BookmarkHow to Make a Double Boiler
A double boiler is the perfect way to prepare certain food items that require a more delicate approach. A double boiler works in much the same way a steamer does. A double boiler typically consists of a pot with another perforated pot positioned above it. Water is then boiled in the lower pot to provide indirect heat to cook the food items placed in the pot above it. Double boilers are great for delicate foods that generally run the danger of being burned or scorched when direct heat is applied to them. Double boilers are commonly used for melting or tempering chocolate or making stirred custards. Double boilers can also be used to keep already cooked foods warm before they are served. They are many advantages to this simple, handy contraption.
MacGyver in the kitchen
Perhaps the most convenient aspect of double boilers is their simple design. The idea is so basic that you need not even purchase a double boiler from a store if you already have two pots or a pot and bowl that fit together neatly. It is quite simple to make your very own double boiler. Here are some simple steps to follow:
1. Scour your kitchen for a metal bowl or heat-proof glass bowl that you can use as the top part of the double boiler. Glass is preferable, since it holds in heat much better. Metal conducts the heat much faster.
2. You want the bowl to be as wide as possible so that it will heat the contents evenly, but make sure that you have a pot that it will fit somewhat snuggly in. Ultimately, you want the bowl to fit about half way into the pot.
3. Make sure that the pot is deep enough so that the water will not reach the bottom of the top bowl or pan, as this will defeat the purpose of indirect heating.
4. Be sure to completely cover the top pan so that steam and heat cannot escape during the cooking process. It is especially important to keep chocolates and custards in a liquefied state so that they will not coagulate.
5. Always use oven mitts because the bowl will be extremely hot.
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