How to make sure that I do not break the glass bowl in a double boiler?
I used a glass bowl as a double boiler for making scrambled eggs and it broke. I know that rapid cooling and heating caused glass to break. for some reason I thought the thick glass bowl would not break.
so how do I ensure I do not break another glass bowl while double boiling?
Best Answer
Thickness is not an indicator of heat-proof glass, just think about laboratory glassware, which is sometimes quite thin. It’s rather the other way round, thermal conductivity is low for glass which can increase inner tension when heated quickly. Thicker glass will be more robust against mechanical force, simply because it’s thicker.
If you want to be sure, get a bowl that is labeled as “heat-proof” or similar (terms may vary). It’s still a good idea to avoid sudden temperature swings, just to be sure although some manufacturers claim that their products can withstand temperature swings of 150K. It shouldn’t be an issue with melting chocolate, because you should place the bowl over (not “in” or “touching”) barely simmering water anyway and not have the water in the lower pot at a full rolling boil. There’s a good chance that even non-ovenproof bowls will stand up to this, but as you experienced, it can go wrong.
Another, often overlooked factor is the tension within the heated glass, especially if the temperature distribution is uneven (again: don’t boil the water at full speed). The glass will be more sensitive to shocks, so don’t bang the bowl with a metal spoon when stirring or getting leftovers off the spoon and don’t set it down hard on the table or counter.
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Are glass bowls safe for double boiler?
All you need to make a double boiler is a mixing bowl (preferably glass/pyrex or metal) and a saucepan that the bowl will fit on top of. The two should fit tightly together; you don't want a gap between the bowl and the saucepan, nor do you want a bowl that sits precariously on a tiny saucepan.How do you know if a glass bowl is heat proof?
If you want to be sure, get a bowl that is labeled as \u201cheat-proof\u201d or similar (terms may vary). It's still a good idea to avoid sudden temperature swings, just to be sure although some manufacturers claim that their products can withstand temperature swings of 150K.Will boiling water break glass bowl?
The effect of thermal shock is powerful and results in the cracking of glass. Even heat-resistant glasses like Pyrex can shatter when poured with boiling water incorrectly. To prevent the glass from cracking when exposed to boiling water, you should avoid extreme and abrupt changes in temperature.What causes glass bowls to explode?
When a Pyrex bowl is heated or cooled rapidly, different parts of the bowl expand or contract by different amounts, causing stress. If the stress is too extreme, the bowl's structure will fail, causing a spectacular shattering effect.3 Super Easy Ways to Perfectly Melt Chocolate | You Can Cook That | Allrecipes.com
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Answer 2
Two things to be careful of:
- The bowl mustn't reach the water (or even be heavily splashed).
- In some cases the side of the pan (assuming the bowl is in a saucepan) can heat a ring of bowl. This probably isn't a good idea. Keeping the heat low and making sure the pan doesn't boil dry can help a lot. A thin insulating spacer (folded baking parchment or similar) should stop this happening too.
In general bringing the temperature up gradually is sensible, and not putting cold liquid into the hot bowl. You may have simply been unlucky.
Answer 3
Get a proper tempered glass bowl or use a metal bowl.
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