Top-Rated Electric Pressure Cookers for Canning Soups & Stews

Canning soups and stews is a fantastic way to preserve hearty meals for long-term storage while maintaining their rich flavors. While traditional stovetop canning can be labor-intensive, electric pressure cookers have revolutionized the canning process, making it easier, safer, and faster. If you're interested in preserving soups and stews with the help of an electric pressure cooker, this guide will introduce you to the best models and show you how to get the most out of your canning experience.

Why Choose an Electric Pressure Cooker for Canning Soups & Stews?

Speed and Efficiency

Electric pressure cookers significantly reduce the time it takes to can soups and stews compared to traditional methods. By sealing in heat and moisture under pressure, the cooker ensures that the food is properly processed in less time, which is especially important when you have large quantities to preserve.

Consistent Results

Electric pressure cookers maintain a consistent pressure and temperature, which is essential for safely canning soups and stews. These cookers eliminate guesswork, making it easier to achieve the perfect balance of flavor and texture every time.

Safety

The safety features of electric pressure cookers are a key reason they've become a go-to tool for canning. With automated pressure control, lid-locking mechanisms, and temperature sensors, these cookers reduce the risk of overheating or incorrect sealing, which could otherwise lead to food spoilage.

Space-Saving and Convenience

For those with limited kitchen space, an electric pressure cooker can serve as both a pressure canner and a slow cooker, offering versatile functionality in one appliance. This saves you valuable counter space and reduces the number of kitchen gadgets you need.

Best Electric Pressure Cookers for Canning Soups & Stews

1. Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker

Why It's Ideal for Canning Soups & Stews:

• The Instant Pot Duo is one of the most popular electric pressure cookers for home canning, and it's particularly well-suited for soups and stews due to its versatility. With seven different cooking functions, it can be used for pressure cooking, slow cooking, sautéing, and even yogurt making.
• Its 6-quart capacity is ideal for smaller batches of soup or stew, making it perfect for home canning needs.
• The Duo features a user-friendly interface with a microprocessor that adjusts pressure and temperature automatically, ensuring that your soups and stews are canned safely and efficiently.

Best Soups & Stews to Can:

• Beef Stew: The Instant Pot Duo allows for tenderizing meats and vegetables in just minutes, so you can can flavorful beef stew with ease.
• Chicken Soup: This pressure cooker makes it easy to preserve chicken-based soups with a rich broth and tender vegetables.
• Vegetable Stews: Whether you prefer a hearty vegetable medley or a light vegetable broth, the Instant Pot Duo will provide a reliable cooking environment for canning.

Recipe for Canning Beef Stew:

1. Brown beef cubes in the Instant Pot's sauté mode to enhance flavor.
2. Add in diced potatoes, carrots, onions, and celery along with broth, garlic, herbs (like thyme), salt, and pepper.
3. Use the "Pressure Cook" function to cook the stew for 20 minutes.
4. Once the cooking time is up, release the pressure and allow the stew to cool before filling jars.
5. Pour the stew into sterilized jars, leaving about 1 inch of headspace, and seal the jars.
6. Process the jars in the Instant Pot on "Pressure Cook" for 25 minutes at 10 PSI.
7. Let the pressure release naturally, cool, and store in a cool, dark place.

2. Ninja Foodi 6.5-Quart Pressure Cooker & Air Fryer

Why It's Ideal for Canning Soups & Stews:

• The Ninja Foodi offers an innovative combination of pressure cooking and air frying, but its "Pressure Cook" function is excellent for canning soups and stews.
• With its 6.5-quart size, it's large enough for family-sized batches of soup or stew, yet compact enough for home kitchens.
• The TenderCrisp technology also gives you the option to finish off your soups and stews with a bit of crispiness when desired, providing a unique flavor profile.

Best Soups & Stews to Can:

• Tomato Soup: The Ninja Foodi's pressure cooking function helps cook tomatoes and other ingredients down into a smooth, rich soup that preserves beautifully.
• Lentil Stew: A hearty lentil stew with spices and vegetables is a great option for canning in the Ninja Foodi, ensuring that the lentils stay tender and the broth remains flavorful.
• Chili: With the Foodi's consistent pressure, you can can a batch of chili with ground beef, beans, and spices, making for a delicious meal you can store for months.

Recipe for Canning Tomato Soup:

1. Sauté onions and garlic in the Ninja Foodi to release their flavors.
2. Add chopped tomatoes, vegetable broth, salt, pepper, and herbs (like basil or oregano).
3. Set the Foodi to "Pressure Cook" for 15 minutes.
4. After the cooking cycle, blend the soup to a smooth consistency.
5. Pour the soup into sterilized jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace.
6. Seal the jars and process them in the Ninja Foodi on "Pressure Cook" for 20 minutes at 10 PSI.
7. Allow the pressure to release naturally, cool, and store in a cool place.

3. Presto 6-Quart Electric Pressure Cooker

Why It's Ideal for Canning Soups & Stews:

• The Presto 6-Quart Electric Pressure Cooker is a budget-friendly option that still delivers excellent performance for canning soups and stews.
• Known for its simplicity and reliability, the Presto cooker is perfect for beginners. It doesn't come with extra fancy features, but it gets the job done with precision and ease.
• With automatic pressure control, you can ensure that your soups and stews are safely processed and sealed.

Best Soups & Stews to Can:

• Split Pea Soup: This thick, hearty soup works wonderfully in the Presto pressure cooker, and the cooker does an excellent job of preserving the peas' flavor.
• Beef and Barley Stew: A rich stew with tender beef and barley can be processed quickly and efficiently in the Presto.
• Vegetable Broth: Whether you're using the broth for soups or as a base for other dishes, canning vegetable broth ensures you always have homemade broth on hand.

Recipe for Canning Split Pea Soup:

1. Sauté onions, garlic, and carrots in the Presto cooker's sauté mode.
2. Add split peas, vegetable broth, salt, and pepper to the cooker, and set it to "Pressure Cook" for 15 minutes.
3. Once the pressure has released, taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
4. Pour the soup into sterilized jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace, and seal the jars.
5. Process the jars in the Presto on "Pressure Cook" for 20 minutes at 10 PSI.
6. Let the pressure release naturally, cool, and store the jars in a cool, dark place.

4. Crock-Pot Express 6-Quart Multi-Cooker

Why It's Ideal for Canning Soups & Stews:

• The Crock-Pot Express is a versatile cooker that is perfect for those new to canning. It's easy to use and offers a 6-quart capacity, which is great for smaller batches of soup and stew.
• The multi-functionality of the Crock-Pot Express makes it ideal for cooking, sautéing, and canning all in one appliance.
• It's affordable and reliable, with a simple interface that makes it easy to navigate.

Best Soups & Stews to Can:

• Chicken and Rice Soup: The Crock-Pot Express is perfect for canning a light, comforting chicken and rice soup. The cooker seals in the flavors while ensuring the rice and chicken are tender.
• Pork and Bean Stew: This hearty stew works well in the Crock-Pot Express, preserving the richness of the pork and beans.
• Minestrone Soup: Can a colorful, veggie-packed minestrone soup that's full of flavor and ready to eat anytime you want.

Recipe for Canning Chicken and Rice Soup:

1. Sauté onions, garlic, and carrots in the Crock-Pot Express to build flavor.
2. Add in diced chicken, rice, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and any other herbs or seasonings you like.
3. Set the pressure cooker to "Pressure Cook" for 10 minutes.
4. After the cooking cycle ends, taste and adjust seasonings.
5. Pour the soup into sterilized jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace, and seal the jars.
6. Process the jars in the Crock-Pot Express on "Pressure Cook" for 20 minutes at 10 PSI.
7. Allow the pressure to release naturally, cool, and store the jars.

Tips for Canning Soups & Stews with Electric Pressure Cookers

1. Use Proper Jars and Lids

It's essential to use canning jars and lids that are specifically designed for preserving food. These jars are made to withstand the high pressures and temperatures involved in the canning process.

2. Avoid Overfilling

When packing jars with soups or stews, make sure to leave approximately 1 inch of headspace. This space is needed for the food to expand and for the pressure to be properly maintained.

3. Sterilize Jars Before Use

Sterilizing your jars is important to prevent contamination and ensure proper sealing. You can sterilize the jars in boiling water or use the sterilization function of your electric pressure cooker if it has one.

4. Adjust Seasonings After Canning

Canned soups and stews can sometimes taste a bit different after being sealed. Always taste the food after the pressure has been released, and adjust the seasonings as needed.

5. Cool Jars Completely

After the canning process is complete, allow the jars to cool to room temperature before storing them. This helps to ensure a vacuum seal and improves the shelf life of your preserved meals.

Conclusion

Canning soups and stews with an electric pressure cooker is a great way to preserve delicious, homemade meals for later. With the right electric pressure cooker, such as the Instant Pot Duo, Ninja Foodi, Presto, or Crock-Pot Express, you can easily preserve flavorful soups and stews without the hassle of traditional canning methods. By following the simple tips and recipes provided, you can enjoy hearty meals that are ready to eat at any time. With minimal effort, you'll have a pantry stocked with your favorite soups and stews, all canned and ready to go!