Over the last decade, the Ball Canning folks have brought a handful of canning appliances to market. The first was the FreshTECH Jam and Jelly Maker in the summer of 2012. The FreshTECH Automatic Home Canning System was the thing during the 2014 canning season. And now, we have the Ball FreshTECH Electric Water Bath Canner and Multi-Cooker.
This electric canner is exactly what I know a number of you have been hoping for. It’s a giant pot that has an independent element so that you can move your processing pot off your stove top and over to the counter.
It holds 8 quarts, nine pints, or a dozen regular mouth half pints (that means that if you stack them, you can process 24 quarter pint jars at once). It’s particularly great if your stove is slow to boil water or if you’ve been warned off canning on a glass top cooktop. It works like any other boiling water bath canner, so if you live at higher altitudes, you will still need to adjust your processing time upwards.
It has a spout on the left side of the canner, so if your kitchen is arranged in a way where you can set the canner to the right of your stove, you can drain the water directly into the sink. The canner comes with a steaming rack as well as a canning rack, so that you can use it for all your high capacity steaming needs (I could see it being perfect for tamale parties).
It can also be used as a portable cooker, so can work for large amounts of soup, chili, or even something like mulled cider. Nice if you help with community potlucks or church suppers.
I’ve now run a number batches of jars through the canner and I am really happy with it. It’s not going to become my primary boiling water bath because I make a lot of small batches and it doesn’t make sense to heat up this much water for two or three pints, but for larger batches, it’s a boon.
It’s also incredibly useful during tomato season and I’ve started bringing it with me to my classes and workshops where I know we’re making multiple batches and so we’ll need more canner space.
This canner does cost $149.99, which is a pretty penny if you already have a canning set-up you like. If you like the idea of moving your canning pot off your stove top but can’t swing that price point, there is a more affordable way to create something similar.
Get yourself an induction capable stock pot (a classic speckled canner with a flat bottom will work) and the induction burner I have (it’s just $60) and you have a canner you can run anywhere (I highly recommend outdoor canning on really hot days).
My bottom line on the Ball FreshTECH Electric Water Bath Canner is that it’s a great tool for people who do lots of large batch canning. If you have the budget and storage space for it, I highly recommend it.
Disclosure: The folks at Ball Canning sent me a FreshTECH Electric Canner for review and photography purposes at no cost to me. They are also provided a giveaway unit. No additional compensation was provided for this post and all opinions expressed are my own.
We use a big clam bake pot, on a propane burner, and outside! Especially during the summer…tomatoes 🙂
I use my soup pot with a silicone trivet. But I have a glass top stove and I worry because it gets really hot. Would love this unit.
I have a speckled pot but it takes a long time on my glass topped stove to get it going. It’d be nice to work with something new that can free up my stove for other things.
I have a water bath canner that I brought from Walmart a few years back and I just brought a pressure canner about a month ago. My goal is to make chicken stock and can it soon.
My grandmother introduced me to the wonderful world of canning a few years ago and I’m hooked! I don’t currently have a set-up at home– I have to borrow hers. This water bath canning pot would be well used and loved!
I use the classic water bath canner right now. I’m looking to branch out. I make all kinds of jams, jellies, and fruit.
i HWB can the old school way – a big enamel pot.
I use 2 older canners that were donated to me by ex canning friends and family. Thank you for giving everyone the opportunity to win this beauty!
We use an enamel pot on the kitchen stove. Very hot in summer- thinking of building something outside- but this would simplify.
I can on flat top stove, so this would be great to free up some space. Looks awesome
I have the good old water bath canner, that I use the insert from my pressure canner in as I hate the one that came with it. Got comfortable using the pressure canner last summer. I would be great to have this one that could free up stove top space!
I have a very old canning pot…kinda rusty but so am I.
Boy oh boy, would I love to give the electric ball canner a whirl! Aim currently using my huge SS stock pot for wb canning. I have even used my asparagus pot for very small batches.
I’ve never used an electric canner, but would like to try it out.
I’m using a pressure canner as a water bather … someday hope to have a real water bather as it takes way longer to heat up the water in a pressure canner. Helped to heat the water in our electric tea pot first!.
the hubs just got me a new waterbath canning pot since my other pot was made crappily and was rusting something fierce.
this set up would be awesome because it would leave the stovetop free to do other things – especiallyduring tomato season when multiple recipes are happening at one time!
I have my mother’s enamel water bath canning. Spots in the bottom that my dad repaired. I think it’s time is coming to a end soon.
I use my moms enameled wb canner! I would love to have this!!
I have the standard big Ball canning pot, but this would be so nice to use outside to avoid turning my kitchen into a sauna during tomato season.
I use a big stock pot for water bath canning and a pressure canner for other canning. Sometimes both are going at the same time – would love to give this a try.
I use whatever I can come up with depending on how much I’m canning on any given day. I’d love to have this!
I use a pot I bought at a garage sale. I would love to can outside in the summer!
i would love this!! Been canning for 40 yrs with the smallest pressure canner and my ole black kettle for water bath- love knowing what’s is my food!!
I use an enameled water bath, this is at least my 3rd one. I do have a big pressure cooker but don’t use it too often anymore as it is a bit heavy. I have been making more relishes,chutneys and fruit the past few years.
I can with an ancient canner….This canner looks so fun…Thanks for the chance. I hope I win!!!
I would love to win. I started canning a few years a go. And use a old blue enamel water bath pot I found at good will. It’s hard to use and takes a long time to use on my glass top stove.
I have my own canning pot, and Mom gave me hers when she downsized. But when the little mouse chewed through the cord on my stove, we replaced it with a glass top stove and I’ve been looking for something like this ever since. We’ve been canning outside on our propane camping stove, but for a small batch it’s too much to drag out and use. I’m keeping my fingers crossed!
I am new to canning. Last year was my first year. I bought a Ball water bath canning pot. I do it on my stove but would love to be able not to as I worry about the weight on my flat glass topped stove. This would be awesome to try out this year. Or to have my burners to be cooking things to can and the canner working on the side not taking up a big burner. Thank you for the chance to win one! I hope some day to get a pressure canner.
I just finished a big kitchen reno and haven’t canned in it yet! I can’t wait to, though, and this would be an awesome addition since I’m not sure what my best set up will be.
I can all summer and fall. I don’t have a great setup and would LOVE to have this canning pot!!! Mine is 40 yrs old and rusting in places. The rack is falling apart. This pot would be a dream come true!!!
I currently use a large stockpot for my water bath canning and have tried a couple different trivets but haven’t come up with one i particularly love. So I generally stick with a crocheted dishcloth in the bottom of the pot. Love the idea of this electric canning pot that has the potential to be more mobile friendly!
Using a well loved, black and white speckled water bath canning pot. I have a flat top stove so the side burner on the grill is the go-to. Unfortunately, getting to the grill involves a flight of deck stairs so its not the safest set-up. Plus, with the grill outside, its difficult to keep a steady eye on the pot.
I’ve been using my pasta pot — and it’s insert — for the majority of things. I have a little cake rack that I use if I have taller jars. And I just picked up a used asparagus pot which I think might work well for extremely tiny batches….
But this looks really nice.
I use my great aunts old canner. Still works great and for canning tomatoes I have resorted to using the base of the turkey fryer outside on the driveway. Keep that heat outside!!
I use a classic Ball canning pot on my stove. I don’t have air conditioning, so I love the thought of being able to do the canning part out on my back patio!
I’m just getting started and slowly collecting items needed to start canning. I have the black speckled washer bath. I would love to have the electric one!x
I have the black speckled pot. This canner is beautiful!
i normally use the enameled wb canning pot, but we are now in a rental with a smooth top range & I’m worried about marring the surface using my canner.
A countertop canner would be ideal for me. I’ve really missed canning!
i use an an old pot that was given to me years ago! I would love this!
I use a standard pot in a ridiculously old an horribly laid out rental kitchen, so I can much less now unless it’s in large batches. This is perfect to give me the flexibility I need!! Amazing!! 🙂
I need one like this I can 70 to more jars of salsa every year an I am bad for this than I end up giving it away I make 3-5 different kinda salsa. I absolute need one like this .it would be awesome plus we make pickle beets ,pickle watermelon an list goes on.hopen win one.
I have 4 enameled water bath canners. One is glass lined. All have the old wire racks. I take the glass lined one outside on hot days and use over a propane burner. Usually I can on propane stove. One canner is so large it takes two burners. This would make it easier to get my 12 yr old involved. She is always wanting to help.
i currently use what my mom had. Just a hot water bath for high acid products. I have a large stock pot and tongs. That’s about it.
I’ve been using the old stove top canning pot for years. I would ❤️the new one.
I’m using some things my mother gave me. And yes, she probably got them from my grandma. Lol I’d love a “new rig”!
This is amazing! I use a speckled canner pot with a rack, but sometimes I do smaller batches in a stock pot with the silicone trivet setup. Even if I don’t win this giveaway I’m thinking of investing in an induction burner so I can work outside; that’s genius!
I use an old enameled water bath canner, usually using either a propane camp stove or turkey fryer out on my porch. (The water heats up much faster than on my stove, and it doesn’t heat the house up.) If we’re in production mode, my husband usually mans the canner/timer while I’m prepping the next batch.
I team up with Mom…time to get my own! This would do the trick nicely. 🙂
I have a Ball water bath canner (stove top) for big projects, a stock pot with a trivet for small and a pressure canner for stock, tomatoes and a few other things. I would love to be able to free up a burner since my stove top is small.
I use the classic black speckled pot! I make jam all summer long to keep my 3 Littles in pbj’s the rest of the year, but am eager to branch out this year with homegrown tomatoes and pickled cukes and carrots!
I would love this unit. I have the large Ball Canning pot which I use outside but this unit would be a dream come true for me.