Cream Siphon/Whipper/Dispenser

Going through my recently deceased Mothers' things I found a barely used cream siphon/ whipper/ dispenser. The nitrous cartriges seem pricey. Are they truly for "one time use" only?? Im a skeptic... As a person who's always whipped her own cream in the Kitchenaid Id like to hear your opinions on the pros and cons of this kitchen gadget before investing.

Jennifer W
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7 Comments

Shelley M.
Shelley M. June 15, 2018
Could you use this to whip egg whites as well?
 
mrslarkin
mrslarkin June 15, 2018
I don’t think so? But you can do lots of other fun things. Here’s a link to the isi site: http://creativewhip.com/tag/egg-whites/

I’ve made fluffy custard in the whipper. Delicious.
 
mrslarkin
mrslarkin June 14, 2018
I love my whipped cream siphon. It's not a huge size, maybe 2 cups? Definitely a time saver - just fill, charge, shake, and you've got whipped cream in about 10 seconds. Keeps in fridge for a good while.
 
creamtea
creamtea June 14, 2018
I have a Mini siphon. It's very useful for some things like putting a decorative squirt on an individual serving of pie or cake (or hot chocolate). I've taken it on picnics for this purpose. It doesn't replace whipping in a bowl for the times when you want to frost or fill a cake with whipped cream, but it's handy for certain tasks.
 
mstv
mstv June 13, 2018
One pro is that it keeps the cream fresh for longer in the siphon than just in a regular container. I find mine useful around the holidays when there is pie on hand. Or when serving things like hot chocolate to groups.
 
702551
702551 June 13, 2018
The gas cartridges are not refillable.

These devices do have their time and place, although I see their function as something more suited for commercial/restaurant use than home use.

They basically provide speed and convenience. Yes, you could whip up some cream in a stand mixer then attempt to hold that in the fridge.

The siphon allows you to whip just the cream you need so a bartender can put just a dollop on an Irish coffee rather than fire up the stand mixer and tell the customer it'll be 10-15 minutes.

Plus, the bartender keeps the siphon in the reach-in fridge, always ready to use but occupying a minimal amount of space.

Does such a device work for every single household? Probably not, but it might work for some where carefully controlled doses of whipped cream is useful. These devices also provide the possibility of customizing the cream, something that an off-the-shelf product like Reddi Wip does not offer.

Anyhow, if you find no purpose for it in your kitchen, give it away, someone else will have a use for it for sure. No one here can tell you what to do since we don't know how/what you cook, how many diners are regularly at your table, nor your need for speed/convenience.

In the same way, one can beat egg whites by hand with a whisk, but you have the option of using at least one powered device.

Best of luck.
 
702551
702551 June 13, 2018
Another example of convenience is the possibility of having different tips.

If you whip cream in a stand mixer, you still have to find a way to apply it to the dish. In some cases, maybe you just scoop it on with a spoon or knife.

These siphon dispensers often have star tips which provides a different aesthetic look. In your case, you'd have to find a pastry bag, drop in the star tip, then manually extrude the whipped cream. Sure, doable, but much more time consuming than the siphon. Also, you'll end up doing way more dishwashing.
 
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