I used it for the first time last night. All 5 jars sealed – yay! I won’t bother with the advantages (you’re here, you know you want one and you know why). The disadvantages: #1 the lid doesn’t come completely off without a hassle. That’s just plain stupid. Who stores a cooking pot of any kind with the lid fully on and engaged???? No one. Why can’t the lid come off like the Instant Pot’s lid? #2 The cord doesn’t detach from the unit. Again, didn’t anyone consider how this unit would be stored? I prefer to detach my cords (yep, the IP does it) and coil them inside the cooking pot. I keep all my canners and large stock pots in a cabinet in the garage. Being able to keep the cords inside the pots makes storing easier. #3 The sound of the beep is annoying while setting the time. MInor, I can live with it, but it’s a shrill, piercing beep. We all know that modern electronic kitchen gadgets now make pretty beeps. (Again, my IP’s have nice beeps and sounds.) #4 The instruction manual is rather challenging to read. It’s not really laid out nice with white space, nice fonts, etc. Also, nothing is said about the re-useable Tattler/Harvest Guard lids. (You’re to bring them out as soon as your stovetop canner is down from pressure and tighten the rings at that point.) Here again, who was on the design team? Post-Covid, we all went and bought re-useable flats with which to can. #5 The inner pot is teflon coated or something. There again, who uses that stuff? Most of us who can and preserve food are into healthy, long-lived stainless steel pots and pans. We will pay extra for stainless steel! Not a deal-breaker for me, since I don’t plan to cook in this, only pressure can, so my food won’t actually come in contact with it. #6 The toggle to go from Exhaust to Airtight seems really wobbly…..I couldn’t tell when it was properly seated at either location. I guess it’s fine, because the canner acted like the manual said it would, and my jars sealed…..but I’m accustomed (oh, my fabulous IPs) to KNOWING that I’ve moved it from venting to sealing (to borrow IP language). As soon as an updated model comes out that changes these things, I’ll be buying it. I chose the Carey/Nesco because it holds 5 jars, is mostly hands-off, and had rave reviews from Pam at Rose Red Homestead. And I’m thrilled with my test run, and excited to have a small-batch, inside canning method. (Currently, I only can outside on a camp stove — An All American Pressure Canner and a normal water bath canner. So I’m limited to good weather, and know that it’ll be a day-long affair.)
