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Walking down the freezer aisle in the department store can be interesting, especially the whip cream section. There are many flavors, many sizes, and whether you want them in a bowl or dispenser. Have you ever thought to yourself how they store the cream in that dispenser? Well if you are the cooking type this article will describe what you will need in order to store and dispense your own whip cream. These items are cream chargers and cream supplies; also you will need a dispenser. The reason one would want to buy a dispenser and canisters is due to culinary use. There is no better whipped cream then homemade. One more interesting fact is these canisters are also used by model rocketry enthusiasts to make micro hybrid engines, who would have thought that a simple culinary item can be used for rocket science
Those cans that you see in the freezer section of your local market or grocery store are filled with a gas called nitrous oxide (N2O). This is why when you shoot the cream out; it expands and becomes the texture that you see on your piece of pie, or whatever it is you may be applying the cream to. Nitrous oxide is used because it is odorless, tasteless, and is non-toxic to humans. It is also used because the cream inside of the dispenser will not oxidize. In order to store your own whipped cream you will need a dispenser and a whipped cream charger. These chargers are small and look like mini CO2 cartridges (commonly used for paintball guns.) When using the chargers most dispensers will need one or two charges in order to last two weeks.
The reason these dispensers and chargers are sold is because cooks and businesses/restaurants like to make their own whip cream and add different flavors to the cream. They are also for home use if you are interested in making your own and storing it yourself, instead of purchasing it from the store. The reason whipped cream is whipped is, because when using the canisters the nitrous oxide dissolves into the gas, this makes it to when dispensing it looks like whipped cream because upon hitting the oxygen in the air, it rapidly expands and appears whipped.
Most of the manufacturers of the chargers are located in Europe. The reason for this is the strict manufacturing guidelines the company has to adhere to. Europe was also the location where the process of charging canisters originated. China has recently been making their own, but due to less strict guidelines many businesses are not sure if the Chinese manufactured canisters are safe to use.
A good Internet site to use for the purchasing of canisters is creamsupplies.co.uk; on this site they offer many different varieties of dispensers and cartridges for said dispensers. The site caters to home users and business users alike. So no matter what your interest for one of these devices they have you covered. They also sell many different flavorings for homemade cream.
Whether you are a cook or a model rocket enthusiast having N2O cartridges is a handy way to be able to make your own whip cream, or make a micro hybrid engine. You may have to order them from the UK, but nothing the store sells will beat your own homemade cream in flavor, nor will it make your rocket fly sky high.
