Best home canning supplies

Start with a pressure canner — it's the one piece that lets you put up low-acid food (beans, stock, vegetables) safely, and it doubles as a water-bath canner for jams and pickles.

• My pick: the 23-quart Denali "Tanker." Big enough for a full load of pints or quarts, works on every stovetop including induction, and it's the easiest way in for a first-timer.
• All American 921 — for the buy-it-once crowd: heavy cast aluminum, no gasket to replace, and a geared gauge you can read and recalibrate.
• NESCO NPC-9 Smart Electric — if you'd rather not watch a burner; plug it in and it holds pressure itself. Smaller loads.
• Presto digital 12-quart — a compact, precise option for small households and apartment kitchens.
• Ball 9-piece starter kit — the funnel, jar lifter, lid wand and headspace tool you'll otherwise buy one at a time.

Add jars and lids separately; wide-mouth pints are the most forgiving size to learn on.