double boiler
- noun
- /ˈdʌbəl ˈbɔɪlər/
- In a double boiler, melt together butter and the bittersweet and semisweet chocolate pieces, stirring.
- double boiler to melt chocolate
- double boiler over simmering water
- double boiler over low heat
Examples
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For the delicate custard, whisk the eggs in the top of a double boiler while the water beneath simmers.
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To melt cheese for the sauce, place it in the top pan of the double boiler over simmering water.
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Put the olive oil in your double boiler setup and add the wax.
Blog text (23) -
Melt the semisweet chocolate and butter in a double boiler until smooth and set aside.
Blog text (3) -
In the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips with the shortening, stirring frequently.
Fiction book (1993) -
In a double boiler, blend condensed milk, dark and milk chocolate chips, and vanilla.
Blog text (4) -
In a pot set into a kettle of gently boiling water (you can use a double boiler), heat milk and broth gradually.
Blog text (6) -
Place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl, and place it over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler).
Blog text (12) -
If you've got to have mashed potatoes, make them in advance and reheat in the microwave (or in a double boiler) with a little milk to thin.
Blog text (17) -
The recipe requires you to prepare the chocolate in a double boiler to ensure it melts gently.
Synonyms
A set of two pans where one fits inside the other to heat food gently above boiling water
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is compositionally transparent: 'double' (twofold) + 'boiler' (a vessel for boiling) directly signals a two-part boiling device. A B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer it refers to a two-piece setup used for gentle/heated melting, so the meaning is clearly derivable from the constituents.
Etymology
Double boiler is a pair of pans used together: the word double points to the two parts and boiler refers to the hot water below, with a smaller pan sitting inside a larger one so the heat is gentle. This slow heat melts chocolate or cooks custard without burning, so it means 'a tool for gentle heating'.