A whipped cream charger is a steel cylinder or cartridge filled with

nitrous oxide Nitrous oxide (dinitrogen oxide or dinitrogen monoxide), commonly known as laughing gas, nitrous, or nos, is a chemical compound, an oxide of nitrogen with the formula . At room temperature, it is a colourless non-flammable gas, and ha ...

(N₂O) that is used as a whipping agent in a

whipped cream Whipped cream is liquid heavy cream that is whipped by a whisk or mixer until it is light and fluffy and holds its shape, or by the expansion of dissolved gas, forming a firm colloid. It is often sweetened, typically with white sugar, an ...

dispenser. The narrow end of a charger has a foil covering that 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 as an oxidizer in hybrid

model rocket A model rocket are small rockets designed to reach low altitudes (e.g., for model) and be recovered by a variety of means. According to the United States National Association of Rocketry (NAR) Safety Code, model rockets are constructed of ...

engines. Nitrous oxide is a popular recreational drug, and whipped cream chargers are a convenient source of the gas. Among users, the chargers are colloquially called whippits, whippets, nos, nossies or nangs. The kitchen appliance that receives the charger is a

whipping siphon Whipped cream is liquid heavy cream that is whipped by a whisk or mixer until it is light and fluffy and holds its shape, or by the expansion of dissolved gas, forming a firm colloid. It is often sweetened, typically with white sugar, and ...

Description

The cylinders are about 6.3 cm (2.5 inches) long and 1.8 cm (0.7 inches) wide, and 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 (about 0.6 in³) and most brands contain 8 g of N₂O under pressure. While refillable chargers have been available, today only non-refillable ones are used. The latter are 100% recyclable where steel recycling programs exist.

Production

In Europe, where the production and use of whip cream chargers originated, there are presently three factories involved in its production. Their standard capacity is 7.8 grams of nitrous oxide.

Application

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 are regulated tank systems for filling much larger containers and dispensing more whipped cream. These are desirable if the volume is more than a production level of ten litres per hour.

Uses

Culinary

Pumpkin pie with lots of whipped cream, November 2009

Nitrous oxide Nitrous oxide (dinitrogen oxide or dinitrogen monoxide), commonly known as laughing gas, nitrous, or nos, is a chemical compound, an oxide of nitrogen with the formula . At room temperature, it is a colourless non-flammable gas, and ha ...

is used because it dissolves easily into the cream, and does not cause the cream to oxidize while it is in the can. The cream must have a minimum fat content of 28% to produce whipped cream with a dispenser. The recipe for the cream to be whipped typically calls for heavy cream and

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or do ...

, along with any desired

flavoring A flavoring (or flavouring), also known as flavor (or flavour) or flavorant, is a food additive used to improve the taste or smell of food. It changes the perceptual impression of food as determined primarily by the chemoreceptors of the g ...

s or colorings. In a sealed container, this cream is pressurized with nitrous oxide, which dissolves into the cream as per its

lipophilicity Lipophilicity (from Greek λίπος "fat" and φίλος "friendly"), refers to the ability of a chemical compound to dissolve in fats, oils, lipids, and non-polar solvents such as hexane or toluene. Such non-polar solvents are themselves lip ...

. When the cream dispenser's valve is opened, the cream solution is expelled by the high pressure inside. The change in pressure causes some of the dissolved gas to return to bubbles, effectively fluffing up the cream. Nitrous oxide is

bacteriostatic A bacteriostatic agent or bacteriostat, abbreviated Bstatic, is a biological or chemical agent that stops bacteria from reproducing, while not necessarily killing them otherwise. Depending on their application, bacteriostatic antibiotics, disinfect ...

(it inhibits bacteria growth), so a charged cream dispenser can be kept in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Recreational drug

Mosa cream chargers fly-tipped at Bakers Hill car park 04

Because of their availability, chargers are usually the method of choice for users seeking to use nitrous oxide recreationally. Tanks of medical-grade nitrous are difficult to obtain, and auto-grade nitrous contains substances such as

sulfur dioxide Sulfur dioxide (IUPAC-recommended spelling) or sulphur dioxide (traditional Commonwealth English) is the chemical compound with the formula . It is a toxic gas responsible for the odor of burnt matches. It is released naturally by volcanic a ...

to prevent human consumption. Chargers are cheaply available in many stores and online. N2O cracker

To inhale from a charger, users either fill a balloon using a cracker, fill an empty whipped cream dispenser and inhale from it, or likewise use a dispenser to fill a balloon as the potentially rapid rush of gas from the spout of the dispenser may be too harsh. Inhaling directly from a cracker is particularly dangerous due to the risk of developing frostbite on the inside of the mouth or esophagus. The 8 gram nitrous oxide steel cylinder charger when discharged into an empty whipped cream dispenser creates a pressure of 30 pounds per square inch (200kPa) and delivers 3.24 litres of nitrous oxide gas.

Model rocketry

Whipped cream chargers are also used by model rocket enthusiasts for micro hybrid engines, where it acts as an

oxidizer An oxidizing agent (also known as an oxidant, oxidizer, electron recipient, or electron acceptor) is a substance in a redox chemical reaction that gains or " accepts"/"receives" an electron from a (called the , , or ). In other words, an oxi ...

for solid fuels such as

polyethylene Polyethylene or polythene (abbreviated PE; IUPAC name polyethene or poly(methylene)) is the most commonly produced plastic. It is a polymer, primarily used for packaging ( plastic bags, plastic films, geomembranes and containers including b ...

or HTPB.

References

External links

* * {{YouTube, qt3s2rQJ-3Q, Laughing Gas Infused Cocktails, link=no
Microscale Gas Chemistry: Experiments with Nitrous Oxide
Containers Substance-related disorders