Advice needed to purchase double boiler for melting chocolate. After much googling,

F

florisandy

Well-known member
I found one that has a good rating on Amazon and I could use my 20% off coupon from Bed Bath & Beyond.

It says that the insert fits 2, 3, and 4-quart sauce pans but my Viking is a 4.5 quart. Never having bought or used one before, do you think it would work? - What about that bit of gap?

See link & image link.

http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-MCP111-20-Multiclad-Stainless-Universal/dp/B0009W38YO/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1319242689&sr=1-4

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=17060236

 
I think the gap might be disastrous with melted chocolate

One little sputter, spatter or drip of steam/water & your chocolate is seized.

 
Honestly?!....you don't need a double boiler for melting chocolate. All you need to do is set a bowl

over the top of a saucepan. Doesn't matter what size pan nor the size of the bowl, as long as the bottom of the bowl isn't sitting in the simmering water. And your bowl can be made of anything -- stainless or glass, it doesn't matter. Just be careful when removing the hot bowl -- grab the rim with a kitchen towel or hot pad. Another key thing when melting chocolate....once you pull the bowl (holding the now-melted chocolate) from the simmering pot, take a kitchen towel or paper towel and wipe any water droplets from the bottom of the bowl, before setting the bowl down.

Even in the professional world we use this technique -- no double boiler is needed.

 
Well glory be! I just sampled two of my SS bowls over my 4.5 qt. pot and the wider one sits at

least 2” above the bottom of my sauce pan (with primitive measuring and a measuring tape for now). Is that enough leeway for simmered water?

If this works, I'll be very happy!

Thanks everyone for your helpful suggestions and Pat, hopefully I'll save some bucks.

 
Okay Pat. I use this method too but I always put a spoon in between the bowl and the pot...

One time my bowl became vaccuumed to the pan and it exploded all over me and the kitchen! You only have to have this happen once to remember the spoon.

 
I believe heat diffusers can be bought very inexpensively at hardware stores

I'm including a link only to show the different ones available but I remember, when shopping for our gas range and wanting a diffuser (mine has two - love them) being told that I could make any stove a diffuser by buying a cheap one at a hardware store.

http://www.shopwiki.com/Heat-Diffuser

 
Barbara, I'd recommend using a metal bowl. Lightweight and no chance of shattering. smileys/smile.gif

 
I would say choose a bowl that just sits gently on top of the pan, not one that gets wedged deep

inside the pot -- that's not really what you want -- and I'd personally stay away from using a spoon because that let's steam escape (the steam that's actually helping your chocolate to melt) and because you don't want to get water into your chocolate and risk the possibility of your chocolate seizing.

But hey, whatever works best for you and gets the job done, right? smileys/smile.gif

 
Me Three. With the large collection of stainless steel bowls I've accumulated over the years...

...there's never one out of reach. I can usually even find a lid for the bowl that fits tight enough so I can re-heat something gently and keep it covered, if that's what I'm trying to do.

Michael

 
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