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 don’t have a canning setup right now because I don’t have the right pots. Getting this system would be an incredible gift to be able to start canning my own healthy foods!
My set up is pretty standard, but this looks like it would make canning very portable – canning party with a friend, maybe?
I’m still fairly new to canning, so I’m using a cheap stockpot that I picked up at a discount store. The electric pot looks fantastic. Thanks for the chance to win.
I have a big ball blue water bath cannner. I love to can big batches, this would be awesome!
Well, I have been saying for YEARS that I want to try canning, but moving multiple times and no longer having a garden – plus, you know, the fear that comes along with not knowing what I’m doing! – keep getting in my way. If I had this, I really wouldn’t have an excuse not to try! 🙂
I have a standard water bath canning pot that came with a basket that I bought a few years back! I am the first in my family to can food and I just love it so much.
I use a huge, much loved stock pot and a blossom trivet.
I use a huge pressure cooker – big enough for hot water bath canning as well as having the element for pressure canning. Has worked well for years but an interested in the electric one, for sure. I wonder if it would make my already hot kitchen more bearable during the summer months when canning.
We use a large stockpot, we would love to upgrade to something like this!
My blue speckled pot came from my parents’ best friends – when she stopped canning, she gave me a shed’s worth of her canning gear. For smaller batches, I make do with a stock pot.
I have one of those classic big enamel canning pots from a hardware store — I bought it during a college internship. I have other pots that I always use for certain things, like the lids and a specific way I like to set up washcloths to set the jars on as they get lifted out to be filled. It’s funny how habitual I am now that I think about it!
I have been using my enameled canner for more than 25 years and would certainly enjoy an easier way to put up my produce.
I have a water bath canner that I picked up at a thrift store.
My current canning set-up is quite sad, actually. I have a super, SUPER, tiny kitchen with a stove right up against the wall and about 15 inches of space to the left, so it makes quite the crowded kitchen when I have the canning pot, my jam pot, the warming lids, the funnel, the jars, the towels, the spoons, the thermometer, the jar lifter….whew! Sometimes I’m amazed I get anything canned at all! Needless to say, this electric one would probably become the darling of the kitchen 🙂
I currently use one of the big black speckled canning kettle with a wire jar holder. It’s functional, but having something more high tech like this product would make the process so much simpler and enjoyable! And it wouldn’t confine me to just my kitchen!
I use my grandmothers water bath canner and my mothers old pressure canner. I have canned every year and share the wealth with my adult children. I grew up helping to can and I have enjoyed making all my fresh items. My daughter needs to carry on the tradition and a new canner would be great for me to give to her as she carries on the tradition!!
I use my grandmothers canning equipment, that is over 70 years old; her canning pressure cooker no longer works. Could use another container to do multiple concoctions at the same time.
Grandma’s pressure canner and a new water bath set up last year. This one looks really nice, too!
I have an electric stove with a glass top. While I have used it to can, I started worrying after I read your article that I shouldn’t. This would solve the problem.
Still using the speckled pot along side that big pressure canner.
I currently don’t have a set up as I don’t have a stove. My electric in my house isn’t right so it doesn’t have enough juice to pull a stove but if I had one of these It would be awesome possum. I could plug it right into the wall.
I have an old speckled water bath canner from the thrift store. I harvest jars from friends and rummage sales (I always inspect before using!) or whenever I can pick them up for cheap.
I’m using a pot that I found at a garage sale right now. I just started canning last year and am looking forward to building on my skills this year with produce from the garden.
WOW! this looks amazing. I use a small old canning pot I got second hand. Finding time for canning is hard and this looks like it could save me from needing to do multiple batches since you can stack jars-that is awesome!
I use bits and pieces to can. I mostly use jars that belonged to my grandmother and aunts. My canning kettle is a really big pot that is used to brew small batches of beer in the off season. I have an employee when the canning volume is high(my husband, and luckily for me he takes his pay in trade 🙂 I would love to have this because it would enable me to do all my jars at once and free up stove space for the next batch!
I just had my grandmothers pressure canner tested and was devastated to learn that the pressure gauge is no longer accurate and there is no way to fix it due to its age! I’m probably going to spend the money on another All American pressure canner but I have to do some research to make sure I get the right size for me (especially considering the cost). The idea of having an electric water bath that I can set up on my buffet and keeping my very tiny kitchen free for other cooking is incredibly appealing and I am going to look into this option instead of continuing to use the pot I have from my great grandmother (my family likes to pass things down).
I use the old school black enamelware pot to WB in. I have a vintage All American type pressure canner that I need to get tested to use this season. This WB canner is amazing. It’s so awesome to see new technology come out for such an old method of preservation.
I’m using my largest stock pot and round cake cooling rack for small batch canning. This appliance looks as if it will allow for larger batches (and more to share with my neighbors).
For larger batches I use my mom’s old speckled stock pot and wire rack, who knows where she got it.
For small batches I use your set up with asparagus pot.
But I have a small galley kitchen with not much space. Would LOVE to can outside!
I use the traditional waterbath canner and do most of my canning outside on gas burners in my carport
I have my Grandmother’s friends large water bath canner and a smaller one that I got at a garage sale. My parents bought me a presto pressure canner a few years ago for my birthday. I share my pressure canner with my mother-in-law. It would be wonderful not to HAVE to use the stove space or to be able to do more jars and get things done quicker!!
I use a large speckled canning pot outside on a propane camp stove, since it’s not recommended to process jars on my glass top electric stove.
This electric water bath canner would be an answer t a prayer for me. I am using a stockpot and trivet now.
Still old school, using Mother’s canning pot!
I have just started learning how to can and I have NO set up. This would be lovely!!!
I usually use a stockpot with a dishtowel folded in the bottom–it’s not ideal, but it’s what I have/can afford. I would love something like this, honestly, because my stockpot isn’t quite deep enough for taller jars…
Hi, My grammy would can after every harvesting a good 50 yrs of a warm water bath in the biggest pot her whole kitchen all summer and fall would be cover with jars , then to to go down in the cold cellar.My grammy would can everything and I carry that from her and glad that she taught me how too.would be nude to make it easier.Thank you for this opportunity to win such a beautiful machine
I have several granite ware pots in different sizes. If I get the new fresh tech waterbath I will retire a few of my older ones. I Love Canning!
I have two large stove top canners, I work a full time job so when canning season comes around I keep two canners going at all times. I could use a third one so I could can more at one time. It’s hard when you work full time and only have so many hours devoted to gardening and canning, but I love gardening and canning and it helps with cost of food, not to mention the food is so much better for you.
i am looking for a new set up. I currently use an old enamel canning pot that is really showing wear. I have a ceramic cooktop and the burner cycles on and off. I do an ok job of regulating the heat, but sometimes boil too vigorously. This would be a nice upgrade since I have to replace my pot anyway.
I use a water bath canner for years. This new canner looks awesome and much easier to use.
I use my great grandmother’s canner, plus I purchased a new American canner last summer. I love to can as a hobby, plus the food from canning is so much better than what you buy in the grocery store. I’m glad to see that this is not a lost art.
Love, love, love this. I’d can for days with one of these. Happy
Right now I am using a stock pot but I am in the market for something new.
This electric canner would be a fantastic upgrade from my old stockpot and trivet.
I’ve only canned with friends at their home. I have nothing of my own. This would be a great start.
I am using a set up pased down to me from my wonderful mother-in-law who has taugh me the art of canning.
Wow! That electric canning system is sweet! Since I started canning a few years ago, I have collected several large stock pots from garage sales, estate sales, and flea markets. Because they were inexpensive, I’ve had the chance to play with them, to pick out the ones that are best for different purposes. And for Christmas this past year my precious husband ordered me a red silicone trivet to put in the bottom of my pots. He even helps me search for cool jars and gadgets. I think he likes the stuff I can!
i have an old black speckled pot and am very new to canning. Excited to get started.
I lost my original, huge pressure canner while moving 11 years ago. Now that we have a large piece of property for gardening, I would like to begin canning again. This water bath canner would be a great addition to my kitchen!