Homemade double boiler?

Question

I'm making these chocolate things for my mom's birthday and I need a double boiler. The problem is that I don't have one. How do I make a double boiler using only common kitchen pots and pans? Is it just put a small pot in a big pot. Does it cover the whole top or do I need to leave a opening to let the steam out? any help at all will help. thanks in advance

Answer 1

You can use any heat proof bowl and put it in a pot with a couple of inches of water in the bottom. If it fits tight, put a knife blade down the side to let steam out. One problem can be that the vacuum when cooling can damage the pan, so you want air to get in or remove the bowl before turning off the heat.

Answer 2

Homemade Double Boiler

Answer 3

You've probably gotten confused by some of the answers. The most important thing that most of them are implying, but not explicitly saying, is to make sure that the bottom of your top bowl/pan/container does not touch the simmering water.

Check your level of water in the bottom pan using both pans while they're cold. You don't really need that much water - an inch will more than do it for melting chocolate and short additions to that. Using only the bottom pan, bring the water up to a boil. (With or without a lid but faster with a lid - then you won't use the lid anymore.) Turn your stove down low, so the water will only simmer. Put your top container on with the chocolate and start the melting process.

If all you need the double boiler for is to melt the chocolate, you can do that in the microwave. Just make sure you stir it often and cook in small time increments once it starts to melt.

Answer 4

Makeshift Double Boiler

Answer 5

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Homemade double boiler?
I'm making these chocolate things for my mom's birthday and I need a double boiler. The problem is that I don't have one. How do I make a double boiler using only common kitchen pots and pans? Is it just put a small pot in a big pot. Does it cover the whole top or do I need to leave a...

Answer 6

All you need is a metal or Pyrex type bowl above a pan with hot, not boiling water, the purpose of the double boiler, especially for making desserts involving melting chocolate, is to provide a gentle constant indirect heat. DO NOT LET ANY WATER GET IN THE CHOCOLATE.
Chocolate has a very low melting point. It must not be subjected to excessive heat, such as baking temperatures in an oven. Always melt over very low heat - do not boil the water.
Moisture is the enemy of melting chocolate - it can cause the mixture to stiffen. Don't let any water get into the chocolate (that's why you shouldn't cover the double boiler; condensation will drip in).

Answer 7

If you put a bowl that flares out atop a pot with square sides, it will work. The idea is that the steam from below is the heat source for the top.

I've seen pots that were *sold* as double boilers, where the top pot was necked in at the bottom, so the bottom 1.5" sat inside the bottom pot, and the rest of the top pot had the same diameter, but they didn't have any special provision for escaping seam other than a rather loose fit.

If there is a LOT of steam, turn down the heat.

Answer 8

Find a metal or pyrex bowl that fits into one of your small pots so that the lip of the bowl is above the lip of the pot & the bottom of the bowl isn't touching the bottom of the pot. Put about 1-2 inches of water in the pot. Nest the bowl on top, and you have a double boiler!

Answer 9

Put a bowl on top of a pot with some simmering (not boiling) water in the bottom. Don't let the water touch the bottom of the bowl. Stainless steel or glass work best, don't try plastic. It's best not to use two pots as they can stick together.

Answer 10

use a glass bowl over a pan of boiling water. Not so much water that it "spits" out the sides, just so that steam will melt the chocolate gently. So the bowl obviously has to be big enough that it doesn't fall into the pan and the steam won't get water into the chocolate or else it will "seize". There's no recovery from siezed chocolate.