Is a Double-Boiler a Real Necessity?

[Rozzer]

We don't have a double-boiler. I'd like to get one but my wife says it's unnecessary. She says you just take two different-sized pots, put water in the bigger one and the food in the smaller one and put one inside the other. Is she right?

I would think that a real double-boiler tends to concentrate the steam on the underside of the upper pot, and doesn't permit the steam to escape all around the sides of the smaller pot. And you have to keep filling the larger pot with more water because it's constantly boiling away. What say you all?

[K. Slink]

Wife is right. What are you "boiling away" that needs so much replacing of water???

[Rozzer]

Wife is right. What are you "boiling away" that needs so much replacing of water???

Well, for example, cooking scrambled eggs in the French manner (see other post) requires very, very slow cooking and constant gentle stirring. And I found, when doing that, the water in the bottom pot boiled away substantially and had to be added to now and then. I don't suppose it's really a problem. It would be more of a problem with dishes that don't require the cook to stand there and continually stir whatever's on top, which makes it quite easy to add water to the lower pot. But in other dishes that don't require so much attention? I don't know.

[K. Slink]

What other dishes would those be? Not being snotty, just curious...

[Rozzer]

What other dishes would those be? Not being snotty, just curious...

Bearnaise, pudding, custard, that kind of thing.

[K. Slink]

I think you'll be safe using the two pots, I've never had a double boiler and I do just fine. It's fast and easy enough to heat extra water in the microwave if needed. A simpler way is to put a stainless steel bowl over, but never touching, the simmering water in the pan below. That hasn't failed me yet, in or out of a professional kitchen.....

[Rozzer]

Thanks, K. Slink! You just saved us twenty dollars!

[K. Slink]

My pleasure--that's twenty dollars more to spend on good ingredients!

[KarenB]

I have a glass double boiler set but when I'm working with chocolate I use the metal bowl over the hot water. This works better since I'm swirling fruit in the chocolate and the extra width makes it more manageable.

[viking2boot]

I have never used a double boiler until now so I don't know how to use it correctly. Are you saying that the pot should never touch the hot water in the bottom pan?