Best Three Canning Kits For Beginners (Part One)

This beginner’s buying guide looks at three of the best canning kits on the market.

I mentioned in my blog, real deal kitchen time savers, that I had a secret fantasy of becoming a master canner; this begins with the right canning kit.

My passion for learning this new skill has led me down the canning rabbit hole! As a result, I’ve learned a lot about what’s needed and am eager to share with you what I’ve concluded are the three (of six) top canning kits on the market.

Canners are no longer just grandmas, homesteaders, or preppers!

Canning supports personal food security and reduces food waste!

With rumors of looming food shortages, as well a way to use food scraps and less-than-perfect produce, canning can be a very timely solution to both inflation and longterm food storage. What’s more, did you know that summertime isn’t the only time to can? I didn’t But, there are actually wonderful benefits to preserving your fruits and veggies year round. Of course, this depends on local availability in your area or greenhouse.

From applesauce to sausages, a canning kit is handy even in winter.

Now your hard efforts to make gift jams, or the perfect sauce, and pickles won’t be short lived!

Some canners profess that one summer Sunday devoted to canning could conceivably net you enough canned food to last an entire winter season.

It matters not if you’re a veteran canner or just getting started with this craft, like me. Having the right kit is essential for a successful end result. 

Here are my top three canning kit choices available on the market today. Let’s dive in and see which one will help make your culinary dreams come true!

Preserve your preserves with these great canning kits!

1. My Inner Artisan

I admit it, I’m a sucker for smart branding, and this canning kit’s name speaks to me.

My Inner Artisan comes in seven parts that are food-grade stainless steal and BPA free plastic. Most all canning kits come with magnetic lids, but this one also comes with a lid lifter which protects hands from having to dish out jar tops in scalding water!

With seven tools specially designed for efficient food preservation, little components like the rubber handles keeps your grip steady–something I learned is an art when canning because getting hot food into jars, even wide lipped, can be a task. I would have several on hand so you always have a clean one.

The tools are also made from high-quality stainless steel, so you can be sure of a durable set that will last for years. 

At $24.99, while not the most high-end of equipment, this all-inclusive kit is a no-frills, beginner’s kit that gets the job done.

2. Supa Ant Canning

This canning kit is US assembled, and like My Inner Artisan, is also food grade stainless steel, though it claims to be the only one.

Why is food grade important?

It makes it resistant to corrosion with added protection preventing a change in taste from high acidity foods. It also affords a greater tolerance for extreme temperatures from boiling water in canner pressure cooker.

How many pieces make a complete canning kit?

While I am featuring the 6 piece kit, Supa Ant also offers an 8 and 10 piece set. The 6 piece includes everything, but the canning pot, scoop and rack. This kit is ideal for beginners offering the essentials needed to get started.

While they have their reasons for the green fluorescent colored plastic elements, I am not sure this would be my first choice as a designer, but as they say, it does help make it more visible when you are looking for them in a storage box….perhaps I need to write a blog on hacks for organizing storage next….

At $19.99 ( I loathe these one penny off price listings, do you?) it’s cheaper than most, but reviews suggest the plastic is cheap and can give way to inconsistencies in performance. That said, the company is family owned and sincere about wanting to do its best. They also want to keep all manufacturing in the US, (the plastic is made in China) but are having supply issues.

3. The Mason Jar Canning Kit 

If you’re looking for a more traditional option, this canning kit is for you!

Canning is a tradition! It harkens back to early pioneer days pre industrial revolution when freezers were hard to come by. I have a reverence for these days, but I understand life was harder and I’d miss many modern luxuries if I were to travel back in time (wasn’t there a short lived reality show about this?) Still, I yearn for a life schedule that allows one to savor the important things more consistently like preparing food for our loved ones.

When I think jars, I think Mason jars….

But please know, as is with many things in these modern times, this kit does not hail from an American company like the origins of its Mason jars. That said, reviews suggest it’s well constructed with only one complaint that I saw about a cheaply made funnel. Still the company touts its “eco-friendly odorless heat-resistant plastic, which are more sturdy and durable.”

Another nice feature is that this canning kit comes with a book of easy to follow recipes, making it a perfect starter gift or choice.

At 36.99 it’s on the pricey end, but does include 8 canning jars and seven tools. This is purported to be an average savings of roughly $16.00.

Conclusion:

If you are a beginner, these three canning kits each have values that may suit your particular needs and fancies. Stay tuned for part two!