Bucket, plastic or otherwise, with the bottom removed... draws the stalks up to the light. Personally I don't bother!

I've done it with a large old terracotta plant pot but like MG found it didn't make all that difference. It does force it, but you would probably only get one boiling out of it, and then next year you aren't supposed to force the same plant twice. Am I right that this is a new plant? If so you shouldn't force it at all this year.

This should only be done to established clumps. A bucket, bin or lovely terracotta rhubarb forcer should be placed over a clump in january. This will give you long, light pink rhubarb a good month or so before the other clumps are ready. It depends on the weather too of course. Make sure you do this to a different clump each year - it will exhaust the plants else.

Yes I tried this with a terracotta forcing pot I bought a few years ago. As the girls say, the first year the rhubarb was beautiful, so tender and sweet. After that the plant died, I've since replaced it but wouldn't use it again.