Presto 16-Quart Pressure Canner Reviews: Our Editorial Take

The short version

If you want the verdict before the detail, here's where the 16-quart Presto lands after reading a few hundred owner comments. It's a well-liked, forgiving starter canner with one caveat almost everyone circles back to.

What's good:

• Light and short enough to fit smaller stoves and cupboards, and easy to lift when it is full.
• Simple, proven design that beginners get comfortable with fast, especially with a weighted rocker.
• Heats up and reaches pressure a little faster than the taller 23-quart because there is less to heat.
• Cheap, common wear parts (gasket, overpressure plug, seal) that pop in and out without tools.

What's not:

• Modest capacity: seven quarts or roughly seven to eight pints, and you cannot double-stack pints.
• Enough owners wish they had bought the 23-quart that the upgrade is worth taking seriously up front.
• Aluminum is thinner than stainless, can pit with hard water, and reacts with acidic foods if you cook in it.
• A dial gauge has to be tested every year, and the pot will not work on an induction cooktop.

Who it's for

The 16-quart Presto fits one kind of kitchen well and quietly frustrates another. Sort yourself before you buy.

Buy it for:

• Small households and small stoves canning a few quarts or pints at a time, not bulk garden hauls.
• A first pressure canner, where a simple aluminum pot and a weighted rocker keep the learning curve gentle.
• Tight storage, where the shorter body slides into a cupboard the taller 23-quart never would.

Skip it if:

• You put up big batches or want to double-stack pints; the Presto 01781 23-quart is the same width and holds far more.
• You cook on induction; aluminum will not work there, so the induction-ready Presto Precise Digital is the fit.
• You want a hands-off process; the Presto Precise Digital runs the venting, timing, and pressure for you.

The specs that matter

The numbers only help once you know what they buy you at the stove. Here's what the 16-quart Presto's spec sheet actually means:

16 quarts of water, about 7 quart jars per batch: the size on the box is liquid volume, not jar count. In practice you get seven quarts, or seven to eight pints on a single layer. Unlike the 23-quart, the pot is too short to double-stack a second row of pints, which is the single spec that sends heavier canners up a size.

Aluminum body with a rubber gasket lid: the aluminum keeps the pot light and quick to heat, but it is thinner than stainless, can pit in hard water, and reacts with acidic foods if you ever cook in it. The gasket and overpressure plug are wear parts you replace every few years, and they are cheap and easy to find.

Dial gauge or weighted regulator, flat bottom: a dial reads exact pressure but must be tested for calibration once a year; a weighted rocker never needs testing and lets you hold pressure by sound. The flat bottom works on gas and standard electric coils, but the aluminum rules out induction.

How well it preserves

For the job it is sized for, the little Presto does exactly what a pressure canner should: it comes up to pressure, holds it, and turns out safe, sealed jars batch after batch. Owners who came to it as their first pressure canner describe a short learning curve and then years of drama-free canning.

I have a similar looking one except it has a gauge. I added the weights/rocker. SO much easier. I was a long time water bath canner but this is my first pressure canner. Got it in spring of 2020. Have done dozens of batches. Never an issue aside from usual learning curve stuff. It's been a game changer. Jars of ready to heat and eat bbq pork, meatballs, soup, not to mention all the Swiss chard and green beans from a couple of garden seasons

The weighted rocker is a big part of why it preserves so consistently in real kitchens. Instead of hovering over a dial, you listen for the rock and nudge the heat, which makes it far easier to keep pressure from dipping below the safe line for the whole processing time. One owner ties the weighted gauge straight to why she trusts it:

I have this exact pressure canner. Tbh I love it. I tend to can smaller batches any ways. I like that it has a weighted gauge. I don’t have to deal with getting the gauge calibrated and I can makes sure it’s maintaining pressure by ear rather than having to watch the gauge

The honest ceiling here is load, not safety or evenness. Seven quarts, or seven to eight pints, covers a small household comfortably, and owners who know their needs are candid that this is where the 16-quart tops out. One 01755 owner lays out the math plainly:

I have the 01755 and I use it on a 8" burner and it's fine. The outer diameter of the base is 12", I just measured it with my tape measure. I remember the manual saying that think 4" over the burner size is the maximum size differential that you can safely use. I am one person and it works great for small batches. Very rarely do I want more than 7-8 pints of something, which is the max it can handle. I also don't do very many quarts. If I was doing larger batches or more quarts, I'd probably want the 23 quart.

Built to last

This is the softer axis, and it comes down to aluminum plus wear parts. The pot is thinner than a stainless canner, and the sealing system relies on a rubber gasket and an overpressure plug that both age out. None of that is a defect; it is maintenance you sign up for, and owners are matter-of-fact about it.

This type of canner takes a rubber gasket which will need to be cared for and will need to be replaced every few years.

The dial-gauge models add one more upkeep task: the gauge drifts and has to be tested for accuracy every year, usually at a county extension office. That yearly check is the main reason experienced owners quietly move everyone toward the weighted rocker, which never needs calibrating.

Just a reminder also that if you're relying on the gauge, it's important to check the calibration at least once per year - your local extension office is the best place to start for this. Personally, I bought the pressure regulator weights for my Presto, and I vastly prefer it to the dial. The weight + one ring is 10lb and will start to rock when it reaches that pressure, then you just lower the heat to keep it at a gentle steady rocking motion, and it's much easier for me to make sure I never dip below pressure during the processing time.

Set against that upkeep is a genuinely long service life. Parts are cheap and easy to source, so a well-maintained 16-quart keeps going for a very long time, and the longevity reports are not rare.

I have this same one I've used for years. I have the 23 qt as well, but I still use the 16qt. It does get up to pressure faster (but not too fast!) so when time is a consideration, I use the 16qt. It works on electric stoves as well as gas since it has a flat bottom. I'd get the weighted gauge or buy a weighted gauge to replace the regulator if you get the dial - I got one last year and I'm sorry I waited that long - it's so much easier. Parts are relatively easy to find as well, for when you need to replace your seal or anything else.

I have this very same canner and have used it for 15 years. I'm completely satisfied with it.

The realistic knock is aluminum itself. In hard water it can discolor and, over years, pit if you are heavy-handed with vinegar in the canning water, and it is the wrong pot to also cook acidic foods in. Treat it as a dedicated canner, keep a spare gasket on the shelf, and stick to the weighted rocker, and durability is a manageable tradeoff rather than a real weakness. That is why the number below sits a notch under the others.

Living with it

Day to day is where the 16-quart earns its fans, and it is the axis it wins on. It is light and short, so it comes down off a shelf without a fight and fits under a low range hood the taller canner bumps into. The weighted rocker turns canning into something you can do by ear while you get on with the rest of the kitchen.

The weighted gauge is a game changer. On my old electric stove I just kept it turned on Max most of the time

The flat bottom is the other quiet win: it sits on gas and on standard electric coil and glass-free electric stoves without any adapter. The big living-with-it caveat is stovetop type. Aluminum will not heat on induction at all, which sends induction owners looking elsewhere even when they otherwise love the pot:

I currently use a 16 quart (aluminum) Presto and am very pleased with it (once I got the separate pressure regulator). But I'd really like to be able to use it with my induction cooktop. Any recommendations? Does such a beast exists? I don't have tons of storage and would like to avoid larger canners.

Smooth glass tops are the other watch-out. The canner works on them, but a full aluminum pot plus the manufacturer weight limits some glass cooktops carry pushes a few owners off it entirely:

I switched to a separate electric Ball water canner because my stovetop is glass, and it’s the weight that’s a problem.

The last day-to-day limit is a small one worth naming: the 16-quart is tall enough to pressure can quarts but not tall enough to water-bath them, so it is a pressure canner first and a part-time water-bath pot only for pints and smaller. One owner sums up the mix of affection and minor annoyance well:

I love mine! I did realize this summer I couldn’t water bath can quarts. That has been the only down side.

How it compares

The 16-quart rarely gets cross-shopped alone. Three canners come up whenever someone is deciding, and here is how it stacks up against each.

Versus the Presto 01781 23-Quart: this is the comparison that matters most. The two are the same width and run on the same design, but the 23-quart is taller, which lets you double-stack pints for close to twice the load per batch. Owners who run both keep the 16 for small jobs and reach for the 23 when volume is up:

I have both this exact 16 qts weighted gauge and the 23 qts dial gauge, and I only use the weighted gauge for both. I can't get the dial gauge calibrated easily so I don't bother with it anymore. Both are the same width/circumference, so I hope you are talking about their height when you say the 23 qts won't fit your stove. Otherwise, the only downside of the 16 qts is that you can't double stack the pint jars. I think the 16 qts a good starter pressure canner.

Plenty of buyers skip the small one on purpose, because the time cost of a canning run is the same whether the pot is half full or packed. If you are going to spend the afternoon venting and processing anyway, more jars per batch is the argument for sizing up:

I've got the 23 quart and I love it. I bought it in February of this year and I've done stock, chili, beans, and soups in it with great success. I'd suggest getting the larger one if they have it. It takes quite a bit of time to bring it to a boil, vent it, process, then let the pressure come down. You'll want to be able to fit as many jars as possible in there to make it worth the time, especially if you plan to put up single serve lunches, which is my favourite use for it.

Versus the Presto Precise 16-Quart Digital: same footprint, very different experience. The Precise Digital automates the venting, timing, and pressure and shuts itself off, and crucially it works on induction, which the aluminum 01755 cannot. It is the pick if the manual dance intimidates you or your cooktop is induction.

Versus stainless like the All American: the aluminum is what keeps this Presto light and affordable, and it is also what some owners eventually want to leave behind for a heavier stainless canner they can run on other heat sources:

I have the Presto pressure canner and it works alright. I'm just a little wary of the aluminum. I'm really looking at getting the All American Stainless steel pressure canner because I can use it on my propane burner.

If you are unsure whether the little Presto is enough or you will outgrow it, one common path is to start here and step up later once you know your volume:

I have one and it works great! I figured I'd see how much I use it and I could always upgrade to something more pricy in the future. So far I've had great success with it and feel it's a great deal!

Using it well

Get the most out of a 16-quart Presto with a few habits. Add the amount of water your manual specifies (usually about three quarts) rather than filling it like a stockpot, since pressure canning cooks with steam, not a bath. Buy the weighted regulator if your model came with only a dial, and use it so you can hold pressure by sound instead of babysitting a gauge. Vent for a full ten minutes of steady steam before you set the weight, keep at least the minimum jar load in the pot so the heat stays stable, and go easy on vinegar in the canning water if you have hard water to keep the aluminum from pitting. Keep a spare gasket and overpressure plug on the shelf so a worn part never ends a canning day.

If you are still deciding between sizes or stovetops before you buy, it is worth reading how these choices play out across models. Our guide to the best pressure canner for a glass-top or induction stove walks through weight limits, aluminum versus stainless, and why induction changes the answer, with the 16-quart Presto in context against the alternatives.

The bottom line

The 16-quart Presto is an easy canner to recommend for exactly what it is: a light, simple, affordable way to start pressure canning in a small kitchen. It reaches pressure quickly, holds it reliably, and turns out safe jars batch after batch, and the weighted rocker makes the whole process approachable for a first-timer. If you can a few quarts or pints at a time and storage or stove size is tight, it does the core job as well as anything near its size.

The reasons to think twice are all about capacity and material, and they are real rather than nitpicks. If you grow a serious garden or want to double-stack pints, the 23-quart is the same width for a lot more throughput and is the size most heavy canners end up wishing they had bought. If your stove is induction, this aluminum pot is simply the wrong tool. Go in knowing the 16-quart is a small-batch canner with a little upkeep, buy the weighted gauge, and it is a genuinely good first pressure canner that will outlast the doubt.