I have a recipe that requires me to use a double boiler. Unfortunately I don't have one. Is there an alternative that I can use? Or am I forced to buy one. I live in AK, so everything is so expensive.

You can use a heat resistant glass bowl over a sauce pan. Just make sure not the let the water boil, it should be at a simmer.

cj

I use a metal bowl over a sauce pan or you can use a glass bowl as said before. Just make sure the bowl doesn't dip into the water in the pan. Just test out a few bowl and pan combinations beforehand to see which ones fit best.

Don't worry!! I don't have one and my banana pudding has to be cooked in a double boiler. I use my deep saucepan and fill a little over half full of water and then put a smaller saucepan in the top - kinda "float" it on top of the boiling water. Just be careful not to let the boiling water splash out on you or fill up the boiler too much that it overflows when the weight of the other smaller pan sits down in it. I found that I like my non-stick pan on top.