For those who may be confused with pressure cookers, in order to can home grown vegtables, or meats to be stored for future use you need a cooker with a pressure gauge not just the regulator. These cookers are called canners. Food being canned needs to be processed at a set time and at a set pressure or the food won't be safe to eat. If your cooking food to be eaten right away you don't need that a cooker with the regulator is all you need.