Can a pressure canner be used on a solid element cook top or a smooth top range?
For a pressure canner to work successfully on a smooth top range, the canner bottom must be flat and in contact with the cook top. Most heavy cast aluminum canners meet these specifications. Lighter weight stamped aluminum canners have a concave bottom. If the concavity is greater than 1/8 inch, the canner will not perform effectively. To measure the concavity, place a straight edge across the canner bottom and measure the distance to the canner bottom with a ruler. Solid element cook tops require heavy gauge, flat, smooth bottom utensils that have no more than one inch overhang beyond the element. Most pressure canners are too large to be used on solid element cook tops.