Whether you’re a home chef having fun or a professional in a high-end restaurant kitchen, whipped cream chargers are a great tool to have. But just what makes whipped cream chargers so special? Don’t they just…whip cream? Nope!
Of course, bakers will be the first to tell you that whipping cream is an extremely useful function. And they’re not wrong! Hand whipping is tedious, and whipping in a mixture is an absolute mess. Still, whipped cream chargers can do way more. You can use them to create a variety of dishes, from entrees to drinks and desserts. Do we have your attention? Let’s take a look at how you can take your kitchen to the next level and unlock a charger’s full potential.
Cream Charger Essentials
Before we dive into the details, let’s take a quick glance at exactly, exactly, a whipped cream charger is.
Whipped cream chargers are canisters of nitrous oxide (N2O). You insert them into a whipped cream dispenser and use a universal pressure regulator; the regulator is essential if you want to create more than just standard whipped cream. Cream chargers go by many names, like whippets, whip-it, whippits, or cream chargers, so if you see these listed in a recipe, just pull out a charger and set the pressure.
How to Use Chargers for Whipped Cream
Start by adding heavy cream to the dispenser. You can make plain or flavored whipped cream— just add your favorite flavorings, like cocoa powder or vanilla extract, in with the heavy cream. Fully seal the dispenser before you add the charger. Once the N2O is in, shake the dispenser like you want to see a champagne fountain. Then, dispense and enjoy! The whipped cream made with a charger will have a perfect, consistent texture and hold its shape. If you don’t use all of the whipped cream, you can refrigerate it for up to 2 days.
An Important Note on Safety
You need to ensure that you and anyone else who uses your setup follow all safety instructions from the manufacturer. Your whipped cream chargers will be perfectly safe to use—- so long as you do so. And, whatever you do, do not inhale the nitrous oxide directly. Always make absolutely sure your chargers are securely inserted into the dispenser.
Tips for Using Chargers
- Start with chilled ingredients
- Don’t forget to shake the dispenser after adding the charger
- Clean the dispenser thoroughly
The Numerous Advantages of Using Whipped Cream Chargers
Now that you’re familiar with whipped cream chargers, let’s take a look at all the ways they can improve your kitchen.
Cost-Effectiveness and Efficiency
Whipped cream chargers take the monotony of whipping cream manually or with a mixer and throw it out the window. With a charger, you have perfectly fluffy whipped cream in seconds, freeing your mixer up for other dishes and leaving you available to handle other kitchen tasks or fill more orders. You can save time whipping and still remain in charge of ingredients, rather than spending more for as-is pre-made whipped cream.
Advertise Your Creations
Whether you run a small-town cafe or a mainstream restaurant, you’ve likely discovered the importance of digital marketing. Whipped cream chargers give you picture-perfect consistency, so you can proudly post shots of your latest creations and deliver a product that actually matches the picture on the menu. You’ll generate more leads and entice customers to come back for quality again and again.
Explore New Recipies
Whipped cream chargers can make more than whipped cream, plain or flavored. With a pressure regulator, you open up a world of possibilities: using heavy creams of varying fat contents, making dairy-free alternatives, and introducing new dishes and drinks to your menu. You’ve probably read enough about whipped cream to have a sweet-tooth craving by now, so let’s look at the other dishes you can create:
- Luxurious mousses
- Frothy cream cheese foam
- Nitro coffee (use cold brew coffee)
- Carbonated fruit (cut up the fruit into small pieces)
- Espumas, or culinary foam
- Frothed cocktails
- Infused butter (use softened butter)
- Frosting
- Infused oils
You won’t need any extra attachments for your dispenser unless you want some new nozzles to switch up how your whipped cream and frosting. Everything we listed above can be made with those three key items: a charger, a dispenser, and an N2O pressure regulator. While there are recipes available online, it can also be a lot of fun to experiment on your own once you have the hang of using chargers.
Final Thoughts
Whipped cream chargers are a great tool for any kitchen. Whether you want to take your dessert game to the next level or impress your friends at the next cocktail party, chargers can be a great investment that opens up a world of opportunity. So get to creating, and don’t forget to take snapshots of your new favorite dishes!