The double boiler— water-bath or bain-marie—was invented by a woman known as Maria the Jewess, Mary the Jewess, Maria Prophetissa, or Miriam the Prophetess. An alchemist of either the first or second century a.d. who lived in Alexandria,...

A bain-marie (also called a double boiler) is a device used in science, industry and cooking to heat materials gradually to a fixed temperature or to keep materials warm over a period of...