Bain-marie

The name comes from the French bain de Marie or bain-marie, in turn derived from the medieval Latin balneum Mariae and the Arabic حمام ماري ḥammām Māriyya, all meaning 'Mary's bath'.The maximum obtainable temperature of the working fluid is dictated by its composition and boiling point at the ambient pressure.The dry-heat form of electric bains-marie often consumes less energy, requires little cleaning, and can be heated more quickly than traditional versions.[5] In small scale soap-making, a bain-marie's inherent control over maximum temperature makes it optimal for liquefying melt-and-pour soap bases prior to molding them into bars.Similarly, using a water bath, traditional wood glue can be melted and kept in a stable liquid state over many hours without damage to the animal proteins it incorporates.
A bain-marie on a stovetop
An alchemical balneum Mariae from Coelum philosophorum , Philip Ulstad, 1528, Science History Institute
Schematic of an improvised double boiler, as used in outdoor cooking
An improvised bain-marie being used to melt chocolate
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