Mirro Co. in bankruptcy/bought out

[Mt_Rider]

My DD decided to get me a pressure canner for a gift.

 

 

MtRider

[YYY]

Mt Rider and others,

 

I finally have the money to get a pressure canner. I even found a 22 quart Mirro on the shelf at ACE Hardware. They also have the 18 quart Presto. I don’t know which one to get. I told the ACE people about what you said. A manager said that she had heard about a future merger between Mirro and some other company – she didn’t know which one. I asked if once the merger took place, if there would still be Mirro pressure canners and could we still get parts from ACE, etc. Of course they didn’t know. I did notice ACE had lots of Presto parts, but very few Mirro parts. I’ve also noticed that on the internet, lots of Mirro parts are out of stock.

 

So what would you all do? Get the Mirro even though it has an uncertain future? Or get the Presto which has a more certain future?

 

One more question, what is the advantage to having a gauge on top (Presto) as opposed to not having one (Mirro)?

 

I started a thread about these canners here: http://www.mrssurvival.com/ubbthreads/sh...ge=0#Post111503

 

Most of you seemed to like the Mirro better. With this information, would you still go for the Mirro instead of the Presto?

 

I consider you all the experts. I’m really new to canning and don’t know which to get.

 

HELP !!!

 

YYY

[Violet]

I would not get the Presto unless you know for certain you can get the gauge tested yearly before use. Also, even a brand new gauge needs testing. They are often off by as much as 3-4 lb. which means they are no good to begin with.

If you can afford the extra money, I would get an All American. They have both a dial and a weight, and you can rely on just the weight if you need to.

With Presto, they only have a counterweight, it is not made to determine the pressure. Plus, you have a rubber gasket to deal with in both the Mirro and Presto. The All American has bolts that you tighten down, it is a metal to metal seal. Never any gasket to replace.

It is getting more difficult in places to get the gauges tested. Normally your county extension office provides the service, but some are not doing it any longer, so call them first before you buy a Presto with a gauge.

Just my 2 cents worth.

[YYY]

Violet,

 

Thank you for your answer - especially the information about the gauge. If possible, I think I'll pass on the gauge. Do you or anyone else know how often the gasket needs to be changed? If I can find a couple of extra gaskets, do they dry out after a certain amount of time even if I leave them in their original plastic containers? I just can not afford an All American any time soon.

 

Thanks,

 

YYY

[Violet]

It will depend upon how your canner is stored, your weather, etc. on how long the rubber gasket will last. My experience is that they last about 8 - 10 years for me. I am not sure storing an extra for that length of time would be good. I think I would wait and buy a new one when needed.

[Mt_Rider]

OK, now I'm confused again. Are you saying that the jiggly thing on the top of the Presto (ignoring the dial gauge for now) is not a 15 lb weight gauge??? I'm at 9,000 elevation. I only need the 15 lb. I do not want to rely on a dial that needs to be checked. That's why I originally wanted the weighted gauge Mirro in the first place.

 

If I had double the money DD is intending to spend on the thing, naturally any of us would get the All American. It's been highly recommended and is a no brainer.

 

Aaauuggh!

 

MtRider

[Darlene]

Mt_Rider:

 

The jiggly thing on top of the presto is the air vent/cover lock and is what allows you to bring the canner up to pressure. The dial gauge is what you go by as far as how high the pressure is inside your canner.

 

The weighted gauges on the All Americans and Mirros are different than that little piece that is used on the Presto.

 

Am I making sense?

 

lol

[Mt_Rider]

Darlene -- If you are saying what I think you're saying, it tells me I don't want the canner my DD just ordered. This is getting frustrating. I'm with YYY - What do we do with Mirro out of the options right now? I talked to two customer reps from different companies and both assured me that the Presto had a weight that could be used for a gauge at 15 lbs only. Were they wrong? .....oh sorry....visiting my ideal world again!

 

If I'm going to wait for the opportunity to buy All Am. it will not be soon.

 

MtRider

[Violet]

The weight on the Presto is just as Darlene said, it is only to bring up the pressure in the canner and keep it there. It is called a counterweight. The pressure won't raise until you put it on. I know Presto has told some people that it will rock at 15 lb. pressure, and mine does, but normally most people don't can at 15 lb. pressure. In a dial gauge canner, you normally can at 11 lb. pressure, and a weighted gauge at 10 lb. pressure, unless you must adjust for altitude. The gauge is what you rely on with the Presto. In case that counterweight really doesn't rock at exactly 15 lb. you won't have an accurate reading. Being off by a couple pounds when canning can make all the difference between a product being safe to consume. I would not chance relying solely on the Presto counterweight, personally.

Here is a link to tell you more about canners. http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/TRA/ind...d/pressure.html

I am sorry, but I have to go for now. My daughter is bringing our grandson down. I will be happy to try to help you more later if you have questions.

[Darlene]

Mt Rider -

 

I can understand your frustration...I'm kinda surprised to hear about Mirro too...

 

All I can tell you is what I would do...

 

If it were me, I'd put away as much money each month, whether it be $5, $10, $15, $20, however much one can afford, and put that towards an All American.

 

Other than that, people have been canning successfully on Presto home canners for years and years and years. Yes, you'd hafta have the gauge checked out yearly, but that could be done at any point before your canning season starts. Yes, on occassion you hafta replace the seals, but buying 1 or 2 in advance would take care of that problem.

 

There's no easy answer here, other than I would avoid the Mirros for now until it is known exactly what is going to happen to them. Thankfully, it's not your canning season so you have some time to think about what will best suit you, and decide exactly what you want to do.