Preserve it! Series: Pressure Canning in Electric Pressure Cookers is Unsafe
Canning Basics: Research disputes manufacturers' claims regarding safety.
Electric “multi-use” pressure cookers are all the rage these days, with good reason. One simple device can be used for many cooking applications, saving time and energy (as well as other benefits). Unfortunately, despite some manufacturers’ claims, electric pressure cookers are not safe for pressure canning. Besides the lack of certain physical attributes necessary for processing low-acid foods safely,* recent research has shown that electric pressure devices do not reach sufficiently high temperatures for long enough time periods to kill Clostridium botulinum spores. These spores, if not destroyed during processing, can produce the toxin that causes botulism, a potentially deadly desease.
It may be possible, however, to use an electric multi-cooker for water bath canning of high-acid foods, as long as the jars, standing upright on the rack, can be covered with 1-2” of water, the water can come to a full rolling boil and stay boiling for the entire time required by the recipe, and the lid can be applied (but not locked).
As for Presto’s Digital Pressure Canner, the manufacturer has claimed that the device meets the USDA’s guidelines for pressure processing. However, the research data for this digital canner has not been reviewed by the USDA or the NCHFP, and the USDA symbol used in some promotional materials is not an actual USDA seal and does not indicate USDA approval. Should you wish to use this device, Cooperative Extension recommends that you follow only the Presto manual for all processing directions, and contact them directly with any questions.
*For details on what qualifies a pressure cooker to be safe for canning, see our article, “Pressure Cookers vs. Canners.”
See the National Center for Home Food Preservation, see this article from Kansas State Cooperative Extension for further information, or visit reach out to your local Cooperative Extension office.
Brought to you by the UCCE Master Food Preservers of El Dorado County
Updated July 2025