"Dick Adams" > wrote:
> Akilesh Ayyar > wrote:
>
>> I recently bought a small hollow metal plate about 1/2" or 1" thick
>> with regular openings around its side and which claimed to be as good
>> as a double boiler. You would just place the plate on the stove flame,
>> and your cooking pot on the plate, and, the label claims, the plate
>> will distribute the heat evenly, just as a double boiler would.
>
> Where did you but it? Is there a photo of it on the Internet?

Here's a picture of one:

http://www.kitchenfantasy.com/images/b1101.jpg

I can vouch for the original poster that the "good as a double boiler" claim
is made.

It is can make it possible to distribute the heat more evenly and tone down
the intensity of the heat, as a double boiler would. But it cannot
absolutely limit the temperature of the pot to below the boiling point of
water.

I have used heat diffusers to substitute for a double boiler, but do it in
combination with keeping the flame low. Most often I do this when melting
chocolate.