Another canner followed me home from a thrift store.
I didn’t need another canner. Lord knows I didn’t need another vintage canner! I mean … there were already five in the house. But, nonetheless, it was there and it decided it needed to come home with me. I’m sure it wasn’t my fault at all.
It’s a Sears-branded cooker-canner and it was made by Presto. The Sears model number is 620.46000. An example of a very similar Presto model would be the 7B.
Presto made this model – and similar models – for many years and under several brand names. These “domed-lid” models, as I like to call them, are cast aluminum and use a rubber seal under the lid. I believe they all would have come with a gauge, and that [easyazon-link asin=”B000HMBVQ8″ locale=”us”]Presto’s 3-piece weight set[/easyazon-link] came along many years later.
Depending upon their exact age, these domed-lid models may have a rubber over-pressure plug or an older metal plug. Usually the rubber plug will be one with Presto’s “Automatic Air Vent.” The Automatic Air Vent was, as I understand it, meant to be a sort of built-in timer for exhausting the air from the canner. In my experience, it pops up long before the USDA-recommended 10 minutes; I don’t judge exhausting time by the Automatic Air Vent. It is, however, highly useful for judging when pressure is released from the canner after cool-down. When the vent falls, you know there is no pressure remaining. This also eliminates any possibility of a vacuum being created upon cool-down, as can happen with other brands.
This Sears-Presto would seem to be made in 1969. I have suspected for some time that the last number found on the rim of these canners is a date. This canner has 69 as its last number, and the manual is copyright 1968. While I can’t say for certain that this is definitive, it would seem to make sense.
The first number is obviously the canner size in quarts, as my 21-Bs have a 21 as their first number, and an extra 16 quart canner bottom I have sitting about the basement, begins with 16.
The middle number would seem to most likely be a week of manufacture. So, I think this canner was made in the first half of April, 1969.
See my Presto dating page for more information.
Of course, being a used canner that is nearly 50 years old, it does have a problem or two.
Just at first glance, you can tell the gauge is much too new to be original; the original was “tilted for convenience” according to the manual. Even though this canner has had its gauge replaced, it is not correct. You can see in the picture that the needle is not resting against its stop pin. This is a sure sign of a bad gauge and I was able to confirm that when I tested it with a 3-piece weight set. When using the 3-piece weight set, you don’t need an accurate gauge – or a gauge at all – but I prefer to have a working and tested gauge. I’ll be adding a [easyazon-link asin=”B000GD55LA” locale=”us”]new pressure gauge[/easyazon-link].
I’m also no fan of rickety and rusty wire canning baskets, so I’ll be replacing the one that came with this canner with a [easyazon-link asin=”B000LNY6T2″ locale=”us”]flat Presto canning rack[/easyazon-link].
The rubber gasket and Automatic Air Vent look to be in pretty good shape on this canner. The rubber gasket has “tipped upward” as described in the manual. While I’ve always understood that this means the ring has reached the end of its useful life, I do have an older canner manual that suggests that it is perfectly acceptable to simply remove the ring, turn it upside-down, reinstall it, and that it will be good-to-go. I’m probably replacing both [easyazon-link asin=”B000LL9NY2″ locale=”us”]gasket and vent[/easyazon-link] just to be on the safe side.
You can see from the collection of pictures below that the canner is in pretty great condition for being nearly 50 years old!
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I scanned the manual that came with the canner and provide it here as a reference. As a vintage manual it contains information that is outdated and that you should ALWAYS use the latest up-to-date information to ensure the safety of both yourself and your canned goods.
If you want a small version of the manual, please click this link. It is only a couple megabytes. If you want the full version of the manual, please click this link. It’s about 60 megabytes. |
Here is a list of parts on Amazon that will fit this canner:
Gauge [easyazon-link asin=”B000GD55LA” locale=”us”]Part Number 85771[/easyazon-link]
Vent Pipe [easyazon_link identifier=”B015ZNB9Y2″ locale=”US” tag=”cwj-20″]Part Number 1058[/easyazon_link]
Over-pressure Plug [easyazon-link asin=”B000OREUEQ” locale=”us”]Part Number 9911[/easyazon-link]
Gasket (with over-pressure plug) [easyazon-link asin=”B000LL9NY2″ locale=”us”]Part Number 9907[/easyazon-link]
Canner Rack [easyazon-link asin=”B000LNY6T2″ locale=”us”]Part Number 85707[/easyazon-link]
Lid Handles [easyazon-link asin=”B000HM5UVU” locale=”us”]Part Number 85444[/easyazon-link]
Bottom Handles [easyazon-link asin=”B000HM7XAG” locale=”us”]Part Number 85443[/easyazon-link]
Three-piece Weight Set [easyazon-link asin=”B000HMBVQ8″ locale=”us”]Part Number 50332[/easyazon-link]
My Sears canner is a 1974 model. Everything looks the same as yours. Do you know if the 1974 model was all made by Presto?
Thank you.
Sue,
So far as I can tell, all of these dome-lidded, cast-aluminum canners that have this same basic lid shape were made by Presto. They show up under several brand names.
If your 1974 has that domed lid and is cast-aluminum – probably.
Jim
Hi, Jim.
Thanks for the great info! I recently acquired a Maid of Honor 21-quart pressure canner that I am curious about. I really want to know how old it is. Unfortunately, where you showed the three numbers on your canner, mine has three small zeroes. It is a Maid of Honor 620.21.
Mine has a distinctive steam release nob rather than a dancer on top.
Any help would be most appreciated.
Magi,
While I’m confident that the Maid of Honor would have been made by Presto for Sears, I don’t know how to begin to date them. You might be able to get “in the ball park” with any date that may be in the manual – if you got a manual with yours.
Sorry I can’t be of more help!
Jim
Good evening. I have a Sears 21qt pressure canner from 1967. I replaced the gasket and center pin. Unfortunately, once the weight is placed on it still leaks steam around the right handle/side. I’ve placed the lid on and tightened it, but the top handles do not align in the center of the lower wider handles. Do yours align?
Thank you in advance for your time and thoughts.
Margaret,
If your canner looks like the one in this posting, then, yes, the handles should align. If not, something is wrong somewhere.
Jim
My old canner got dropped and broken but my sister gave me this same canner model. I wanted to reference the manual so I did a quick search and there it was, right here! Thanks a lot!
Very welcome!
Have you ever refurbished a Steamliner Pressure Canner – Model A? A friend found one in her grandmother’s storage shed last night & asked if I wanted it. I won’t get my hands on it to evaluate until Wednesday evening but I’m hoping it can be restored. From what I’ve managed to find online, it appears that it uses the same replacement parts as a National #7.I’d just like to confirm with someone who’s actually done one of these before I dig in….
Bonnie,
I’ve never had a Streamliner, but I believe you are correct. National/Presto seem to have made canners for several brands and Streamliner seems to be one.
Jim
I have a Sears canner there are no numbers so no way to date it. The 9907 gasket is to large by about 2 inches. Do you have any recommendations as to the gasket I should get?
Ann,
Does it look like the one in my pictures? The cast aluminum with the domed lid?
Does it hold 7 quart jars? Or only 5?
Does it have a Sears badge on the lid? Anything pressed into that to indicate a model number?
If it’s a cast aluminum, domed-lid canner, that holds 7 quart jars, and appears to be identical to the one in my pics … it’s probably the right seal. Probably.
The flat seals are notorious for appearing to be too large, but if you go slowly and push push push push into the grove, they typically go in… assuming of course, that it’s the right seal.
I’ve also seen non-Presto seals popping up recently. I have no idea if they are good, or bad, or true-to-size.
Give it a year or three and it’ll shrink enough that it’ll look too small. Throwing it in a sink of hot water for a few minutes and gently stretch it seems to work well for that.
Jim
It fits 7quart jars. I’ve tried just working the gasket around it still didn’t fit so I returned the gasket to the store.
They absolutely can be a problem to get compressed into place, but it sounds like you may have wound up with one that shouldn’t have passed QA.
Jim
Jim, I just acquired the exact canner pictured, with a Sears label, 16 quart. I’ve experienced several issues with seals, with a recent purchased one being too wide or “fat.” It simply will not squeeze into the small slot allotted for the seal. I’ve just read on another website that there are two popular seals for this canner, with one being skinnier than the other. The 9882 appears to be the thinner gasket for this exact canner.
Hope that helps someone… I’ll try to update once the gasket I just ordered arrives.
Cynthia Harris
Cynthia,
This is the second time I’ve heard people are having problems with the gasket for these canners. I’ve not bought one in a while, but other than it sometimes being a chore to work in, I’ve not had any problems. It really can be a problem to get them pushed in.
Is there any remnant of an old gasket in the groove?
Is the gasket you had a genuine Presto? There is another company making a range of replacement parts. I’ve not used them, but perhaps the quality control is off?
Happen to have a link to that site with the 9882 information? A quick search seems to show the 9882 is for a Mirro canner.
Jim
Sears cooker canner…I need the right weight for it. Model number 62051740.With the canner when given to me..the weight 28-077. Is this the correct weight
Charlotte,
If the parts look like what is shown here:
https://www.pressurecooker-outlet.com/searspcparts/620-51740.htm
I’d recommend the three-piece weight set, but I think the one you have would be correct. It appears to be one of the 15lb weights.
Jim
I have a Vintage Sears 21 Quart Pressure Cooker Canner Avocado Green 620.51010 . I think it is a 1968 model. Just wanting to be sure that i understand correctly- I can use one of the presto three-piece weight set. On the presto site it does not list this model for use with the three-piece weight set.
I sure hope I can use it.
Thank you
Donna,
If it has the same vent pipe as the one in the following picture, then the 3-piece weight set should work:
Jim
Thank you for responding. The vent is exactly as the one you show. I will order some for my vintage canners.
I really appreciate you helping me.