Bain-Marie: What is it and Where Can I Get One?

There is little difference between what is commonly known as a double boiler and a bain-marie and the names are often used interchangeably. Although you will find bain-marie's in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and designs, they will all have a few basic components. When a bain-marie is fully constructed, what you'll see is a large, metallic cylinder with two handles protruding from it, one on top of the other. This metallic structure actually consists of around 3 - 4 pieces. The first is the lower pot and handle. This will be used to hold water and is the most important part of the apparatus. Secondly, there is the top pot and handle that fits into the lower pot. The top pot usually sits about half way down into the lower pot. You'll put your food -- chocolate, for example -- into the upper pot but will apply heat to the lower pot. Some models of bain-marie will have a heat source built-in, otherwise you will use an external fuel source.

As heat is applied to the base, the temperature of both pots increases. At sea-level, the boiling point of water is 100 degrees celsius. This means that if you use the bain-marie at this level, the temperature of the lower pot can't exceed 100 degrees. This method of indirect heating is what allows the bain-marie to heat up the upper pot gently and slowly. Of course, if you wish to alter the maximum temperature that the lower pot can attain, you can try putting different liquids, like salt water or oil, into the lower chamber.

As mentioned previously, the most common use of a bain-marie and double boiler is to melt chocolate without burning or scorching. I've also mentioned the warm sauces Hollandaise and beurre blanc that are often prepared in bain-marie since they are incredibly heat sensitive. But there are plenty of other culinary applications for the bain-marie.

You can bake cheesecake in bain-marie if you want to prevent the top from cracking as it usually does when baked in an oven. If you want to prevent a crust from forming over custard, use a bain-marie!