The 10 Best Canning Jars
Editor's Notes
March 09, 2021:
We removed the Le Parfait Super due to a dangerous issue where the lid cracked too easily, adding glass shards to the contents of the jar. The Luigi Bormioli Lock Eat was also removed. Its high price point and the fact that it used an included glass lid rather than a metal one made it less practical than other options.
New to the list, the Anchor Hocking Home is a durable option that comes in three sizes. While the lid should be washed by hand, the jar itself is dishwasher-safe, which makes for easy cleanup.
We also added the Ball Vintage. Collectors, or those who are interested in history, will appreciate this piece. It was designed as an homage to the "Perfection" line of jars that were produced in the early 1900s. The green color may not be ideal for all situations, but it can also add a welcome splash of color to your kitchen.
While the Pakkon 1-Gallon shouldn't be used for traditional canning, we decided to keep them on the list, as their larger size makes them useful for other types of food preservation, like pickling and fermenting.
August 13, 2019:
Because canning jars are often employed for a huge range of purposes, from meal prep to making scented candles, we have decided to keep models that can be used in pressure canners as well as those that cannot. Jars and lids that are appropriate for safe canning vary according to the type of food being preserved, too, so users are encouraged to follow all manufacturer guidelines. With that said, we still like options from Ball, Weck, and Kerr as top choices. These are the canning jars that home cooks have relied on for years thanks to their reliability, ease of use, and relatively low price. But we added a few “luxury” choices, too, including the Luigi Bormioli Lock Eat and Le Parfait Super. These offer sophisticated styling that ensures they're just as good for decorative storage as for canning. As for simpler choices, we added the North Mountain Supply 16 Ounce and kept the Leifheit 3178. You can affix your own labels to these because they are not embossed, but that also means they’re very plain until you jazz them up.