How to Make a Double Boiler?

When you are melting chocolate, or making Hollandaise sauce, you often see the recipe calls for a double boiler (also called water bath or bain marie in French), in order to heat the materials gently and gradually at fixed low temperatures, or to keep it warm over a period of time.

However, you don't have to buy one. A double boiler is the same as using a bowl over, but not touching, a slightly smaller pot with simmering water. This way you could control the heating process to the minimum fluctuation and you could lift the bowl with the material when it's overheated.

There are tricks if you can't find exact the sizes of pots to stack one over another.

1. Use a metal ring like shown in the picture, or use a shallow saucer, anything that can be heated on the stove top, can lift the upper bowl above the water and prevent water from getting into the material.
   
   
   


2. Use chop sticks. This is not as stable thus harder to maneuver and I would avoid it if I can. If you really have no other way to go around, it's worth a try.
   
   
   
   



3. If you have nothing else, a little touching won't be a killer. You just have to be more careful in controlling the heating and cooling - more ups and downs exercise for the arm.
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Try microwaving it. The good thing about microwaving is, once you figure out the right timing, it's pretty consistent. However for the first trial, you need to do it in very short intervals (10 sec) and figure out the total amount of time required. Then in regular practices, work in rounds of 15 to 20 sec intervals to prevent overheating.

Happy heating.