Can you can items using a deep fryer instead of a pressure canner?

No. A deep fryer cannot be used to can items in place of a pressure canner. Pressure canning requires a vessel that holds a sealed, regulated pressure and vents air before building pressure, and a deep fryer is an open oil bath with a thermostat, not a pressure vessel.

The pressure canners compared in this site’s guide are built for that job. The Presto 01784 is described by its maker as a full-sized consumer pressure canner with a pressure gauge and an air vent/cover lock. The All American 921 uses a metal-to-metal seal and a steam gauge. None of the five picks is a deep fryer, and no maker here publishes a canning procedure for a deep fryer.

Why a deep fryer cannot build canning pressure

A pressure canner works by trapping steam in a closed pot so the internal pressure rises above atmospheric pressure, which raises the boiling point of water. The Presto 01784 includes an air vent/cover lock that, in the maker’s words, ensures pressure builds only when the cover is properly closed and prevents opening until the pressure is safely reduced. That is a sealed system with a controlled release.

A deep fryer has no cover that locks under pressure and no pressure gauge. Its thermostat cycles the heating element to hold an oil temperature, and the oil is open to the room. There is no published mechanism on a deep fryer to hold 10 or 15 PSI, and no maker of the canners in this guide lists a deep fryer as an alternative.

The RVGMBO 12 Quart pressure cooker lists a three-level pressure adjustment from HIGH at 15 PSI to LOW at 10 PSI. That is the kind of control a pressure canner needs. A deep fryer’s control is a temperature dial in degrees, not a pressure regulator, so the two devices do not overlap in function.

What the canner makers publish about pressure and safety

The Best Pressure Canners for Large-Batch Home Canning guide compares five pressure canners. The Presto 01784 is a 23-quart model with a published width of 17.5 inches, depth of 13.5 inches and height of 15.5 inches, and a weight of 12.49 pounds. Its maker states it holds 7 quarts, 20 pints or 26 half-pints of regular Mason jars. It also states the canner doubles as a boiling water canner for fruits, jams, jellies, pickles and salsa.

The All American 921 is a 21.5-quart pressure cooker and canner with a published width of 15.0 inches, depth of 16.0 inches and height of 17.0 inches, and a weight of 20.0 pounds. Its maker states it holds approximately 19 pint jars or 7 quart jars. It uses a metal-to-metal sealing system with positive action clamping locks and no gasket, plus an easy-to-read steam gauge and a precision machined regulator weight.

The Siftary 24 QT pressure canner lists a gauge calibrated to 14.5 PSI and a triple-redundancy safety system with a secure locking lid and dual over-pressure relief valves. The Hestroney 10.6-quart model lists a six-tier safety protection system with pressure release valves, safety valves and self-locking valves. These are the features that make pressure canning possible, and a deep fryer has none of them.

Capacity and batch size in the published figures

The Presto 01784 is listed at 24.3 quarts in its size field, with a text claim of space for 7 quarts, 20 pints or 26 half-pints. The All American 921 is listed at 21.5 quarts and holds approximately 19 pint jars or 7 quart jars. The Siftary is listed at 24 quarts. The RVGMBO is listed at 12 quarts, and the Hestroney is listed at 10.6 quarts.

A deep fryer’s published capacity, where a maker states one, is an oil volume in quarts or liters, not a jar count. None of the five canner makers here publishes a jar capacity for a deep fryer, and this site has not compared any deep fryer’s jar capacity because no such figure is published by these makers. The canner figures above are the only jar counts on the fact sheet.

The Siftary listing also describes a three-tier steaming configuration with two stainless steel racks and one aluminum rack, which the maker says allows stacking canning jars on three levels. That is a rack system inside a pressure vessel. A deep fryer basket is a single wire basket for lowering food into oil, and no maker here publishes a multi-level jar rack for a deep fryer.

What a pressure canner adds that a fryer does not

The Presto maker states the canner is USDA-approved and describes pressure canning as the only method recommended by the USDA for preserving vegetables, meats, poultry and seafood. The All American maker states the USDA recommends pressure canning as the only safe way to can meat, vegetables and fruits. Those statements are about pressure canning as a process, and the device that performs it must hold pressure.

The Presto 01784 is made from heavy-gauge aluminum with an induction-compatible stainless steel-clad base. The All American 921 is built for gas, electric or flat top stoves. The Siftary lists an induction-ready base and heavy-gauge aluminum body. The RVGMBO lists 18/8 stainless steel and a three-layer encapsulated base. The Hestroney lists 304 stainless steel. These are cookware materials chosen to hold heat and, in the canners, to hold pressure.

A deep fryer is built to hold hot oil at a set temperature, often with a lid for splatter control, but no maker in this guide publishes a pressure rating, a gauge or a vent lock for a deep fryer. Without those, there is no published way to reach the pressures the canner makers describe, and no published jar count to plan a batch.

The practical answer for a home canner

If the question is whether a deep fryer can stand in for a pressure canner, the answer is no, and the reason is in the published features. The Presto 01784 has an air vent/cover lock and a pressure gauge. The All American 921 has a steam gauge and a regulator weight. The Siftary lists a 14.5 PSI gauge and dual over-pressure relief valves. The RVGMBO lists pressure settings from 10 PSI to 15 PSI. The Hestroney lists a six-tier safety system with pressure release valves.

A deep fryer has a thermostat and an oil reservoir. None of the five makers here publishes a pressure canning procedure for a deep fryer, and this site has not compared a deep fryer for canning because no such figure exists in the fact sheet. The canners above are the products this guide covers, and their published figures are the ones to use when planning a canning batch.

For a buyer, the choice is among the five canners, not between a canner and a fryer. The Presto 01784 is the largest in jar count on the fact sheet at 7 quarts, 20 pints or 26 half-pints. The All American 921 holds approximately 19 pints or 7 quarts. The Siftary is listed at 24 quarts, the RVGMBO at 12 quarts and the Hestroney at 10.6 quarts. Those are the published capacities to compare.