Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I can hundreds of jars a year, as well as teaching some classes, and have used this gauge for about a year now as an alternative to dial gauge testing, since my local Extension offices no longer offer the service. I have a #01781 Presto 23-quart dial-gauge pressure canner (Presto 01781 23-Quart Pressure Canner and Cooker), which comes with just the 15-lb. one-piece regulator when you buy it new. I spoke with one of Presto's home economists this morning and she confirmed that you *can* safely use this three-piece weighted regulator with the 23-quart dial-gauge canner, provided you go by what the weighted gauge is telling you, NOT what the dial gauge is telling you. They do not consider it safe to use this to test or verify your dial gauge, but you may use it instead of relying on a untested dial gauge. So if you have purchased the commonly-available 23-quart dial-gauge Presto canner, but cannot find a source for local testing, this is a good option for you. Just remember to judge your pressure based on the jiggling of the weighted gauge and not based on the pressure reading you see on the dial -- the dial may be incorrect! If you have any questions about using the weighted gauge, please call Presto's free help line: 1 800 877 0441, and they can advise you. For those who are looking for more detail on how this works: this weight comes in three parts. The center piece is equivalent to 5 pounds of pressure, and there are two rings at 5 pounds each. So if you're canning at 10 pounds of pressure normally (or the 11 recommended for dial gauges), you will use the center piece with the black handle with one of the two rings on it. If you are canning at 15 pounds, you would use all three. Please remember that the guidelines for adjusting your processsing for high altitudes are different for weighted gauges than for dial gauges (since you can only go up in increments of 5 pounds with a weighted gauge), and call Presto or your local Extension office if you have any questions about how to do this safely. This is a pretty simple product, so there's not much else to say about it except that I find it easy to use and easy to clean. As others have said, it's helpful if you've had trouble keeping the pressure exactly where you want it; I find using it to be less fiddly than dealing with the dial gauge. Because I'm not fiddling with the heat on the stove as much, I can do other things around the kitchen while I'm waiting through the processing time, and be reassured that the pressure is consistent by the sound of the weighted gauge rocking rather than by constantly looking at it. If you're buying the 23-quart canner, this is one of the two accessories I consider essential -- it's worth it to spend the extra $20 or so to buy this and an extra flat rack for stacking jars.