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Steam canners for canning do the same job as a water bath for acid foods, with a fraction of the water. NDSU Extension says a steam canner uses about 2 quarts of water, where a boiling water canner may need 16 quarts or more, so it heats up much faster. The National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) accepts them for naturally acidic or properly acidified foods with a pH of 4.6 or below, based on University of Wisconsin research, as long as you follow the critical controls.
Those controls are strict. The total processing time, including any altitude adjustment, must be 45 minutes or less. You can't open the canner mid-process, and you can't use it for vegetables, beans or meat. If you're not sure which foods are acid foods, start with our pressure canning vs water bath canning guide.
There's one more thing most buying guides skip. The researchers tested two dome-lid canners: the Back to Basics and the Victorio (VKP) aluminum canner. NDSU says other styles weren't tested, so for those you follow the manufacturer's instructions. Our picks below are sorted with that in mind.
Quick Picks
- Best Overall: Kitchen Crop Fruitsaver Aluminum Steam Canner (VKP1054). Best for gas and coil-electric stoves; it's the aluminum dome-lid style the researchers tested.
- Best for Induction and Glass Tops: Kitchen Crop Stainless Steel Steam Canner (VKP1254). Best for flat cooktops, with a five-year warranty.
- Best Steam + Water Bath Combo: Kitchen Crop Harvest Stainless Steel Multi-Use Canner (VKP1130). Best for anyone who also needs a water bath for long processes.
- Best Backup for Long Processes: Granite Ware 21.5-Quart Canner with Jar Rack. Best for recipes that run past 45 minutes, which a steam canner can't do.
Comparison Table
| Canner | Best for | Material | Jars per load | Cooktops | Temperature indicator | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen Crop Fruitsaver VKP1054 | Gas and coil stoves | Aluminum | 7 quarts or 8 pints | Not reliable on glass or induction, per VKP | Yes, in lid knob | Not stated |
| Kitchen Crop Stainless VKP1254 | Induction, glass tops | Stainless, flat clad base | 7 quarts or 8 pints | Any, including induction | Yes, with adjustable pointer | 5 years |
| Kitchen Crop Harvest VKP1130 | Steam or water bath | 18/8 stainless, clad base | 7 quarts or 8 pints | Any, including induction | Yes, in glass lid | 5 years |
| Granite Ware 21.5-Qt (water bath) | Processes over 45 min | Enamel on steel | 7 quarts or 9 pints | Gas, electric; not glass tops | No | 2 years |
None of the Kitchen Crop steam canners takes half-gallon jars, according to the maker.
The Best Steam Canners for Canning, Reviewed
1. Kitchen Crop Fruitsaver Aluminum Steam Canner VKP1054 (Best Overall)
Who it's for: home canners with gas or coil-electric stoves who want the design closest to what the university researchers tested.
VKP Brands, long known for its Victorio canners, now sells them under the Kitchen Crop name. The Fruitsaver is its aluminum dome-lid steam canner, and NDSU Extension names the Victorio (VKP) dome-lid canner as one of the two models researchers found safe for acid foods with a tested recipe. Kitchen Crop says it holds 7 quart or 8 pint jars and won't fit half-gallons. A temperature indicator sits in the lid knob, so you can see when the canner is up to steam. Kitchen Crop lists an inside diameter of 11¾ inches, 7¾ inches of interior height with the rack in place, and an overall width of 16½ inches with the handles.
The limitation is the base. It isn't flat. Healthy Canning, which tracks VKP's models, reports that VKP says this canner won't work reliably on glass-top or induction stoves. Also check the 7¾-inch interior height against your tallest jars before you buy.
Pros
- Matches the dome-lid design used in university testing
- Uses far less water than a water bath canner
- Temperature indicator in the lid
- Light aluminum construction
Cons
- Not for glass tops or induction
- 8 pints per load, fewer than a full water bath rack
- No half-gallon jars
Kitchen Crop Fruitsaver Aluminum Steam Canner VKP1054
by Kitchen Crop
2. Kitchen Crop Stainless Steel Steam Canner VKP1254 (Best for Induction and Glass Tops)
Who it's for: anyone with a flat cooktop who wants a dedicated steam canner.
This is Kitchen Crop's stainless steam canner, with a flat clad bottom that the company says works on any cooktop, including induction. Capacity matches the aluminum model: up to 7 quarts or 8 pints, no half-gallons. Its lid has a patent-pending temperature indicator with an adjustable pointer, so you can mark the maximum temperature for your elevation and start the vent-and-time sequence when the needle reaches it. Kitchen Crop backs it with a five-year warranty and says it uses 80% less water than water bath canning.
The caveat is testing. It isn't one of the two dome-lid designs in the University of Wisconsin study, and NDSU says to check with the manufacturer for instructions on using other styles. Read Kitchen Crop's manual and follow its steps exactly. You'll also pay more than for the aluminum Fruitsaver. Availability is the other catch: Kitchen Crop sells the VKP1254 on its own site, and we couldn't find a current Amazon listing for it. If you shop on Amazon, the Harvest VKP1130 below is the stainless, induction-ready alternative.
Pros
- Works on induction and glass tops, per Kitchen Crop
- Adjustable temperature pointer
- Stainless construction
- Five-year warranty
Cons
- Not one of the two designs in the original research
- Costs more than the aluminum model
- No half-gallon jars
- No Amazon listing found; sold through Kitchen Crop
Kitchen Crop Stainless Steel Steam Canner VKP1254
by Kitchen Crop
3. Kitchen Crop Harvest Stainless Steel Multi-Use Canner VKP1130 (Best Steam + Water Bath Combo)
Who it's for: canners who want steam for quick batches and a water bath for long recipes, without storing two pots.
The Harvest is a 20-quart, 18/8 stainless pot with a double-sided rack: one side for steam canning, the other for water bath canning. Kitchen Crop says it handles 8 pints or 7 quarts, has a flat clad bottom for any cooktop including induction, and has a temperature indicator built into the tempered glass lid. It carries a five-year warranty. The pot measures 15½ inches across and 9½ inches tall.
The appeal is flexibility. Raw-packed tomatoes and other recipes that run past 45 minutes can't go in a steam canner, but they can go in the same pot in water bath mode. As with the VKP1254, the steam mode isn't the dome-lid design used in the research, so follow Kitchen Crop's directions. Before planning water bath batches, measure quart jars on the rack against the NCHFP's 1-inch water-cover rule (2 inches for processes over 30 minutes).
Pros
- Steam and water bath in one pot
- Induction and glass-top compatible
- Glass lid with temperature indicator
- Five-year warranty
Cons
- Only 8 pints per load
- Steam mode isn't one of the tested designs
- Check water depth for quarts in water bath mode
Kitchen Crop Harvest Stainless Steel Multi-Use Canner VKP1130
by Kitchen Crop
4. Granite Ware 21.5-Quart Canner with Jar Rack (Best Backup for Long Processes)
Who it's for: steam canner owners who need a cheap second pot for recipes that run longer than 45 minutes.
This isn't a steam canner. It's the inexpensive enamel water bath canner that covers what a steam canner can't. NDSU's example is raw-packed tomatoes, whose times exceed the 45-minute steam limit and must go in a boiling water canner. The Granite Ware holds 7 quarts, 9 pints or 12 half-pints on its rack and costs little enough to keep on a shelf for those batches. Our canning pot guide reviews it alongside stainless options.
Like the aluminum Fruitsaver, it's for gas and electric stoves, not glass tops.
Pros
- Handles any tested boiling water recipe, however long
- Budget price
- 7/9/12 rack included
Cons
- Not for glass cooktops
- Uses far more water and time to heat than a steam canner
Granite Ware 21.5-Quart Canner with Jar Rack
by Granite Ware
Canning With a Steam Canner: The Rules
These steps come from NDSU Extension's Steam Can It Right! (FN2065, 2022), written with University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher Barbara Ingham, and from the NCHFP's guidance on atmospheric steam canners.
- Choose a tested recipe for an acid food. Use an up-to-date, research-tested boiling water recipe for foods with a pH of 4.6 or below, from the NCHFP or your state extension service. NDSU warns not to assume recipes that come with a canner are tested.
- Prepare jars and food. Wash the jars and keep them warm. Fill hot food into warm jars, as the recipe directs. The NCHFP says to preheat jars and minimize delays before processing.
- Heat the water. Fill the base with water to the level of the rack. Cover and heat to just below boiling.
- Load the jars. Arrange them so steam circulates freely. NDSU says most steam canners hold 10 half-pints, 8 pints or 7 quarts. Don't stack jars.
- Vent. Turn the heat to high and wait for steam to pour from the vent holes. Let a steady 6- to 8-inch column of steam vent for one full minute before you start timing. That can take 3 to 10 minutes for a full canner.
- Process. Start timing, using the recipe's boiling water time adjusted for your elevation. Lower the heat enough to keep a steady column of steam without boiling too hard. Total time must be 45 minutes or less. Never open the canner to add water.
- Remove and cool. When time is up, turn off the heat. Wait 5 minutes if you like, then lift the dome carefully, away from your face. Move the jars to a rack or towel out of drafts. The NCHFP says jars must cool slowly at room temperature, never by force.
If you mix jar sizes in one load, process everything for the longest time: NDSU's example is half-pints at 10 minutes and pints at 15, so the whole load gets 15.
What a steam canner can't do
- Low-acid foods. Not vegetables, beans, meat, poultry, seafood or stock. The NCHFP says atmospheric steam canners aren't pressurized vessels. For those foods, see our best pressure canner picks.
- Processes over 45 minutes. NDSU says a canner that boils too hard can run dry within 20 minutes, and food in a canner that boils dry counts as under-processed.
- Stacked loads. Single layer only.
Steam Canner Buying Guide
Tested design vs newer designs
NDSU says researchers affiliated with the NCHFP tested the Back to Basics and the Victorio (VKP) dome-lid steam canners and found them safe for acid foods with a tested recipe. Other styles weren't tested, and NDSU says to check the manufacturer's instructions for those. If staying close to the research matters most to you, choose the aluminum dome-lid Fruitsaver.
Your cooktop
The aluminum dome canners don't have flat bottoms, and VKP says they won't work reliably on glass tops or induction. For a flat cooktop, choose a stainless model with a flat clad base. Kitchen Crop says its VKP1254 and VKP1130 work on induction.
A temperature indicator helps
You still time by the steam column, but a lid thermometer helps you see when the canner is fully up to steam and whether the heat has dropped. All three Kitchen Crop models have one.
Capacity
Most steam canners hold 7 quarts or 8 pints, so a steam canner holds fewer pints than a typical water bath rack (9). If you can lots of pints, weigh speed against batch size.
Altitude
Boiling water recipes add time above 1,000 feet, and that added time counts toward the 45-minute cap. A recipe that's 40 minutes at sea level may be too long for a steam canner at altitude. Our pressure canning altitude chart explains elevation bands, and your recipe gives the boiling water adjustments.
How We Chose
We didn't test these canners hands-on. We chose them by research: Kitchen Crop's product specifications, NDSU Extension's steam canning publication, the NCHFP's guidance on atmospheric steam canners, Healthy Canning's tracking of VKP models, and retailer listings. We gave weight to the research-tested dome-lid design and left out steam canners whose current availability or specs we couldn't confirm. That includes the Back to Basics model from the original study. For the rest of the gear, see our canning supplies guide.
FAQ
Are steam canners safe?
Yes, for the right foods. The NCHFP says atmospheric steam canners can be used for naturally acidic or properly acidified foods with a pH of 4.6 or below, using research-based recipes, as long as critical controls are followed. They are not pressurized and must never be used for low-acid foods.
What can you can in a steam canner?
Acid foods with a tested boiling water recipe: fruits, jams, jellies, pickles, salsa and acidified tomatoes, per NDSU and University of Wisconsin guidance. The total processing time, including any altitude adjustment, must be 45 minutes or less.
Is the processing time the same as a water bath?
Yes. Once the canner is fully venting steam, NDSU Extension says the processing time for a steam canner is the same as for a boiling water canner, using a tested recipe. You start timing after a steady 6- to 8-inch column of steam has vented for one full minute.
Can you can green beans or meat in a steam canner?
No. Steam canners operate at the temperature of boiling water. The NCHFP says they are not for low-acid foods, and NDSU says vegetables and meat must be processed in a pressure canner.
Can you stack jars in a steam canner?
No. NDSU Extension says not to stack jars in an atmospheric steam canner because the risk of jar breakage is too great. You may mix jar sizes in one load, as long as you process all of them for the longest time.
Why is there a 45-minute limit?
The processing time is limited by the small amount of water in the canner base, and you can't open the canner to add more. NDSU notes a canner boiling too vigorously can boil dry within 20 minutes, and food in a canner that boils dry is considered under-processed.
Verdict
For most gas and coil-electric kitchens, the Kitchen Crop Fruitsaver VKP1054 is the steam canner to buy, because it's the dome-lid design the research was built on. On induction or glass, the stainless VKP1254 is the practical choice (sold through Kitchen Crop), or the Harvest VKP1130 if you'd rather buy on Amazon; follow Kitchen Crop's instructions to the letter. Whatever you choose, keep a water bath pot for anything over 45 minutes.