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.
I have used the traditional black speckled pot but recently got a pressure cooker. Still not sure I am happy with that- this Freshtech system would be perfect for me! Most of my jars, however, are inherited from my grandmother and my husband’s grandmother. 🙂
I use an old speckled blue canner……had a pressure canner years ago but gave it to my daughter so she could can for her family. I am due for a new electric canner.
I use my grandmothers big black/white speckled pot, her wire jar carrier and grabber. Amazing how well,it has held up through three generations! There is a thin spot on the bottom of the pan that is concerning to me. I rally don’t want to be the one to stop the cycle
This looks amazing. .using my grandmother’s speckleware…so cumbersome. ..I can only imagine the deliciousness you could crank out of this!
I am new to gardening and canning. Tired of paying the high prices at the store for produce that is fairly tasteless. Lived on a farm when I was a kid and remember my mom and aunts getting together and helping each other with the harvesting and canning of the garden and when we were outside playing and wanted a snack we would just go to the garden. I want to give my grandchildren those memories and the healthy snacks they can get from the garden and teach them how to grow and store the fruits of their labor.
I’m still working on a “set up” I have the big speckled pot- so very cumbersome. I also use a stock pot with a trivet. I’m learning slowly how to do this well. Much of my growth can be attributed to you. Thanks
I use a copper bottom. stainless steal stock pot. Electric canner would be awesome because it would give my poor stove a break!
I agree this looks like an ideal canner for me.
I have been using my Moms canning system for the last 30 years. Still in fairly good shape but i would love to be able to can out on the deck during jam and tomato season.
I have a traditional giant speckle pot that is ready to be replaced, as well as a tall stock pot with your silicone trivet. When it’s time for tomatoes, both rigs are in use! Otherwise I like the flexibility of pulling out one or the other depending on my canning plans. Thanks for hosting this giveaway!
I have a hand me down pot from a friend in my husbands family.it is large and cumbersome but has gotten us through many canning projects. I was thinking about moving the process outside so hearing about the hotplate idea sounds great too!
I have a glasstop and my huge stock pot gets so heavy! I’d love this to be able to can more. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity 🙂
I use a pressure canner (for water bath also) on my electric range, which is occasionally less than ideal.
The plus side I see to this is that setting the other caners on your flat surface stove is very hard on the stove surface. This electric one would work better for me.
I am new to canning so I don’t have a setup yet – have been looking around to see what would be best to buy to use in my small kitchen.
I agree, this would be perfect for tomatoes. We have an orchard and I make a lot of jam and preserves so it would be excellent for that as well. And moving it outside in July would work too. Gotta have it!
Blue speckled pot. Was thinking of getting an induction burner to get it off my stove top.
I have an old black and white speckled canning pot I bought about 25 years ago. It was pretty cheap back then, but it still works! I looked at this one last year and it looks wonderful! Thanks so much for the give-a-way.
A few years back I was driving down the road and spotted a big blue speckled pot in someone’s trash pile. I stopped and picked it up. It had obviously been used on an open fire. I cleaned it up and that is now my water bath canning pot. It hangs way over my burner and leaves it looks ugly. I would love this new system!
I don’t have my own set up but have been deciding what to do…this would be great!
I love canning and teaching my 4 girls how to can. My mom just gave me her old canning pot.
My canning pot is over 40 years old. It has served well, but a shiny new pot would be wonderful.
I would really appreciate an updated version of canning. I use all of my parents water bath blue canning pots from the early 1970’s and am extremely thankful to have all of that supplies, but an update would be outstanding!
This canner looks awesome! I have been using an old blue speckled pot which has worked well for me. Time now for an upgrade? I think so.
I have the big blue speckled enamel pot and when I had the burner turned up to high it scorched the trim to my counter top that butts up to the stove. Would LOVE to have this pot to help me to prevent this again when I get the counter repaired.
Let’s see. I have 2 pressure canners and one black and white pan I use for water bath. I’ve sometimes had all 3 going (one pressure canner cooling while the next starts while tomatoes boiling in the water bath). We buy a lot of our fruits and veggies at a local produce auction so we can buy in bulk and spend a weekend putting it up.
I never thought of the induction burner for canning! But I do use it to cook potatoes for potato salad in the summer on the deck so I don’t heat up the house!
I use a stock pot with a trivet in the bottom. I would love something like this to use outside instead of heating up my kitchen in the summer.
I have a water bath canner and a pressure canner but would love to have the electric canner. It would definitely be helpful in my small kitchen.
I have a black canning pot and I have tied together a bunch of canning lids to use as a rack.
i use a gorgeous stainless steel pot that my mom so generously surprised me with. My best friend taught me to can a few years ago. My mom never canned, but I hope my children carry on the tradition when they are grown.
I use a stockpot w/ the silicone trivet, but LOVE this idea. Being able to fill with water from the handheld, and dump the water with the spigot sounds SO much lighter!
I didn’t can for a long time. I have my grandma’s (and Mom’s) aluminium pot with the rusty-ish racks. I was inspired by small batch canning and have started again a few years ago. If I am just doing the tiny jars, which I do alot for gifts ( and the fact that once you open it you don’t have to eat it every day for two weeks to use it up) I will put a wash cloth on the bottom of my enameled cast iron pot and do it that way. It’s perfect for 6 or 8 tiny jars. I still haven’t found the perfect pickle (unless its a refrigerator dill) I made tomato jam for the first time last summer and it was devine!
I have the old speckled pot from grandma – and its got to be replaced this year so this would be a great replacement. I think it would be great to free up some stove top space while canning! I never knew these existed until I saw your posting. Thanks for the info!
I currently use a stainless steel stock pot with a tea towel “trivet” on the bottom, and it works fine for me. I have to use this pot, because I’ve got a glass cooktop, and the speckled enamel canners have uneven bottoms. But I’d love to try and use this- I have a very tiny kitchen, so only the one giant stock pot, and this would make canning tomatoes much easier (so I could use that stock pot for tomatoes, instead of three smaller pots)
I am new to canning, all I have is a basic kit I picked up on Amazon. I really want to get started soon, and would love this. Please pick me!
I have a blue speckled canner that has served me well. Would love to have a new upgrade! 🙂
Cannot remember exact year I bought my hot water bath setup but it has to be older than you !
I’ve been canning since I was a new mom some 45 years ago. My pressure canner is much newer ,
I’d say only 30+ years. Would love to use this new one during my fall tomato canning binge .
Thanks for the offer. C.
I used a Ball canning kit with a black speckled enamel pot. It’s about 10 years old and works fine, even on my glass cooktop (despite all the people who told me it couldn’t be done.) this new unit would provide a better logistical solution and possibly easier clean-up. I’d love to try it!
Looks like a super canning system! In the meantime, we do have an induction-type canner, so am going to check out your suggestion. Working out in the shade would be so much more comfortable. Thanks!
I have just started using a pressure cooker. I’m loving the reduced time it takes.
Old school big pot + wire rack here, but boy oh boy would I love to can out on the back porch! I don’t can as much as I’d like in the late summer because sometimes I just can’t bear the thought of making my already steamy, tiny kitchen any hotter.
I have started my own canning tradition. I bought my pressure canner & canning pot almost 30 years ago! I hope my kids will pick up this tradition someday because store bought canned fruits & veggies is something they have never known. 🙂
I use a large stock pot, would love to have this set up would make things allot easier than what I’m using now!
I’m new to canning and have to get the entire set-up! This looks like the way to go to me!!!
Looks very nice!
I currently use a regular pot on the stove and another tool to lift out the jars. Not sure what it’s called but it’s not very modern technique at all!
I use a stock pot. This would be awesome!
I can using a thin enamel pot and sometimes spill over into a stock pot. One of these automatic ones would make it so much easier! !
Would LOVE to have this! Currently use a stockpot.
This electric canner looks wonderful! I don’t currently have a canner, just a bunch of jars!
Right now I use an old water bath I got at a estate sale on my glass top stove. I’d love to be able to put this out on my deck