This is, perhaps, a little off topic here, though I have seen some "vintage" cast iron pressure cookers.

I ordered a new 8 qt Presto brand stainless steel pressure cooker on ebay for $52 + $5 shipping yesterday - not a bad price, from what I saw on Amazon and elsewhere. I plan to use it to speed up cooking beans and stocks, and maybe mess around trying to replicate something like KFC's "secret recipe", that ended up in a pressure cooker to help accommodate the volume of buziness "Cornell Sanders" enjoyed in the early years of his later franchise.

I haven't received the pressure cooker yet but, from what I've read, the pressure release valve is non-adjustable - set at 15 lbs. IF the vegetable garden I'm trying to grow works out - big IF - I'd like to can (jar??) some of the vegetables for later use... maybe make and can some homemade sauces - Mom use to make and can a chile sauce that blew Heinz and other store-bought chile sauces out the window, and I plan to research Bill Ford's site for recipes many of you have provided... or might post here.

Anyway, I'm looking for a pressure cooker that is larger and has more pressure settings - 10 (and, perhaps, 5) lb settings? I'd also like a larger capacity - say 12 to 25 qts? I think cast aluminum would work pretty well for canning, no? I think I'd prefer one w/o too much in the way of automation or built-in heater - less to break. I'd like to keep the cost, both original and long term, low. I'd like one with reasonably priced available replacement parts, especially the gasket - *might* rule out (some) vintage cookers.

As you likely can tell, I could use and would appreciate more advice and some help finding a pressure cooker to use for canning. I figure I have up to a couple of months to find and purchase one. I have more time than money. Would you help me?

Thanks,
Bob