Everything You Need to Know About Double Boiler

What is a Double Boiler?

Double boilers are used to cook food using steam as a heat source. They are made up by two parts, a large pot that contains hot or boiling water and another smaller pot that fits inside the first one and heats your food using the steam from the hot pot. Since the heat comes indirectly, it is perfect for sauces and chocolates. They're also ideal for cooking delicate foods.

Bain marie is the French term for a slow cooker. Double boilers and Bain-maries are essentially the same things, and they're both used to cook the same type of food with indirect heat (i.e., steam).

To use one, fill the bottom pan with a few inches of water and place the shallow pan on top of it. As the water heats up, it transfers a gentle, steady warmth to whatever you're cooking on top of the stove. Keep an eye on the water level of the pot as you're cooking, and add more water as needed.

How do they work?

They use the steam from the hot tap water in the bottom pot (the “wet” pot) to heat the top pot (the “dry” pot). You should always be sure that the top of the pot is resting above the boiling water because if it gets too hot, it could cause your product to curdy or scorch.

How to Use a Double Boiler

Most stovetop cooking involves putting ingredients into a pan directly over a heat source. A double boiler has a pot that sits on top of a stove. A large pan sits on top of the stove, and a glass or metal bowl sits on top of the pan. The steam from the boiling water warms the contents in the pot every so gently with indirect heating.

Make sure the bottom of the pan doesn't touch the simmering water. You should put some space between the water and the base of the bowl. Don't underfill your pot, either. If all the water evaporates, you'll just be boiling a dry pan, which might damage it.

What Is a Double Boiler Used For?

They create gentle, slow, indirect heat, which makes them ideal for tempering chocolate or making custard. This makes them perfect for making sauces with eggs, like Hollandaise Sauce or Crème Anglaise, because the steam won't be hot enough to cook the egg in the recipe. You may also use this for soap melting in soap, wax, candle making.

When Do You Use it?

It provides gentle heat and It's used for keeping delicate sauces from separating out or seizing over direct heat, as in making custard or keeping gravy warm. You'll often see holiday cookie recipes calling for a double boiler — especially when you need to dip something into or cover it with chocolate sauce.

Substitute for Double Boiler

If you don't already have a double boiler on your kitchen counter, you can easily use an alternative instead. A common substitute for is to use a heat-resistant mixing bowl on top of simmering water. To use this method, you need to ensure there is enough space between the mixing bowl containing the ingredients and the pan containing the boiling water. The bowl shouldn't touch the water. If your bowl touches too much water, it may cause your hollandaise to become scrambled egg yolks or ruin your melted chocolate.

Make Your Own!

If you cook a lot, owning an actual double boiler is helpful because it allows you to cook at lower temperatures. You can achieve the same effect by using tempered glass or stainless-steel mixing bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.

How to Create a Double Boiler Setup:

You can buy a dedicated double boiler insert, which is essentially a metal colander without holes. It has a tapered shape so it can be used for many different sizes of pans without having to adjust it. The insert also comes with a handle and spout so you can pour easily. A nice option if you need one occasionally.

If you're going to use double boilers frequently and have storage space, then it's a worthwhile investment.

You don't need any special equipment to create a makeshift double boiler. You just need a pot or large saucepan and stainless steel or a glass bowl that sits on the rim. You may have to experiment with different combinations of pots and pans to find the perfect fit. However, it works out well for people who rarely use double boilers.

You can always use a smaller pot if you need to. It can be an uncomfortable setup because you need to hold the upper pot steadily so that it doesn't tip over, leaving you only a single hand for everything else.

Want to have the Best Double Boilers?

 Here at Culinary Depot, we carry different types of double boilers. It is best to get one with a fairly shallow top pan, as this makes it much easier to whisk and stir sauces. Contact us or visit our online store for more information.