Whipped-cream charger
A whipped cream charger (also called whippits, whippets (from the brand name Whip-It), nossies, nangs, or chargers) is a steel cylinder or cartridge filled with nitrous oxide (N2O) that is used as a whipping agent in a whipped cream dispenser. The narrow end of a charger has a foil covering which is broken to release the gas. This is usually done by a sharp pin inside the whipped cream dispenser. The nitrous oxide in chargers is also used to power model rocket engines.
The cylinders are about 6.3 cm (2.5 inches) long and 1.8 cm (0.7 inches) wide, and they are rounded at one end with a narrow tip at the other end. The chargers' walls are about 2 mm (about 1/16 inch) thick to withstand the great pressure of the gas contained within. Their interior volume is 10 cm3 and most brands contain 8 g of N2O under pressure. Used chargers are non-refillable, but 100% recyclable where steel recycling programs exist.
In Europe, where production and use of whip cream chargers originated, there are presently 3 factories involved in its production. Standard size for whip cream chargers is 8 grams of nitrous oxide per cartridge. Whipped cream chargers are intended for low-volume or occasional use, such as home kitchens, restaurants, and coffee shop applications. For very high volume commercial use, there do exist regulated tank systems for filling much larger containers and dispensing more whipped cream. These are more desirable if volume is in excess of a production level of 10 liters per hour. Whipped cream chargers are designed to be opened with a device that punctures the thin metal seal at the narrow end of the tube; whipped cream dispensers have this integrated into the device's cap.
Nitrous oxide is used because it migrates easily into the cream, and does not cause the cream to oxidize while it is in the can. Cream must have a minimum fat content of 28% to produce whipped cream with a dispenser. To use a whipped cream dispenser, one starts by following a recipe — typically 1 cup of heavy cream, 2–3 tablespoons of sugar, and any flavorings/colorings as desired. The device is capped and one or two chargers are discharged into the unit, depending on its size. These pressurize the device with nitrous oxide and cause the fat-soluble gas to dissolve into the cream, just like carbon dioxide dissolves into water to create soda water. Shaking the dispenser a few times helps the gas dissolve. The dispenser is then ready for use.
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