Kitchen

[beach-mom]

I have a recipe to make this week that calls for one. I don't have one. If it was just for my family I would improvise and just use a regular pan, but I'll be taking this to a group. Do I have to buy one, or can you give me some tips on how to "make" one? TIA! 

[spent2much]

Do you have a 3 qt. or 4 qt. pot which will fit a 1 qt. or 2 qt. pot in it?  With a double boiler, you put the water in the bottom pot and it heats whatever is in the top pot.  If you need larger sizes, you could use a frying pan with a smaller pot inside that.  Boil the water in the lower pot, then simmer it for the amount of time the recipe calls for.

[sfnative]

@beach-mom

After one of our moves, I simply could not find my double boiler, so did what I had seen in a book years previously:

Take the largest saucepan you have (2 qt if you have one).  Fill the pan 1/2 full with water and bring to boil.  Once boiling, turn heat down to a simmer and place a metal bowl so that the bottom of it goes about 1/3/ of the way into the pan.  The water should not touch the bottom of the metal bowl. 

If what you have to do takes a while, you may have to replace some of the water which may have simmered away, otherwise this is a really simple way to take care of your task without having to purchase a double boiler.

Good Luck!

[beach-mom]

Thanks @spent2much and @sfnative! I did what you both suggested and it worked! I put water in the bottom of a 2 qt. pan, and put a 1 qt. one on top. I made polenta and let it cook for around 3 hours It was delicious! I'm SO glad I didn't have to buy one - I've made it this far without one! 

[ctinaw]

I don't require a double boiler for much other than melting chocolate, so I just use a stainless steel bowl on top of a pan as the other posted stated when I need to use one.