer and temperature control (95-165F) let you dial in the right settings for whatever you’re drying.
What can you dehydrate? Herbs from the garden (better than any store-bought dried herb). Tomatoes (sun-dried tomato flavor without the sun). Jerky from thinly sliced beef or venison. Fruit leather from pureed fruit. Peppers, onions, garlic, mushrooms, and zucchini for soups and stews. Dehydrated food stored in airtight containers with oxygen absorbers lasts 6-12 months at room temperature. In a sealed mylar bag, years.
The trade-off compared to canning: dehydrated food changes texture. Rehydrated tomatoes are fine in sauce but not great on a sandwich. Jerky is a whole new food, not preserved steak. Canning preserves texture and flavor closer to fresh. Dehydrating concentrates flavor but alters form.
I see dehydrating and canning as complementary, not competing. Can your sauces, soups, and meats. Dehydrate your herbs, jerky, and fruit snacks. Use both methods and you’ll preserve everything your garden and kitchen produce.
How We Picked These
Safety first. Canning equipment must be capable of producing safe, shelf-stable food. We only included canners and tools that meet USDA safety standards. No shortcuts, no “hacks,” no equipment that could lead to unsafe preservation.
Beginner accessibility. Every product on this list can be used by someone who has never canned before, with the help of a good recipe book or the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning (free online). We excluded professional-grade equipment that assumes prior experience.
Value. Home canning should save you money over time, not bankrupt you getting started. We focused on equipment that gets you canning for under $150 total (pressure canner + jars + tools).
Versatility. Equipment that does double duty (pressure canner as daily cooker, dehydrator for snacks beyond preservation) scored higher.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bottom Line
Here’s your beginner canning shopping list. Presto 23-Quart Pressure Canner ($80-110), Ball Mason Jars in two or three cases ($20-45), and the Ball Utensil Set ($10-15). Total investment: about $110-170. That equipment will last for years and process everything your garden produces.
If you want to start simpler and cheaper, get the Granite Ware water bath kit and jars (under $60 total) and make jams and pickles first. Add the pressure canner when you’re ready to can meats and vegetables.
And if the whole canning process sounds like too much, the COSORI dehydrator is a legitimate alternative for preserving herbs, making jerky, and creating dried fruits and vegetables. Different output, less risk, less equipment, still delicious.