Presto 01781 review
The default first pressure canner, reviewed on published specifications rather than a test we did not run.
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The Presto 01781 is a 23-quart aluminum pressure canner holding 7 quarts, 20 pints or 26 half-pints, which also doubles as a boiling water canner. It uses a dial gauge that the NCHFP says to check for accuracy every year. Rated for burners of 12,000 BTUs or less, and it does not work on induction.
We have not used this canner and we are not going to write as though we have. What follows is its published specifications, checked against the NCHFP's published canner rules, plus the things those two documents together tell you about living with it. Our full method is on how we pick.
It is the canner we point most beginners at, and the reasons are unglamorous: it takes a full standard batch, it does two jobs, and when something wears out it is a part number rather than a new canner.
The specifications, as published
| Presto 01781 | |
|---|---|
| Liquid capacity | 23 quarts (21.8 liters) |
| Jar capacity | 26 half-pints, 20 pints, 7 quarts |
| Material | Warp-resistant aluminum |
| Gauge | Dial gauge |
| Ranges | Regular and smooth-top |
| Induction | No — excluded by Presto by name |
| Burner limit | 12,000 BTUs or less |
| Also | Doubles as a boiling water canner |
| Warranty | 12-year limited |
| Base diameter | Not published by Presto |
Capacity is the reason it is the default
Seven quart jars is not an arbitrary number. It is the batch size tested NCHFP recipes are written around, which means this canner is never processing a half load — and a half load is the same ninety minutes of heat and attention for less food.
The pint figure is the one that surprises people. Twenty pints, in two layers, against seven quarts. Pints can be double-stacked and quarts cannot, so the canner's practical capacity depends heavily on which jar you use. A serious green bean day is a pint day, and this canner takes a lot of them.
The dual-purpose claim, which is real
Presto states the 23-quart doubles as a boiling water canner, and this is the strongest practical argument for buying it over a cheaper water bath pot. One purchase covers both methods: jam and pickles in the summer, beans and stock in the autumn, without owning two large pots.
Worth noting the contrast with Presto's 16-quart, which Presto states is not tall enough to cover quart jars with the required inch of water and is therefore a pints-only pot for water bath use. The 23-quart clears quarts, which is a genuine functional difference between the sizes rather than just capacity.
The catch: the dial gauge
This is the honest downside and it is an ongoing one rather than a one-off. The NCHFP is direct: check dial gauges for accuracy before use each year. A dial gauge does not fail visibly — it drifts, and a gauge reading 11 psi when the canner is actually at 8 psi under-processes every jar with no sign at any point.
Many county extension offices test gauges, often free, and the common replacement threshold is more than 2 psi off. The obligation is small. The problem is that it depends on you doing an errand every spring, and the honest observation is that most owners do not. If you already know you will not, the weighted-gauge 16-quart removes the question entirely — the NCHFP says weighted gauges need neither watching during processing nor checking for accuracy. That trade is worked through in dial gauge vs weighted gauge.
Quick picks
Every pick below is screened against the National Center for Home Food Preservation’s published canner rules first. Tap a row for the full write-up.
| # | Product | Best for | Key spec | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Presto 23-Quart Pressure Canner and Cooker (01781)The default first pressure canner, and the one most beginners should buy: it takes a full seven-quart load, it doubles as a boiling-water canner for pints and half-pints, and it costs a fraction of a cast-aluminum canner. The dial gauge is the catch, and it is a real one. | A first pressure canner | 7 quarts / 20 pints | |
| 2 |  Presto 23-Quart Induction Compatible Pressure Canner (01784)The only full-size consumer pressure canner with a manufacturer statement that it works on induction, and Presto makes the point by excluding every other canner it sells by name. Heavy-gauge aluminum with a stainless steel-clad base, the standard seven-quart load, and it doubles as a boiling water canner. | Canning on induction | The one Presto rates for induction | $189.99 · View on Amazon#ad we earn a commission · price as of October 18, 2026 |
| 3 |  Presto Pressure Canner Sealing Ring / Overpressure Plug Pack (09985)The one spare every Presto owner should have in a drawer. The sealing ring is a rubber part that hardens with age and heat cycles, and it is the reason a canner that worked last September will not come up to pressure this September. Presto sells it packed with the overpressure plug, which is the other rubber part in the lid. | The part that fails first | Ring + overpressure plug | $23.54 · View on Amazon#ad we earn a commission · price as of October 18, 2026 |
| 4 |  Presto Steam Gauge for Pressure Canners (85772)If your extension office tests your dial gauge and it reads more than 2 psi off, this is the fix. It is also the part that makes a dial-gauge canner a lifetime object instead of a disposable one, because the gauge is the only component on it with an opinion about pressure. | A dial that reads wrong | Replaces a failed dial |
Presto 23-Quart Pressure Canner and Cooker (01781)
The default first pressure canner, and the one most beginners should buy: it takes a full seven-quart load, it doubles as a boiling-water canner for pints and half-pints, and it costs a fraction of a cast-aluminum canner. The dial gauge is the catch, and it is a real one.
Published specs
- Liquid capacity
- 23 quarts (21.8 liters)
- Jar capacity
- 26 half-pints, 20 pints, 7 quarts
- Material
- Warp-resistant aluminum
- Gauge
- Dial gauge
- Ranges
- Regular and smooth-top
- Burner limit
- 12,000 BTUs or less
- Also
- Doubles as a boiling-water canner
- Warranty
- 12-year limited
- Base diameter
- Not published by Presto
What works
- Seven quart jars is the standard batch size every tested NCHFP recipe is written around, so you are never processing a half load
- Doubles as a boiling-water canner for pints and half-pints, which means one pot covers the jam-and-pickles year as well as the beans
- Presto sells a replacement dial gauge and sealing ring separately, so a decade-old canner is a repair rather than a replacement
What to know first
- A dial gauge should be checked for accuracy every year — most extension offices do it free, and most owners never go. A weighted gauge needs no calibration at all
- Presto does not publish a base diameter, so you cannot check it against the NCHFP element rule without measuring the box yourself. See will it fit your stove
- Rated for burners of 12,000 BTUs or less, which rules out most outdoor propane burners and some high-output gas ranges
Specs from Presto, 23-Quart Pressure Canner and Cooker (01781). We have not handled this product — see how we pick.
Presto 23-Quart Induction Compatible Pressure Canner (01784)
The only full-size consumer pressure canner with a manufacturer statement that it works on induction, and Presto makes the point by excluding every other canner it sells by name. Heavy-gauge aluminum with a stainless steel-clad base, the standard seven-quart load, and it doubles as a boiling water canner.
Published specs
- Liquid capacity
- 23 quarts (21.8 liters)
- Jar capacity
- 26 half-pints, 20 pints, 7 quarts
- Material
- Heavy-gauge polished aluminum with a stainless steel-clad base
- Ranges
- Gas, electric, smooth-top and induction
- Gauge
- Dial gauge
- Base (Presto's own guidance figure)
- 8 to 9 inches
- Burner limit
- 12,000 BTUs or less
- Also
- Doubles as a boiling water canner
- Warranty
- 12-year limited
What works
- The only canner in this category whose manufacturer puts induction compatibility in writing. Presto states plainly that apart from this model its pressure canners do not work on induction ranges, which is a far more useful sentence than a listing keyword
- Takes the same 7 quarts or 20 pints as the standard 23-quart and doubles as a boiling water canner, so on a cooktop that rejects nearly every canner this one pot still covers both methods
- The stainless-clad base is not induction-only. It heats on gas, coil and smooth-top too, so the canner survives a move to a different stove
What to know first
- Presto cautions that it may not work on all portable induction ranges. The company tested one specific portable unit, so a portable unit you already own is not a safe assumption
- Still a dial gauge, which should be checked for accuracy every year. A weighted gauge never needs it, and there is no induction-rated weighted canner to switch to
- Rated for burners of 12,000 BTUs or less, and Presto tells you not to use it on outdoor LP gas burners at all
Specs from Presto, 23-Quart Induction Compatible Pressure Canner (01784), Presto, Canning Heat Source, Iowa State University Extension, Exploring Portable Burners and Other Canner Options. We have not handled this product — see how we pick.
Presto Pressure Canner Sealing Ring / Overpressure Plug Pack (09985)
The one spare every Presto owner should have in a drawer. The sealing ring is a rubber part that hardens with age and heat cycles, and it is the reason a canner that worked last September will not come up to pressure this September. Presto sells it packed with the overpressure plug, which is the other rubber part in the lid.
Published specs
- Presto stock number
- 09985
- Presto's own name
- Pressure Canner Sealing Ring/Overpressure Plug Pack
- Contents
- Sealing ring and overpressure plug
- Listed for
- Presto's parts page for the 23-quart Pressure Canner (stock no. 0178107)
- Why two parts
- Both are rubber, and both age at the same rate
What works
- A genuine Presto part ordered from Presto's own parts list for your model number, which is the only way to be sure of the fit — the aftermarket for this part is crowded and inconsistently labeled
- Packed with the overpressure plug, so you replace both rubber components at once rather than discovering the second one next season
- Turns a decade-old canner into a repair rather than a replacement, which is most of the reason a Presto is good value in the first place
What to know first
- Part numbers are per-model. Presto lists parts by canner stock number, and buying by 'looks about right' is how people end up with a ring that will not seat
- A sealing ring is a wear part, not a lifetime one. Inspect it each season for hardening or cracking rather than waiting for a failure
- It will not fix a canner that fails to hold pressure for a different reason, such as a blocked vent pipe or a gauge reading wrong
Specs from Presto, Parts and Accessories for the 23-Quart Pressure Canner. We have not handled this product — see how we pick.
Presto Steam Gauge for Pressure Canners (85772)
If your extension office tests your dial gauge and it reads more than 2 psi off, this is the fix. It is also the part that makes a dial-gauge canner a lifetime object instead of a disposable one, because the gauge is the only component on it with an opinion about pressure.
Published specs
- Presto stock number
- 85772
- Presto's own name
- Steam Gauge for Presto Pressure Canners
- Function
- The dial that registers processing pressure
- When to replace
- NCHFP: check dial gauges for accuracy before use each year
- Listed for
- Presto's parts page for the 23-quart Pressure Canner
What works
- A dial gauge is the one part of a pressure canner that can be quietly wrong, and replacing it is cheaper and faster than replacing the canner
- Genuine Presto part listed on Presto's own parts page against your canner's stock number
- Makes the annual accuracy test actionable — there is no point testing a gauge if a failed test has no remedy
What to know first
- You still need somewhere to test the gauge. Many county extension offices do it free, and you have to actually go
- Replacing the gauge does not remove the annual test from your calendar. A new dial gauge is a dial gauge
- If you resent the whole business, the honest answer is a weighted-gauge canner, which the NCHFP says needs no accuracy checking at all
Specs from Presto, Parts and Accessories for the 23-Quart Pressure Canner, NCHFP, Recommended Canners. We have not handled this product — see how we pick.
Stove fit, and the number Presto does not publish
Presto does not publish a base diameter for this canner, which is a real gap. The NCHFP's rule for electric ranges is that a canner should be no more than 4 inches wider than the element it sits on, and without a published figure you cannot check that before the box arrives.
Presto's heat-source guidance does give a working number it does not put on the product page: it advises matching an element to the canner's 8- to 9-inch base. That is the figure to run against your own element measurement in will it fit your stove.
It is a repairable object, which matters more than it sounds
Presto lists parts against this canner's stock number: the sealing ring and overpressure plug, the steam gauge, the pressure regulator, the rack. That turns a decade-old canner into a repair rather than a replacement, and it is most of why this canner is good value across ten years rather than one season.
The part that fails first is the sealing ring, because rubber hardens with heat cycles and age — it is the reason a canner that worked last September will not come up to pressure this September. Owning a spare before harvest week rather than during it is the single best thing you can do with fifteen dollars here. The full parts picture is in pressure canner replacement parts.
Who should buy something else
Four cases, plainly:
- You cook on induction. Buy the 01784 instead — same capacity, same gauge, same warranty, stainless-clad base. The comparison is 01781 vs 01784.
- You will not do the annual gauge test. Buy a weighted-gauge canner and stop thinking about calibration.
- You want a canner with no consumable parts. The All American's machined metal-to-metal seal has no gasket at all — but its published base is 15 3/8 inches, which most household electric elements cannot serve. See All American vs Presto.
- Lifting is difficult. Loaded with water and seven quart jars this is a two-handed lift you plan around, and a smaller canner you actually use beats a larger one you avoid.
The verdict
The sensible default first pressure canner for most US kitchens: a full tested batch, two methods from one pot, a twelve-year warranty and a parts list that keeps it alive. The dial gauge is a genuine ongoing obligation rather than a footnote, and induction owners and high-BTU burners are excluded outright. Inside those limits there is very little to argue with.
Next stepCheck it against your element firstCommon questions
How many jars does the Presto 01781 hold?
Can the Presto 01781 be used as a water bath canner?
Does the Presto 01781 work on induction?
Does the dial gauge need testing every year?
What size element does it need?
What parts wear out?
Can I use it on a propane burner?
Do you earn a commission on these?
Sources
- Presto — 23-Quart Pressure Canner (01781)
- Presto — Canning Heat Source
- Presto — Parts and Accessories for the 23-Quart Pressure Canner
- NCHFP — Recommended Canners
Product specifications are taken from each manufacturer’s own published page, cited on the product. We have not handled these products — how we pick.
