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Buying advice for double boiler or alternative
QUESTION:A local store has All Clad double-boilers on sale, and this
has prompted me to think about buying one for sauces, polenta
I would welcome any advice on whether this is a worthwhile
advice, and, if so, what to look for in a double-boiler kit
(it seemed to me that the insert should be a poor conductor so
as prevent burning the sauce, and thus that aluminium might
not be a good choice). Also, any suggestions on alternatives
to a double boiler would be great - I was thinking of trying a
waffle (heat tamer) to separate my Le Crueset saucepan from
the heat?
ANSWER: Buy one made of clear glass--Visions or Pyrex. You want to be able to
see how much water you have--not enough to touch the inner pan but
not none.
If you absolutely have to buy metal, don't get uncoated (anodized,
enameled, whatever) aluminum--too many double-boiler things have eggs
in them and aluminum will turn eggy stuff a very nasty color.
To fake it, just put a bowl over water in a saucepan. The bowl has to
be bigger than the pan, of course. It can be made of any heatable
material, but the aluminum warning applies, of course.
The conductivity of the insert doesn't matter--it won't get hotter
than boiling water so you won't burn anything. You can curdle things,
but not burn them, at or below boiling temperature. Besides, the
steam bathes all parts of the insert, so the temperature will be even.
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