This would be a wonderful addition to any cheese maker’s kitchen. This unit is quite versatile; it works as a home cheese vat as well as being a great canner. Saving you both time and money it will be a staple for both cheese making and canning alike. It can also be used to easily simmer large batches of soup or stew.
DIRECTIONS: You may use this unit by itself or with an inner pot which will act like a double boiler. To use simply pour your milk into the unit, cover and set to desired temperature. An adjustable thermostat allows precise control from 80°F (30ºC) to boiling. It holds just under 8 gallons of milk. Canning rack and instructions are included.
- Material: Stainless Steel 18/10
- Size/Capacity: 31- quarts
- Dimensions: Interior Height: 12.25"; Exterior Height: 15"; Diameter: 14.25"
- Origin: The Netherlands
- Cleaning & Care: Hand wash and dry thoroughly
- Power: 1380 Watt, 115V AC
- Temperature Range: 80ºF-Boiling
- Warranty: One year
Please note this is a water bath canner, not a pressure canner.
RETURN INFORMATION: This item is warranted for 1 year against manufacturing defects. We cannot accept returns of used equipment. For our full return policy, please click here.
We have been using a non-stainless pot similar to this for many years now and we now use this stainless steel version whenever making a batch using 2-7 gallons of milk.
Essentially this unit is comprised of a high grade stainless steel pot and a heating element as a single unit. The heating unit is controlled by a thermostat scaled in degrees Fahrenheit that will control the temperature of your milk and process. We do find that the scale tends to read a few degrees (3F) low so we simply set this a few degrees lower when heating the milk. The heater will heat milk very quickly so increase temperature very slowly. It also contains a full cover to stabilize the milk surface temperature.
When we use it we heat the milk in several stages. First, just turn the thermostat until the light comes on indicating power to the heater, then to about midway to target temperature, and then finally to the target temperature. This tends to be much kinder to the milk proteins, bacteria, and enzymes especially with fresh milk.
This unit is the perfect size for the serious home cheese maker working with 2-7 gallons of milk since it is self-contained, temperature controlled and stable.
This can be used for pasteurization but it does not provide the quick cooling capability of our milk pasteurizer. To use this for pasteurizing it will be necessary to transfer the milk for cooling quickly in cold running water.
We stock this unit without a draining valve because experience (several years of working with one that did) showed it is a good place for bacteria to hide.
The Electrical Canner offers a great variety of possible uses, not just for preserving, but also for cooking, warming, indirect warming in water, preparing hot drinks, blanching of vegetables etc. In case your appliance boils dry, there is an additional safety feature to prevent the appliance from overheating.
We also heard this canner received rave reviews for melting wax to make candles. "I am a candle maker and found that these hold at least 30 lbs of wax at an even temperature. I just love my Weck canners and would be lost without them."
Question on Raising Temperatures Slowly:
I am looking for a way to handle the all-important step of carefully raising the temperature of milk in the stipulated graded increments of time, i.e., 2 degrees every 5 minutes. I would like to know if the advertised product is able to achieve this kind of control
Answer:
I have been using one of these for making smaller batches of cheese for about 8 years now. I do find that the temp scale is a few degrees off so a good thermometer is still essential. The heating element will heat very fast if it is turned on all the way. There’s a light that comes on when current flows to the element and I use this to bump the temp up a few degrees at a time. I simply bump the control knob up slightly until the light comes on and then turn it back off again after 30 seconds to 1 minute or more depending on the cheese which is being made and its heating schedule. It’s really similar to using a steam valve on larger kettles and vats. It may take a bit of time to get the feel for this and you will want to go slow to start. It works for me quite well here.
I do use this to directly heat the milk but if you would like a softer heating for your milk then it is possible to add water to this canner and use another pot with your milk inside. This will create a more even heating method but is quite a bit slower.