Can you use a glass top stove for canning

Canning on a glass top stove: Is it safe? Will I break my stovetop? The risk most people are aware of with a glass top stove is the possibility of breaking your stovetop. But did you know that you might also not process your food correctly if your equipment is not compatible with your stove?

Canning on a Glass Top Stove: Let’s Start with the Hearsay

I’ve read lots of comments from readers that they’ve tried canning on a glass-top stove with no problem. And then, the occasional person says they cracked theirs, or it overheated and the canner lost pressure. It will all depend on the manufacturer, what stove you’re using, and what canner you’re using (and how long you’re using it). There are so many variables when canning on a glass top stove!

Disclaimer: I don’t have a glass top stove, nor have I ever even used a glass top stove (let alone tried canning on it). I’m on a propane gas stove, so I don’t have personal experience. But I did a little research, and this is what I’ve found.

Canning on a Glass Top Stove: Check Your Stove Manufacturer

Check with your stove manufacturer first and foremost! No matter what experience others have had, this is YOUR stove and YOUR problem if it breaks. Even if you use a canner that is fine for a glass top, your stove needs to be able to handle it too.

According to the NCHFP (National Center for Home Food Preservation), these are some issues that can come up with using glass top stoves for canning:

1. There can be damage to the cooktop from the heat if the canner is not the appropriate diameter size for the burner.
2. Cooktops can be scratched by sliding heavy canners around.
3. Cooktops may have settings that will turn burners off if the heat gets too high. This will affect the pressure in the canner. You want to keep that pressure as steady as possible, which is difficult if the burner is turning off and on during processing.

The biggest concern is that canners may reflect too much heat back to your cooktop, causing the burners to get too hot and overheat, which may cause them to turn off, or cycle on and off.

This can lead to problems when pressure canning in particular. If you’re pressure canning and this happens, the pressure will drop and cause your food to be under-processed. You may lose liquid in your jars from the heat fluctuations. You really need to be able to keep the canner at a consistent pressure. If the burners are cycling on and off…steady heat is not going to happen!

Pressure Canners for Glass Top Stoves

Glass top stoves require smooth-bottom cookware.

Pressure Canners – The All American Canners are not smooth bottomed and so can not be used. Presto Canners, however, have a smooth bottom, and they are lighter than the All American too. If you are looking to buy a canner to use on your glass top stove, get a Presto Canner.

Can You Use a Presto Canner for Canning on a Glass Top Stove?

This is what Presto has to say regarding their canners:

“Acceptable: All Presto® Pressure Canners will work on electric coil and regular gas ranges. Current models of Presto® Pressure Canners will also work on glass/smooth top ranges.

“Although Presto believes that current pressure canners are acceptable for use on glass top stoves we recommend that you check with the owner’s manual for your range or the manufacturer before using.”

So the answer basically is…it depends again on that manufacturer’s recommendations.

The model of canner you own makes a difference. I’ve read that the stove manufacturer will have more information for your stove.

This is what reader Erin from South Carolina had to say about canning on a glass top stove with a Presto: “The Presto Pressure Canner is one of the only canners that is safe to use on a glass top stove. I have never had a problem with it. I have owned it for 2 years and use it frequently to can things from stewed tomatoes to chicken. Great product!”

Disclaimer from Sharon (i.e., the legal stuff): This is a reader-added opinion, as are the other reader comments I’ve shared on this page. I cannot verify the accuracy, so I encourage you to check with your stove manufacturer and do your own research. (I hate feeling like I need to add disclaimers, but you never know!)

Okay, back to your regular reading. :0)

Can You Use an All American Canner for Canning on a Glass Top Stove?

This is what All American has to say:

“No, it is our understanding that the manufacturers of glass-top stoves recommend using only flat cookware, and the ALL-AMERICAN Pressure Cookers have indentations in the bottom.

“Also, the cooker is quite heavy and if dropped or slid across the glass-top stove, it may damage the cook top. You may want to check with the manufacturer of your range for additional information.”

So for an All American Canner, the answer is no…not a good idea at all. Such a nice, clear answer!

Can You Use a Mirro Pressure Canner for Canning on a Glass Top Stove?

I’ve asked Mirro for their input on whether their pressure canners can be used on a glass top stove. However, they did not get back to me, so I can’t give concrete information for what they say. So personally, I would not recommend it. I’m not sure about the diameter of the pot OR the condition of the bottom of the canner. Is it flat? You’d have to check.

Water Bath Canners for Glass Top Stoves

You might consider using a flat bottomed stockpot. Remember, you can do water bath canning in any pot–it doesn’t have to be an official water bath canner. The pot just needs to be deep enough for the jars to be fully submerged with some sort of a rack under the jars. If your stove manufacturer says “no” to water bath canning because the canner is too large and heavy, consider doing small batches of 3 or 4 jars at a time in a stockpot. This would be similar in weight and size to making a large batch of soup or stew.

Do keep in mind the cycling off and on of your burners. The water MUST remain boiling the whole processing time.

The typical black speckled graniteware water bath canners have a waffle bottom and so are not recommended.

But many stainless steel water bath canners have the flat bottom needed. I have a Victorio Stainless Steel Water Bath Canners Like This One are a great investment for someone who does a lot of canning each year.

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