Double boilers utilize the art of cooking your food, without any direct contact with the source of heat. This tricky, but useful, the cooking technique is usually used for the preparation of sauces, gravies and melting ingredients for cakes. However, steaming your food with a double boiler pot is a much healthier way of thermally processing your food.
The main reason why it is so healthier is that all the minerals and vitamins are preserved. While this technique used to require a lot of additional equipment and special preparation, with a double boiler you can do all that, in the comfort of your kitchen.
Double Boiler Pot Review Center
| Image | Double Boiler Pot | Rating |
|---|---|---|
 | #1 - Farberware Classic 2-Quart Double Boiler | 99% |
 | #2 - Norpro 644 Universal Double Boiler | 97% |
 | #3 - Cuisinart 7111-20 Chef's Classic Double Boiler | 96% |
 | #4 - T-fal B13996 Stainless Steel Double Boiler | 95% |
 | #5 - Nordic Ware 8-Cup Double Boiler | 92% |
 | #6 - Cook ‘N Home NC-00313 Double Boiler | 92% |
 | #7 - Excelsteel 579 3-Piece Double Boiler Pot | 91% |
 | #8 - SONGZIMING 2-Cup Double Boiler Pot | 89% |
 | #9 - Winware Stainless 8 Quart Double Boiler with Cover | 85% |
 | #10 - All-Clad 5703DB SS Double Boiler | 85% |
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Now that you’ve seen our top 10 picks, we’re going to go into more detail on why we chose each of them and what we liked about them. Once you see the one that is best for you, click the big yellow button to see what other customers have to say about the product on Amazon.com!
#1 – Farberware Classic 2-Quart Double Boiler
This is a double boiler that can work as a saucepan, in case you need one. No matter which function you decide to use it for, the pan works the same way: It heats your food evenly and fast.
One of its top features is a thick core comprised of aluminum, which is also surrounded by pure stainless steel. This produces rapid heating for your food. Meanwhile, its handles are crafted with Farberware’s signature styling. Plus, this double boiler has its own self-basting lid.
On the other hand, this product can also be heated up to 350°F (176°C). It’s also integrated with dishwasher-safe features. Plus, this double boiler is surrounded by stainless steel, giving you superior control.
Overall, Farberware’s set of cooking tools is a combination of today’s best technology, mixed together with durability, quality, and traditional styling. The company has been delivering quality products and services to its loyal customers for at least a century now.
What We Like About It:
Some of our testers said they’ve been using Farberware products for decades — In fact, even their mothers and grandmothers have been using Farberware products, inheriting a set from them when they were building their own families. So it wasn’t really surprising that they wanted to test this double boiler.
One of their first observations was that the steel components of this product are a bit thinner — However, it still managed to heat up their food perfectly, they said. But a few of them claimed their classic Farberware products are a little bit better.
#2 – Norpro 644 Universal Double Boiler
This boiler, which comes from Norpro, is just about the perfect size for those who own 8 or 6-inch pots and pans. It has a capacity of up to 3 quarts. Plus, this double boiler can melt just about anything: You can create tasty sauces using chocolate, cheese, butter, and even caramel or toffee. This makes the Norpro Double Boiler one of the best options when it comes to both baking and cooking.
The sides of the boiler all contain pour spouts, making your serving more convenient. Its handle also remains cool as you melt your food.
As mentioned earlier, this double boiler has a capacity of up to 3 Qt (2.9L). It’s constructed from pure stainless steel, while its pour spouts prevent spills and accidents.
You can use this product to heat milk and create sauces, gravies, custards, pudding, and yogurt, among many others. Also, this double boiler works well for wax, homemade soap, and homemade candles. Its bottom is flat and has a large capacity — Excellent for making huge batches.
What We Like About It:
Some of our testers for this product work as professional bakers. Among their regular activities is to melt icing and chocolate to pour over freshly-baked pastries, or to mix it as an ingredient. They also use boilers to safely and conveniently make café mocha in the morning. They said this product was absolutely amazing and greatly helped them make ingredients that resulted in delicious desserts.
They said this product’s well-polished double boiler does the trick. Its smooth surface was virtually stainless, not to mention very easy to clean up — No traces of food were left behind.
#3 – Cuisinart 7111-20 Chef’s Classic Double Boiler
This nifty kitchen appliance can act both as a steamer set and as a double boiler. The build material of the Cuisinart 7111-20 is 18/10 stainless steel. The main advantage of a cooking surface made out of stainless steel is that it will not change color or react with food in any way. This allows the food to preserve its original taste and flavor. The handle is also made out of stainless steel, which allows it to remain cool throughout the cooking process.
The rim is tapered so it can pour with ease and without any dripping. In addition to that, the tight fit cover perfectly seals the dish, persevering the moisture, as well as all the healthy nutrients your food has. The design of the lid is a trademarked Flavor Lock Lid, made with special care for retaining the original taste and nutritional value of the food.
The dimensions of this product are 18.8 x 16 x 13 inches, and it weighs only 1 pound. The round design fits saucepans of 2, 3 or 4-quart capacities. The Cuisinart 7111-20 Chef’s Classic Stainless Universal Double Boiler with Cover is completely dishwasher safe, so there’s no need to worry about tidying up after you are finished with cooking.
What we liked about it: The first thing that comes to mind is the ability to prepare your food in a much healthier way. The second has to be the fact that it’s dishwasher safe and easily cleaned. Last but not least is the lifetime warranty this double boiler comes with. This will allow you to have peace of mind when deciding whether to make a purchase or not.
#4 – T-fal B13996 Stainless Steel Double Boiler
What makes this item stand out from all the competitors is the fact that it is made out of aluminum construction. That construction is complemented with non-stick exterior and interior, making it easy to both cook and clean. The double boiler pot is inserted into the said construction, allowing even heating across the whole appliance.
It is equipped with a large, black handle that allows a secure and safe grip. This may not sound like something important, but considering that virtually everyone gets injured in the kitchen at least once in their lifetime, we consider it a great addition. It comes with a limited lifetime warranty, which is not that great, but still provides some comfort when it comes to buying a new kitchen appliance.
All the parts T-fal B13996 Specialty Stainless Steel Double Boiler with Phenolic Handle Cookware has are completely dishwasher safe, making it super easy to clean this product. The lid made out of clear glass allows you to keep a close eye on how the food you are preparing is coming up.
What we liked about it: Extra safety features and precautions T-fal took with this product are simply amazing. It is a great addition that can minimize the cooking time for some of the more delicate dishes you want to make. The limited warranty is a good thing to have, although the full lifetime warranty would certainly be a better option.
#5 – Nordic Ware 8-Cup Double Boiler
The Nordic Ware Double Boiler is highly versatile and can be used on both 2 and 4-quart pots and pans. This makes it very handy for melting cheese and chocolate, in case you want to get fancy and make fondue.
This product is made from aluminum and is coated with non-stick material. This is to prevent food from sticking to its sides and bottom. If you’re worried about limited space, then all you need to do is to utilize the handle together with the hold to hang the boiler on top of a pot rack.
What We Like About It:
Many of our testers said they mainly used this product to create cheese and chocolate fondue, as well as other milk and cheese-based sauces that are quite difficult to prepare and cook on top of stove burners. Predominantly, they claimed its cheese-melting capacities are decent enough, but it does have its own set of limitations.
They said because the boiler is pretty much a generic insert, it won’t fit a specific type of pot. This posed a bit of a problem for some of our testers when they were stirring the cheese for fondue. The boiler ended up spinning alongside the stirring motion of their spoons, they said.
Another group of our testers with little to no cooking experience wanted to make these delicious chocolate-covered pretzels that they saw on TV once. They said they were unable to do this because they didn’t have a double boiler. So they tested this product and were quite happy with the results.
They claimed this product heated better than the other bowls that they owned at home. Also, they were able to clean it up really nicely.
#6 – Cook ‘N Home NC-00313 Double Boiler
Cook ‘N Home’s stainless steel double-set boiler comes with a lid that’s crafted from 18-10 stainless steel. This is coupled with an aluminum disc found at the bottom of the pan. Meanwhile, this boiler’s finish on both its interior and exterior areas gives it a sleek, elegant look. Plus, the bottom of the product has been created to guarantee that heat is distributed equally to all sides, in order to perfectly cook your food.
It’s also designed to stop hot spots from forming. More so, a tempered glass lid with an accompanying steaming vent lets you watch your food while it’s cooking.
This boiler is equipped with two silicone-based handles, so you’ll feel comfortable while cooking your food. The silicone material stops the transfer of heat to whoever’s holding the boiler. Its handles are also fastened securely to both sides of the boiler, so there’s a perfect balance while you transport your food.
Just like the boiler itself, its handles are both flexible and strong. Plus, there are three inserts that come with the boiler, all in different sizes.
What We Like About It:
The quality of the pot seems fantastic, and our tester used them for heating up milk for a pasta recipe. She stored these pans inside a humid area, and to her surprise, it retained its original look and didn’t start rusting.
Some of our testers said this product’s main material does feel a bit thin. But they said it still does the job perfectly. Meanwhile, the boiler carries a solid bottom, as well as a nice set of steamer inserts, according to many of our testers.
One of these inserts can be placed inside a much smaller pot. This allowed our testers to cook with less water. And a bonus: After some of them sent an email to the company about the double boiler, they responded immediately — Ensuring good customer service and knowledge regarding their products.
#7 – Excelsteel 579 3-Piece Double Boiler Pot
Similar to the other products in our collection of the top 10 double boilers, this is made from the finest stainless steel. And not only is it strong and durable, but it’s also got an amazing look to it, which can surely complement the design of your kitchen.
Functionality-wise, it works perfectly for melting cheese or chocolate. When you use this boiler’s glass lid, you can take a closer look at your food and adjust the temperature so it won’t end up burning or overheating. You can do the same using the boiler’s tempered lid, which is also made from stainless steel.
The boiler has a 2.5-quart piece that you can comfortably and easily use. It also comes at an excellent price. Plus, it only weighs a mere 2 lbs.
Meanwhile, its handles are accompanied with hanging loops, making it easier for storing them away when you’re not using them. These also help keep your hands away from heat. Cleanup is easy, and the whole set is also integrated with dishwasher-safe features.
What We Like About It:
A few of our testers have been using this particular boiler for over two years. So even before they started testing this product, they claimed it works perfectly. Its stainless-steel exterior also makes it look as good as new, many of them said.
There have been some Amazon buyers who reported problems about the pots and pans corroding or slowly rusting the more they use them. But our testers said they’ve never noticed this at all. Plus, they said the price of this double boiler is quite reasonable. Meanwhile, they’ve never had any issues with cleaning up the product.
#8 – SONGZIMING 2-Cup Double Boiler Pot
This particular boiler is excellent for bakers — It can nicely cover up all of the basics. It’s also quite practical. Plus, the size of this product makes it easily fit inside plenty of cooking pots. It’s made out of durable stainless steel, and its coating ensures that it won’t rust even after prolonged heavy use and regular manual or automatic washing.
It can accommodate up to 2 cups of melted chocolate, which nicely fits smaller pots or saucepans. There’s also an accompanying steamer for smaller food like dim sum or dumplings. Other features include a long handle made from steel, which doesn’t heat up and helps keep your hands away from hot food. Plus, there’s a frontal hook that keeps the boiler steady, and a spout found on both sides, for pouring sauces.
What We Like About It:
Our tester purchased it because she was looking for a way to melt beeswax, shea butter, and cocoa butter to make organic soaps and lipsticks. It’s safe to say that this boiler exceeded her expectations — Some of her favorite things were the little spouts found on its side. She said this lets her easily pour the ingredients into her molds.
The boiler also fits nicely on top of a pot and works just as great too. She highly recommends this product to anyone who likes cooking or making all-natural products.
#9 – Calphalon 2-Quart Double Boiler
This boiler has been specifically designed to fit in most of Calphalon’s range of cooking tools, including their saucepans and pots. The inserts are all constructed from stainless steel, which has been polished to perfection. Its size guarantees that you no longer have to make certain adjustments in order to ensure that the pan fits with the lid.
The insert is pretty much perfect for heating up certain sauces like hollandaise or béchamel for pasta, melting chocolate or cheese for desserts, or even for cooking oatmeal or grits. Also, the Calphalon Simply Calphalon 2-Quart Small Stainless Steel Double Boiler Insert is completely dishwasher-safe. Plus, this product comes bundled with a lifetime warranty. It also has an aluminum core in it, which creates an excellent form of heat retention and conductivity.
What We Like About It:
Among the things we noticed when we tested this double boiler is its deep bottom —When we use this product, we need to make sure that we have enough water for cooking or heating. Also, its size is small enough to the point where it won’t seat itself above the pot, and it ends up shaking or wobbling a bit.
One of our testers used it to heat up oil and herbs to create soaps and lotions. She found out that it was quick and simple to clean due to its stainless steel material.
#10 – All-Clad 5703DB SS Double Boiler
This powerful boiler lets you melt chocolate and cheese with ease. You can also use this product to create egg-based sauces to use on your sandwiches or dishes, or keep sauces, gravy, and soups warm. It’s made out of pure stainless steel, which ensures heat distribution. This means your food is sure to cook evenly, especially because of its triple-ply design.
The same kind of triple-ply stainless-steel construction includes the central thick aluminum-based core, which draws in the heat towards the boiler. Meanwhile, the additional layers of stainless steel guarantee heat distribution. This is so you can acquire nothing but the best results not just for your food, but all across the cooking surface — Going straight to the rim.
The same stainless-steel interior from the boiler comes with a beautiful starburst-type finish. This provides an excellent stick resistance, telling you when your food is cooked and ready to be served. Plus, the same material won’t interact with the food’s ingredients, so it won’t end up leaving a nasty taste or weird coloring.
Accompanying the boiler is a saucepan. This helps you prepare food on top of indirect heat — This will come in handy in case you need to reheat some leftovers or prepare chocolates and cream for desserts. It’s also great for making dishes that have the tendency to separate when you cook them over direct heat.
What We Like About It:
Many of our testers have been using cast iron pans for most of their lives. This works just fine for lots of them, but they also said bits of food or sauces tend to stick to the sides and bottom. They also said it doesn’t easily come off, even after a couple of scrubs. But what they did was some thorough research with the All-Clad double boiler first before purchasing, especially since this particular set is a bit on the pricier side.
They like that this product comes wrapped up in a gorgeous bag and has an elegant look to them. After testing them, they now think cooking is more of an “experience” instead of just a regular old chore. “It’s a world of difference when compared to cooking with non-stick pans,” they said.
Double boilers, like any other cooking tool, require proper maintenance to ensure durability and effectiveness. As a result, even the best double boilers need to be properly taken care of to get optimum results. One of the best ways of taking care of a double boiler is by washing it immediately after every use. This can minimize the risk of clogging.
But picking a double boiler best suited for your exact needs and preferences might still be a challenging task despite having access to our roundup of the ten best double boilers this 2021. That’s because you might not know the essential factors to look out for when you’re in the market for a double boiler. So to help out — Here’s a checklist of the most important factors that you should keep in mind while you’re going through the products in our collection of the top 10 double boilers today:
How We Chose the Best Double Boiler Pot?
In order to fully understand the ins and outs of double boiler pots, we’ve methodically studied different elements it consists of. Furthermore, we decided to include only products that were compatible with all types of cooktops, from electric to gas to indoor grills to induction cooktops.
Capacity
Capacity may not be the first thing we look for in a kitchen appliance, but it may be the factor that ultimately decides whether you will be getting a double boiler pot or not. This is mainly because you need to make sure that the capacity of the appliance is enough to prepare a whole meal for your family.
Versatility
Although there are some gourmets that use double boilers on a daily basis, chances are that you will not be using it on an everyday basis. This is exactly why we decided to include versatility as our second deciding factor. Most of the contemporary boiler pots can serve as saucepans or other cooking appliances, enabling you to cook a variety of dishes, using only one appliance.
Quality and Warranty
Last but not least, we added the quality of build and construction materials to the list. This entry made it because build material quality directly affects both your safety and the quality of the dish you will be making. We also noticed that most of the high-quality products came with at least some sort of warranty included.
Why You Need a Double Boiler Pot?
A double boiler pot is one of those kitchen appliances that come up in almost any Christmas recipe you can find. This is mainly because it is used to cook ingredients that are rather delicate. What we mean by delicate is that those ingredients should not make direct contact with the heat source. Those ingredients can include chocolate, sabayon or gravy.
The double boiler actually consists of two different pots. One of those pots is the large one, which serves as a base. The other one fits into the first one and allows you to prepare food, without direct contact with the heat source. Double boiler pot sets come with a lid, but if you are using the appliance as a double boiler, chances are you will not be using that lid. This is mainly because most of the delicate food prepared this way will require frequent stirring.
While you may not be needed a double boiler pot on a daily basis, you will use it to prepare treats with chocolate or any other food requiring gentle heating. This gentle heating is achieved by transferring the heat to the water, which is located in the bottom pan. This water gets heated to the point of steam. That steam then engulfs the bottom of the top pan.
Making egg-based sauces can prove to be a quite tricky thing to do, as you need to make sure that you are not overheating the pan. If you overheat the pan, you’ll end up with scrambled eggs, which is fine if that was your initial intention. However, if you wanted to make something else, using a double boiler is probably your best chance of achieving just that.
Different Uses of a Double Boiler Pot
There are many ways and manuals on the best practices to use a double boiler pot. However, if you want to use it correctly, you should follow a simple set of rules, which can be found below.
The first thing you should do is put one to two inches of water in the bottom pan. The second step is to make sure that the top pan is not touching the water, so there’s enough room for the steam to heat the top pan. The cooktop should be set on medium heat.
The third step is placing the top pan on the bottom one. After that, you should add the ingredients you are planning to cook. You should make sure that you are stirring the said ingredients, to prevent them from burning.
While these instructions are great overall, you should be wary of generalizing, when it comes to cooking. Melting chocolate is a prime example of why you should avoid this. To successfully melt chocolate, you should bring the water in the bottom pan to the boiling point. After you’ve done that, put the desired amount of chocolate in the top pot and remove the whole double boiler from the heating source. The heat emitted from the water in the bottom pot will gently melt the chocolate, without scorching it. Or better yet, use the best chocolate fountain instead.
Whether you are melting chocolate or doing a completely different dish, you may want to adhere to those simple rules in order to get the most out of your double boiler pot. One of the main mistakes many fledgling cooks make is not pouring enough water in the bottom pan. This may leave you heating an empty bottom pot, which may damage the container. Since you do not want to have too much water in it, this may prove as a bit of a challenge at first. However, with some practice, you will get a real feel for it, in no time at all.