All American 1930: 21.5qt Pressure Cooker/Canner (The 921) - Exclusive Metal-to-Metal Sealing System - Easy to Open & Close - Suitable for Gas, Electric, or Flat Top Stoves - Made in the USA

This is my 2nd All American Canner. I wanted the 41 qt it and it is a game changer! It holds so much more than my 21 qt! It is heavy duty and well made. There just isn't another canner on the market that compares to All American! It is worth the money if you are canning! During the first use, the pressure gauge had some condensation. I called in and sent a photo. They shipped a new one out and it arrived 3 days later. The only other difference in this one vs my 21 qt is the canner racks. The ones sent with this are wire racks instead of the aluminum ones that came with my 21 qt years ago. The wire racks will rust so be sure to pull them out when you pull out the cans. I should be able to can all summer long.

This is an absolutely beautiful Pressure Canner made right here in the USA. After a long while trying to decide which model to get I finally decided on the 41.5 quart. The first thing I did when the UPS driver left was to fill the canner with 19 empty Ball quart jars. They fit perfectly. My mother had an old Mirro pressure canner that would only hold 7 quarts. When she saw it her first comment was how much faster I'd be able to get the canning done. As far as quality goes I don't see how you could get any better. This thing screams American made quality. Every part seems to be heavy duty and the fit and finish are second to none. I think this will be something the family will be fighting over after I'm gone so I guess I better start deciding who I'm going to leave it to in my will. One thing to remember - this pressure canner is huge. You will probably have trouble fitting it on top of the stove in your kitchen unless you pull the stove out in order for the canner to clear the fan. I'll be using a Bayou Classic single burner patio stove outside in the garage when I do my canning. I've seen others do this on youtube and I think it's the way to go with this particular model. This canner weighs 39 pounds empty. It has good handles so if you need help two people could pick this up before you put water and jars in. It's my hope that more younger people get into canning and I think this is the canner to get if you really want to put up a years worth of food without spending a week in the kitchen. ***UPDATE*** 09/07/2014 I have had this pressure canner for two days and I just did my first batch. I canned 24 Ball widemouth PINT jars of pinto beans and ham. The following is my timing list... 1. @ 10:40am I lite the propane gas burner 2. @ 11:04am the first sign of steam appeared (I could have turned up the flame more and reached this point faster) 3. @ 11:12am a steady stream of steam was visible - I let this steady stream go on for 13 minutes which is a little longer than needed before I added the weight. 4. @ 11:24am the gauge was reading 5psi without my adding the weight (10psi setting on the weight at my altitude - your setting may be different) 5. @ 11:25am I put the weight on using the 10psi setting 6. @ 11:28am the pressure reached 10psi 7. @ 11:30am the pressure gauge was reading just over 11psi which is perfect for my altitude - at this point I had to turn down the propane burner so low that the flame was barely able to maintain itself. That means it uses very little propane once it reaches temperature. 8. @ 1:00pm exactly 90 minutes after the pressure gauge was reading 11psi I turned off the gas burner. 9. @ 1:40pm the pressure gauge had returned to 0psi 10. I removed the weight and then carefully removed the lid and placed it on the same towel that I used to put the jars on. It took 3 hours for me to go from lighting the burner and then going back to 0psi after 90 minutes of processing. Not bad at all. All 24 of the jars did perfectly. I did not watch to see how long the contents of the jars continued to boil. I wanted to give out this information about my first experience with this canner because this is all the information I wanted to know before I decided to purchase the model 941. I am extremely happy with this purchase and will be recommending this size pressure canner to everyone.

When I purchased this item, I didn't expect the manual to double as a cookbook! But it does. And it has stuff that would be hard to find...not just meats, but also tounges, liver, and various other animal-related things. It ALSO has instructions for canning...in CANS! Yes, actual metal cans, not just jars! (Aparently you can buy cans and lids for this purpose!) And don't forget you can use this as a pressure COOKER. it has instructions for that, too. It has a lot of recipes for meats and meals! Okay, onto the most important item...the canner itself: As stated, this unit is heavy, and heavy-duty. There is no gasket, just follow the instructions and "grease" the slanted inside lip with olive oil (or vaseline, but not general-purpose cooking oils) every 3-4 uses. They recommend an empty run so you know what noises a pressure canner makes when it is venting, and how to control the heat. With an electric stove, this is not difficult. One note, I find that I put the number dial on my electric stove 1 # lower with filled jars in the canner than with an empty practice run. It is easy to use, just make sure you have space above your stove to get jars out of the canner. I think someone else mentioned the unit by itself is 16" tall. As they say, tighten two opposite wingnuts at a time. It is easy, though I have yet to keep my vegetables from floating. It could be I have to switch to hot-pack (though I've read cold-pack is just safer since food won't be so packed it doesn't heat fully inside). I find my squash-tomato combo floats and liquid is lost. However, the jars sealed perfectly, which is the most important thing. I shook them down the next day to get the veggies back under the liquid, for the most part. (This is not a safety issue, though food above the liquid may discolor if on the shelf a long time. I'm not sure that will happen since I plopped into lemon-juiced water, and blanched the squash in same liquid before draining and adding tomatoes.) They are also very serious about burn issues. I am short, so to reach around the canner and adjust my stove temperature, I wear an oven mitt and drape a potholder over my forearm with the other hand. The instructions are quite complete, and I am impressed with the heaviness of the unit, and confident it will last and last! Even if the pressure dial ever wears out, the weighted gauge never will, so this is safe. Besides, the unit is MADE IN AMERICA, and parts can be ordered at any time. If you use this for years and years, maybe this will be the pressure dial or (I forget what to call it) emergency pressure release (rubberized thing stuck in a hole in the cover), or if you ever dropped the unit, a wing nut. You can get a new manual at any time. You can get a new safety label for FREE if the old one ever comes off. You can send the item for SERVICE IN THE U.S.A. if service, or just evaluation, is ever needed! I LOVE that Wisconson Aluminum Foundry is a good, old-fashioned, service-oriented AMERICAN company! Thank you!

To be clear, if you are going to can anything, stop, and think it through. If your intent is to put up a quart of beans with no expectations for success, you could probably do just as well with a cheaper model. If, on the other hand, you are intent on putting up your chosen harvest with a high expectation of success, you are in the right place, looking at the right model. First, it must be understood, that this is not an inexpensive device. Poking about the internet you will find several manufactures of various prices and constructions, not all necessarily bad, however, not all necessarily good either. What sets this device apart from the rest is the "no-gasket" configuration, and, YES it makes a difference. Fighting with a big rubber gasket on a simmering pot on the stove is not exactly conducive to a positive canning experience, and, the experience of your first batches will likely determine if you ever do this again. So, why start with cheap equipment? Look on the internet, and, see who the experienced canners use as the benchmark, then, you decide for yourself. Out of the box, you will be struck with the sheer weight of the device. The saying goes, "You get what you pay for", and you certainly are not left with a feeling that you lost anything on this purchase. It is industrial grade aluminum, and, thick enough to survive a flaming re-entry if it fell from the shuttle. (OK I exaggerate, but, you get the point.) To seal the deal, it is made in the U.S.A. ! The manual is actually printed in English, on good quality paper, and, inherently thick enough to survive a lifetime of reads. The unit itself, upon inspection, exudes quality. The machining is first class, the fit and finish is first rate, and, you are left with the gut feeling you made a wise investment. You will, however, at his point be pummeled with jokes by other family members regarding the size, shape, profile, purpose, blah, blah, blah. Just laugh and move on. What my dear wife and I discovered was this. It is all about your physical strength. DO NOT OVERLOOK THIS POINT. The canner is heavy--- EMPTY, now, add 7 quarts of you favorite substance, 3 inches of water, and, what you will find is that you are not as strong as you believe yourself to be. Lifting this thing with outstretched arms to the stove at chest height is not an easy task. (Yes Mr X, that goes for you too....) Respect this fact and all will be well. All loading of the device MUST occur on the stove, as I have said, you won't be able to do it afterwards, at least NOT SAFELY. Observe the fact it is NOT intended for glass top stoves for an obvious reason. OK, now onward>>>> Using the canner could not be any easier. Leave the explosion stories for Hollywood, and, be assured they WON'T happen in your kitchen. It is equipped with an overpressure device (fail-safe), and, unless your bent on breaking the thing you won't hurt it, or you. Our experience with the ever so scientific "1-4 jiggles per minute" is this... it is not that critical. What we found is that once you have a steady steam stream coming out of the weight stack (be patient IT TAKES TIME), put the weight on, keep the heat on high until you get to the 5, 10, or 15 pound reading ON THE DIAL. Let it heat until you get the necessary 4 "jiggles" a minute (the weight - I thought it necessary to clarify) then turn it down SLOWLY to moderate. Trying to start on the "cold side of the jiggle" and regulate up is fruitless. The mass of the pot prevents successfully regulating in this manner. You will just keep overshooting the mark in this manner. Some have complained about the lid sticking..... never happened, not even close. Manual suggested olive oil on the rim, and, I can tell you it works perfectly. Remember, the lock downs are not lug nuts, so you do NOT need much torque to firm the lid down. Following directions will yield promised results. Finally, be careful when you open the lid. As I mentioned the mass of this thing holds heat... and lots of it. Allow yourself at least an hour for the pot to cool down AND verify there is no pressure in the pot before loosening the lid. All in all, while expensive (relatively speaking) I think this canner will serve us for years and years and years, our kids for years and years and years, and the grandkids for years (you get the point) I figure by this time, noone will really remember the price, but, in all likelihood will thank us for a quality product. Now, on to the beef stew....

I have wanted one of these pressure canners for years but didn't think I could justify the cost. When it went on sale earlier this year before I planted my summer garden I decided to invest in one. Now, I couldn't live without it. This is the absolute best pressure canner I've ever owned and I own several including a Granite Ware 0730-2 Pressure Canner/Cooker/Steamer, 20-Quart and Presto 01745 16-Quart pressure Canner . I learned to pressure can with a Presto Canner and have used that brand for over 15 years but it got no use this year. I read the instruction manual before beginning. It was easy to understand and follow. There is an included cd/dvd but I've not looked at it yet. I made sure to apply olive oil on the rim of the canner and the screws prior to using and I've had no problems getting the lid open or off. What I Like: It's still Made in America. It doesn't require a gasket. Once the lid is placed correct and locked down I've had no problems bringing it up to pressure, keeping the pressure constant and although the side walls are thicker than other canners it cools down and releases pressure relatively quick. It is heavy and I'm getting older so I have to take those things into consideration. To work around the weight issue I place the canner on the stove and then add insert, filled jars and water needed to build pressure. I couldn't lift and move it filled with the lid attached but that's just me getting older and no fault of the canner. My 70 year old Mother and I used it to can tomatoes together this summer. She has been at this much longer than me and she loved it as well. We had this canner going as well as my Graniteware canner. We had completed two batches with the All American before the Graniteware finished one batch. I expect this canner will outlast me and be passed along to my daughter. It's quite simply the best canner out there.

The AAPC is the best unit on the market for my money. I can about 2,000+ jars a year so I know my equipment. With shipping and tax Amazon does have the best price..my last AAPC was bought as a gift for me on another account which is why this is not a verified purchase review. The AAPC's are made in the USA and its built like a tank. Boiling hot liquids, steam and glass under 15lbs of pressure make that a very good thing. There are no plastic seals or gaskets to mess with or replace, easy to clean and AAPC sells replacement parts reasonably and provides inspection services and their warranty is outstanding. All AAPC units are heavy for their size..again that is a good thing. Look at what they weigh before you buy...plan on unloading jars on the stove instead of moving them loaded...it's no big deal. They can shatter or break flat cooktops. Make sure you have a burner large enough "around" for the unit base. This isn't about BTUs...it's how big the bottom of the pot is compared to the diameter of your burner..if the burner is too small, the canner and the heat sits on your cooktop...bad things can happen. If you have one of the small units you should not have any problems. Follow the first time use directions carefully or you can ruin the seat. Lube your seat well (yeah I know how that sounds)..DO not use "scented" Vaseline or the like, they can have abrasives in them and might pit your seat (I know that sounds bad too). These are safe and easy to use, don't be intimidated. Occasionally they vapor lock at zero pressure. Loosen the two clamp screws with a paper towel wrapped flat head and let it sit for a few.. it should turn freely..if its good and stuck use a dish towel wrapped flat head duty screw driver to gently pop the lid under the arms. Always wrap your screw driver...this is aluminum it protects the metal. Always use with the label facing you do not remove the label...match the pot and lid arrows up. Tighten the knobs correctly, two at a time across from each other gently at first, this ensures even sealing, when all are done, go back and tighten two at a time harder the same way. If you don't that, you will get uneven seals, uneven wear on the knobs and lots more vapor locks. Tighten the two clamp screws if need be. IF you process a great deal of low acid quarts spend the extra money and buy the double stack quart units like the 930 model. If all you do is pints make sure its sized for your needs..if you don't need 18 pints at a time don't buy the double stack. A little research goes a long way for sizes. I love my 921 for processing 18 pints but 3-4 hours of prep and process for 7-8 quarts of low acid like corn, didn't work for me. I had to buy a second unit the 930 (14-16 quarts) to make it time efficient. You will get mild to heavy mineral buildup depending on your water supply. Do not use just anything to clean them. Aluminum and cleaning products are not always good friends.. chemical reactions and pitting can occur and use a soft sponge or such. You can also use filtered, distilled or preboiled water to fill..it's only an inch or two of water you need and it saves you a lot of time cleaning the unit and the processed jars from scaling. I use this strictly as a pressure canner..yes people use them as a pressure cooker..I don't..it can reduce the lifespan and its more work to clean plus, you may get pitting from acid erosion with certain foods. Pressure cookers are cheap comparatively..pressure canners like these...not so much. I have had my AAPC 921 for over 4 years and no noticeable wear ...seriously I can 2,000+ jars a year that is more than most people do in 5 years. If you buy an AAPC and don't use it, put it on craigslist and you can sell it in a day... canners in your area will beat your door down to buy it for less than new...that's how good and how well known these are with canning enthusiast.

This canner is no joke. It is big, it's heavy, and it is solid American-made construction. I've been using mine for 2 years now. I typically can at least 200 quarts of various vegetables, meats, 'meal in a jar' and meal starters annually. This canner is easy to operate, has great videos and clear written instructions to troubleshoot any issues you may encounter, and it holds A LOT of jars, making processing move along more efficiently. This is an investment, for sure, and a worthwhile investment to anyone looking to stock their home pantry. I look forward to using it for many more years.

I have wanted one of these All Americans for a long time. After wasting tons of $ on almost as good cookers I finally broke down and bought the 1930. It is awesome. I should have never waited so long. No leaky silicone gaskets to mess with. No leaks at all. Holds 15 pounds pressure long after I turn the heat off.