There are a lot of terms used by the chefs on television and by the gourmet cookbooks, which are difficult for a layman to understand. The techniques might use devices which may not be present at every house. One of the cookery device is the double boiler. You probably never felt the need for this until you wanted to make a sauce or a candy at home. These are helpful even in the production of candles. If you are wondering what you can use in the place of a double boiler, then there are some options you can use.

Fundamentals of a Double Boiler

1. The idea behind a double boiler is to melt the ingredients without directly heating them. Items such as chocolate might burn when subjected to direct heat. This culinary device has two different chambers to cook. You place the food on the top and the bottom is filled with water which is placed on direct heat. The steam from the water melts the food on top without burning it.

Irrespective of the type of makeshift double boiler you make, do not let the top touch the water in the bottom. Otherwise, the whole purpose of not directing the substance to heat is defeated.

Method of Two-pot

2. You would need two different sized saucepans or stockpots to create a makeshift double boiler. The larger and deeper pot would hold the water. Place the smaller one on the edges of the larger pot. Now pour water into the lower pot. Ensure there is a little space between the water and the pot above with the food.

You can use this model of makeshift double boiler to make candles and sauces where the steam meets the chocolate on top.

Method with glass bowl

3. The most preferred of all methods to melt chocolate is to use a glass bowl in the creation of the makeshift double boiler. Glass being a natural conductor of heat, you can do this in two different ways. In one option, you can use the glass bowl instead of the smaller pot in the method of two-pot. Again make sure that there is a little space between the water and the top pot. The steam is not let to escape by the bowl which ensures that the chocolate does not become hard. This process is known as seizing.

In the second method, you use the glass bowl on top of a baking crock. The boiling water is poured into this crock. The rest of the process is similar.

Method using Microwave

4. In case you have trouble in making a makeshift double boiler, since the cookware you have is not built to meet the requirements, then you should probably try using the microwave. Do have some additional quantity of items you are planning to melt as there is every possibility that you might end up with scorched, clumpy food in the beginning. Use a small quantity and smaller time interval to get it right.

A double boiler is an appliance that uses two pans, one, which is the larger of the two, as the outer pan, and the other that fits in the first pan. The outer pan is made of sturdy stainless steel, and is supposed to contain nothing but water. The water from this pan begins to boil when heat is applied from the bottom. On boiling, the steam generated from the water reaches the bottom and the sides of the smaller pan inside and the indirect heat helps in cooking the content of the inside pan. The technique is so well in use that chefs and diet experts recommend steam cooking through this method as the best way to retain all the nutrition, vitamins, proteins and other important components of the food that is being cooked. You may decide to add the lid on the top of the double boiler pan if you are cooking a gravy dish with a thick saucy base or you may stir from the top if you are whipping up a sauce for the food.

A double boiler pan is so made that there are no grooves and crevices to let the sauce seep in which may contaminate other food if not thoroughly washed before the next use. Stainless steel is the prime component of the heating body since it is a rapid conductor of heat and helps in evenly spreading heat across the entire pan in a very short time. Besides, other metals like aluminum or copper do not allow specific ingredients like eggs to be cooked or stirred since the blackening effect remains which not only discolors the sauce, the sauce loses its basic taste as well. Apart from this copper in contact with these types of ingredients reacts fast and soon the cooker is out of use. A double boiler pan is available in any kitchen appliance store or mall and there are various brands manufacturing these pans. There re various models of different sizes too. Normally a double boiler pan has a non-heating handle that can help in easily taking off the equipment from the fire and putting it back again whenever required. When stirring your sauce, you may have to hold the handle to give it stability while the sauce is being stirred so the handle has to be made of such material that does not pose a safety threat to the user.

Check on the internet for the prices of these appliances. A good double boiler pan should not cost you anything beyond $40 but that would entirely depend upon your individual size preference and requirements. If you feel that the online shops offer great discounts on the equipment which is not given by the local shop you can freely order the model and make that you would prefer. One additional feature of shopping online is that you have all the time in hand to decide the model and the make of the pan so you can make an informed decision before ordering the product.

The cuisinart double boiler is just the exact double boiler that the chef or the home cook would recommend if you have a sauce to prepare or a chocolate to melt while serving the favorite vanilla ice cream with hot chocolate sauce to your guests as dessert. The cooker is so well designed that it can boil water at an even temperature rising up to 212 degrees Fahrenheit at the maximum and this allows you to slow steam your sauces that blend perfectly well for that great taste.

The cuisinart double boiler is made of solid stainless steel base that spreads the heat evenly throughout the cooker. Stainless steel is known as the best medium since it does not affect the food quality – you can stir eggs and chocolates without any direct reaction to the metal used in the container. These cookers are universally designed to fit the typical saucepan and come with a lid in the event you need a lid for covered cooking. Steam cooking has been in use for quite sometime and nutrition wise the food retains all the value while the cooking is done on steam from the boiling water in the bottom pan. There are various models of the cuisinart double boiler cooking system available in the market today and each of them are very attractively priced too. Since stainless steel does not allow the sauce to get into the grooves and joints, the entire cooker is made to prevent dripping with easy uniform ridges on the body. Simple to operate the cooker is one of the most popular kitchen equipments for those who believe in steam cooking their food. You cannot possibly cook lamb meat in the cooker since the meat would require direct boiling to make it safe for consumption or some amount of raw heat to treat the meat well before it can actually be consumed. However, gravy foods like small fish fillet in oyster sauce or mustard sauce and soya meat in cream can be ideally cooked with the lid firmly in place.

The cuisinart double boiler can be bought directly from any kitchen appliance store in the locality or you may drive down to the main shopping area of your town to have a better deal. The pricing varies depending on the size of the cooker and the model type but generally, the double boiler is very reasonably priced. If you would prefer going through some reviews of the users of this boiler, you can always log in to the internet and check details by putting cuisinart double boiler as the key search word. Ordering online is also easy and you can in fact go in for second hand good value boilers as well if you want to give the entire concept of steam cooking a try. For those who want to melt wax and paraffin for their professional or artistic pursuits this double boiler is the best option since the wax wont solidify while you are still working on the model in hand.

Double boilers are in use ever since they were invented and have added flavor to the sauce that they are used for. If you want to slow – stir your sauce to an even perfection, the BonJour double boiler is the best choice. It is carefully crafted out of the finest stainless steel available and has no nooks and crevices in the body to let food seep in and contaminate the vessel. The entire body of the double boiler is made up of two parts one consisting of the water chamber which holds about 1.5 cups of water and the cooking space with a good 1.5 quarts capacity.

The most important feature of the BonJour double boiler is the shrill whistle it lets out to inform you that the water has reached the boiling stage and therefore the sauce ingredients can now be put in the upper chamber for slow stirring. It is so well sized and neat in features that it becomes an immediate attraction for any kitchen and chefs have been recommending its use for all slow fire cooking. Once the water reaches the boiling point, all that you have to do is to simmer down the heat and start your sauce preparation. Since any such preparation needs constant supervision, you will always be alert about the level of the water at the bottom chamber. To help you the manufacturer of the BonJour double boiler has inserted a transparent glass window below the handle to let you know the water level so that if necessary you can pour in some more water. This of course depends on the food that is being cooked and the time it would take. This double boiler is so safe that the manufacturers have given it a sturdy plastic handle to keep off the heat from getting on to your hand in the event you need to take the boiler off the fire. You can directly lift the boiler without having to have a safety glove. Anything that falls on the ground is likely to be damaged and though the manufacturers have given a thought to this, there are reports of the handle falling apart if the equipment falls on the kitchen floor. Overall, however the BonJour double boiler is the most suitable double boiler for making those yummy hot chocolate sauces quickly when you have guests waiting at the table.

The BonJour double boiler is available in any kitchen appliance store. You can have a look at the equipment and look further through the various models to understand which one suits your requirement the best. Food value, taste and nutrition are well maintained and there is no loss of taste either while using this equipment in the kitchen. The simplicity of the operation of this double boiler is one of the chief factors that have added to the popularity. It can be cleaned easily and all the parts come off very well without having to force open anything. Spares are freely available too in the event you need them at all.

Bain Marie containers have been in use for a long time since the double boilers came into existence and there are multiple uses of a double boiler. The boiler consists of two containers – the outer container that holds the heating liquid and the inner container which is smaller and fits well into the outer container. The inner container stays afloat over the heating liquid which is normally water and from the heat of the steam generated from the boiling water, the food in the inside container gets heated and cooked. A Bain Marie double boiler is used in most households today and is widely in use in industrial canteens and large hotels and restaurants too. The top container holds all the ingredients that need a slow cooking in a shallow boiling water bath and the material used for these containers is nothing else but stainless steel.

The idea of a Bain Marie double boiler originated hundreds of years ago when steam cooking was considered as a gentler form of cooking. The concept is a French concept who believed that good food never loses the original taste, nutrition and values. The French gave a lot of importance in their food and that is why French food is still a raving favorite among all cuisine experts and food connoisseurs of today. It is easy to make a Bain Marie double boiler. All that you would need is a large metal pan without a lid, and another smaller pan that would fit in the large pan without sinking in the water. Fill up the larger pan to about ¼ of its capacity with water and bring it to boil. When the water begins to boil simmer down the flame and insert the smaller pan in the larger pan of boiling water. Now put all the food ingredients that you want cooked in the smaller pan and cover it up with a lid. The risk of boiling water in these crude homemade systems is always present since boiling water may spill out of the container in large droplets and fall over your hand. With adequate precaution, and if you are cooking a food that does not require supervision, this Bain Marie double boiler is a great thing to use. To check if the food is cooked or not, simmer down the heat, open the lid and check with a fork. However, if you are cooking up a sauce, the homemade double boiler is not advisable. You can get good these double boilers in any kitchen appliance shop fitting your requirements and specifications. For a larger choice, visit a large departmental store where they have a range of double boilers of various brands on sale.

Leave it on the internet if shopping a Bain Marie double boiler is something troublesome for you. Just log in and search for this kitchen equipment, you will find plenty of shops selling this useful, most popular and highly appreciated product at prices that are far more affordable than what the stores offer.