The water bath is also called "ben marie". It got this name thanks to the legend of its origin. According to legend, people used it as early as the 3rd century AD. A water bath is a useful household tool made from two different sized pots. They use it for various household needs, for example, in cooking or for cosmetic procedures. This article will discuss how to make a water bath.

How to make a bath?

The process is actually very simple. For this, two pots are taken. It should be understood that one should be smaller, and the other larger enough so that the smaller one can easily fit into it. The resulting double pan must be placed on the stove. Water is poured into the lower pan, and the necessary ingredients are mixed into the upper one. Thus, a water bath is obtained.

Fundamental rules

The smaller pot on top must have a rounded bottom. This is to ensure that the contents do not stick to the edges and can be stirred evenly. The top pot should also be made of thick stainless material. This property will help to ensure that the water bath, created at home, will be heated evenly. The presence of handles also plays a significant role. If they are missing, it will be inconvenient to hold the pan and rotate it. Water should not touch the bottom of the upper container. In addition, there must be at least 4 cm of distance between them. Water should not be allowed to boil in the process. Light steam generation is ideal. To create the desired condition, it is enough to bring the water to a boil in the lower saucepan without installing a second one. And only then install the upper pan with the product.

Making a water bath according to a different principle

How to make a water bath in the oven? Here the design will be different. For its manufacture, two containers will be required, as in the previous case, one less, the other more. Pour hot water into a large one up to the middle of the inner container. Such a bath can be left open, or wrapped in foil. The inner mold should be closed or wrapped in a couple of foil layers. The height of the larger form must be at least 2/3 of the height of the inner one. Too high a container should not be taken, since the water temperature will not be able to reach the desired level, respectively, and the product will not be able to reach readiness. The advantage of this answer to the question of how to make a water bath is that no matter how the oven heats up, the water temperature cannot exceed 100 C.

Conclusion

This concludes the review, and now you know how to make a water bath. If you have never used it before, then we can say with confidence that you just need to try. If you follow all the above rules exactly, then you will definitely succeed. The ability to make a water bath will come in handy in many situations - when preparing prishchi or individual ingredients, and when creating home cosmetics, and when steaming medicinal infusions.

Water bath Is a method of cooking food, in which the liquid (heating) occurs without direct contact of the container with fire. This method is used when the temperature of the prepared solution is required, which does not exceed 100 ° C.

Basically, in a water bath, it is customary to cook some types of delicate creams for cakes, certain ones that are served with fish and meat dishes. In addition, a water bath is used for melting or softening, and. In this way, medicinal herbal decoctions are often prepared.

There are two types of water baths, which directly depend on such indicators as the name and quantity of the products used, as well as the place where they are prepared. Thus, stands out water bath cooking and cooking in a water bath.

Cooking food in a water bath

In this case, cooking is carried out on the stove using the so-called double ban-mari pan, which is considered the most ancient. Water is poured into the lower container of the dishes, and the product is placed in the upper container, which will be cooked for water bath.

In reality, this cooking method is quite simple. Structurally, it looks like two larger and smaller containers, which are inserted into one another. At the same time, the small one in height should be less so that there is room for boiling water. During the boiling process, the water in the first container heats the liquid in the second. Moreover, the water in a larger container should not boil - ideally, cooking in a water bath involves boiling a little at a moderate heat.

Cooking food in a water bath

Second way or cooking food in water The bath is suitable for baking in the oven or heating on the stove, when a slightly different design is used. Outwardly, this is a container (or containers), which are placed in a large-sized form, preferably on a grate, which ensures the necessary circulation of water under the bottom of the inner container.

When cooking in a water bath, hot water is poured into a large container, which should reach the middle of the height of the inner mold. It is noteworthy that this entire structure can remain open at the top, but it can also be closed (for example) - it depends on the requirements. Sometimes the water bath itself is left open and the inner mold is covered with foil.

The large bain-marie dish is selected so that its height is more than 2/3 of the height of the inner container. Too high a shape is also not suitable, since its walls will not only block heat flows, but the water temperature may not even rise to 83 ° C, which will not allow the product to reach readiness.

For cooking in a water bath, the material from which the large form is made is also important. For example, glass is a poor conductor of heat, while thin steel is characterized by high heat transfer. Thick cast iron, on the other hand, is capable of storing heat. So, the most suitable form for cooking food in a water bath is a rather thick aluminum one.

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Young housewives, meeting the phrase "water bath" in the descriptions of various recipes, are at a loss to guess what it is!

And yet this is a completely simple thing that does not have any wisdom under it.

From this article, dear hostesses, you will learn what a “water bath” is and how best to make it at home.

What is a water bath?

When is a water bath used?

A water bath is used, for example, to melt chocolate or butter, or to make a soap base for home soap making. In a water bath, the required ingredients are heated to a certain, usually relatively low (50-70 degrees) temperature.

Such technology is necessary for hair or hair: natural essential oils used in cosmetology do not withstand high temperatures, but when heated, they are absorbed much better and produce a more intense effect. The same applies to honey: with strong heating, honey loses its medicinal properties, therefore, if necessary (for example, when making a honey cake to warm the nose with sinusitis or chest with bronchitis), honey is heated in a water bath - this way all its properties are preserved and at the same time the required temperature is reached.

Various herbal infusions and decoctions are prepared according to the same principle: you cannot boil the herb over an open fire - it becomes useless, and you can and should sweat in a water bath. And some foods - such as gelatin and egg yolk - change their structure when heated, and to prevent this from happening, they can also be heated only in a water bath.

How to make a water bath?

The action is very simple, but it also has its own rules and subtleties. A water bath is a structure of two containers inserted one into the other. Usually these are two pots or two bowls, one of which is smaller and the other larger. A smaller saucepan (bowl) is placed in a large one, in which water is already poured and boiling.

Pay attention to the fact that the lower saucepan should have a thick bottom and thick walls, so that the boil is not so violent, and drops of water during boiling would not get into the upper bowl with the ingredients. The bottom of the lower vessel must be covered with a napkin - linen or cotton, this is necessary so that the boil is even more moderate. The bottom of the upper pan should only touch the water boiling in the lower pan, while the walls should remain open and not touch the walls of the lower pan. It turns out the following: the upper vessel is treated with hot steam, and the water practically does not touch it.

You should also pay attention to the fact that you need to lower the upper bowl into the lower one only after boiling water in the latter, so as not to disrupt the required heating process and not spoil the result. Place a lid on top of a saucepan or bowl.

Pay attention to such a trifle: if the upper dish barely fits into the lower one, then it will be inconvenient to pull it out when it gets very hot. Maybe it should be hung over the second pan or come up with some kind of handles, that is, think over this moment in advance. In any case, after a while you will definitely adapt, and there will be no problems and difficulties.

Procedure attachment

At first glance, it seems that there is nothing in common between a bath in the generally accepted sense of the word and the concept of "steam bath". But it is worth thinking about what happens to a person in a sauna and what effect is achieved. In a water bath, a mixture is slowly heated, while the gentle effect of the flame does not allow the product to burn. Likewise, a person in a sauna takes on an ever higher air temperature with each new entry into the steam room. However, his condition is such that it does not harm the body.

Ordinary people most often associate the concept of "steam bath" with cooking. But this is not entirely true, because this principle of heating is also used in production. Moreover, the scope of the steam bath is wide enough. These are the following industries:

• Food
• Petrochemical
• Gas
• Medical
• Veterinary

It is clear that devices of different sizes are used to achieve different goals. It's one thing in the kitchen to prepare a cream for culinary masterpieces, it's another to isolate a substance in a production environment. In the latter case, special laboratory devices are required, they must be made in factories.

Laboratory devices are the basis of experiments

After inhalation, the cold will recede

To maintain a certain temperature of the liquid according to GOST, a laboratory water bath is needed. Thanks to it, it is possible to carry out thermostatic heating, distillation, evaporation, drying or enrichment of substances. Almost any liquid product must comply with GOST. This can be achieved by sampling. Then, special laboratory manipulations are carried out with these samples, the results of which show how the tested substance meets the approved standard.

When carrying out such procedures for a guest, you cannot replace a steam bath with anything. To isolate fat from milk and its products, the laboratory must have a set of necessary instruments. The water bath maintains a temperature of 65-75 degrees, creating conditions for testing. Thus, the conformity of the products of the GOST of the food industry is confirmed.

The water temperature in the steam bath should not exceed 100 degrees. If for research purposes it needs to be raised a little higher, ordinary table salt is added to the water. Without such laboratory equipment, it is impossible to carry out many experiments, especially if later you have to pass the test for compliance with GOST.

Water baths, designed in special factories, serve a variety of industrial purposes.

Such equipment can be very different both in volume and in principle of operation. Laboratory-type water baths can be very different. One specialist or several can work with them. Moreover, the equipment of such equipment is different. For example, a laboratory bath, in which the extracting agent, which is part of polyethylene, is determined, has six workplaces. Some containers have space for multiple flasks and other laboratory glassware. This makes the verification process much faster.

Bath for beauty treatments

Water vapor effectively cleanses the skin

A water bath is an invaluable aid if you want to make your skin look better and healthier. She has a lot of merits. By steaming the skin, it opens the pores, dissolves the fat in them. At the same time, humid air saturates the epithelium with water, gives it tone. The steam makes the skin firm and soft. Thanks to the moist warm air, more blood enters the epidermis, as evidenced by the blush on the face.

By expanding, the pores get rid of dirt. And if, during a water bath, you use cosmetic compositions, for example, run a cleansing solution over your face, then you can easily get rid of such misfortunes as black spots on the nose and chin. It is an excellent preventive measure against acne. However, there are some limitations in its application. This effect is contraindicated for sensitive skin. But it works great on other types of skin:

• Bold
• Dry
• Combined

However, it should be remembered that dry epithelium and some areas of combination skin must be treated with a fat cream before using a water bath. So the epithelium will not undergo premature aging. You can replace some of the water in the steam bath with broths that are beneficial to the face. For example, parsley will help in whitening the skin, and oak bark will slightly tighten the pores of the oily epithelium.

A water bath is an excellent facial cleanser. Moreover, it is easy to prepare it at home, and the addition of medicinal herbs will make the procedure more effective.

The modern market offers a large set of factory-made water baths. For example, an inhaler that can be used as a medical and cosmetic device. In the first case, it relieves colds, in the second - heals and cleanses the skin of the face. The frequency of the cosmetic procedure depends on the type of skin: for oily cleaning, you can do it once a week, for dry - once every two weeks. But still more often housewives use a home version of a water bath.

Sometimes, after reading a recipe in a cookbook, one gets the impression that he read some strange encryption for the special agents. Blanch, simmer a little with butter, cook until sample "soft ball" - and these are not all the terms used by chefs. But, perhaps, the most popular among them is the "water bath". How to do it, many do not know, and therefore refuse such recipes. And completely in vain. It is easy to make, and dishes cooked in a water or steam bath are tasty and healthy.

It is used in cases where delicate cooking and heating of the dish is needed to no more than 100 degrees. The easiest way to make a water bath is to put water in one pot and put a smaller one in it. This is where the foods that need to be cooked are put. Typically used for melting butter and chocolate, as well as making custards and hot biscuits. Homemade cottage cheese is also made in a similar steam bath.

Another option for how to make a water bath is an impromptu double boiler. To do this, you need to pull gauze on a saucepan of water at a height of 3-4 centimeters from the last. In this way, you can cook steamed dishes - vegetables, fish and even meat. In fact, electric steamers work according to this principle, which today can be bought at any home appliance store. Before their appearance, they used special pots with a double bottom. This method of cooking is considered the most dietary and healthy.

Many, however, believe that the steam menu is only suitable for children or for those on a strict diet. In fact, you can cook many original and delicious dishes with steam. It can be a variety of soufflés, omelets and even muffins. Cooking in a water bath saturates them with additional moisture and makes them juicy, while retaining all the benefits of the food. So the steam menu can be very varied and not only dietary.

But this does not exhaust all the cases when you need to know how to make a water bath. To make a cheesecake, cake, or soufflé in the oven, this method is often used. This is due to the fact that for delicate baking, you need to soften the high temperature of the oven and prevent cracking of the top. To do this, pour water into a deep baking sheet so that it reaches the middle of the baking dish. If a split form is used, it must be wrapped in foil to prevent moisture from entering. It is advisable to wrap in several layers and overlap and, of course, you should not rush.

Knowing how to make a water bath at home, you can diversify your menu not only with dietary dishes. The preparation of many cakes, soufflés and cheesecakes will become very common thanks to her. This means that you can arrange small holidays for your family every day. And steamed cutlets, fish and vegetables often look much more attractive than fried or stewed ones. And most importantly, they combine a delicate taste and benefit, as they are prepared without adding oil.