Whippers/Whipping Siphons: Brands/Models, Cartridges?

[BryanZ]

I recently picked up an ISI Dessert Whip. I've looked through the various threads on this product and am learning a lot, but have yet to come across recommendations for procuring reasonably priced refills.

I don't need a case of 600, I'm a home cook who's actually at home only a few months a year. With that said, William Sonoma destroys me by charging $12 for 12 chargers. At a dollar per charger, it doesn't exactly lend itself to tons of experimentation.

I've seen chargers sold online for in boxes of 24, so I suppose I can order a couple boxes of those. ISI, unfortunately, happens to be the most expensive brand. I know they say not to, but will the other brands' chargers work in my whipper? Can I find chargers lthat will fit in a sporting goods store or something for cheaper?

As an aside, does anyone know if I can use xanthan gum instead of gelatin in dairy-free foams? If so, what proportions should I be using?

[pounce]

I haven't had any problems using non ISI brand chargers. You can get ISI brand off the internet in 24 packs for around $10-12. Other brands are a couple bucks less.

Don't buy anything at the sporting goods store without making sure it's N2O. Most sporting needs are not food grade N20, but CO2.

You can try ebay. Just watch the shipping prices. A local restaurant/bar/coffee house supply store might be a good place to find the 24 packs for a decent cash and carry price.

Edited May 6, 2006 by pounce (log)

[alanamoana]

brianz, check out this link

i think you're located in manhattan, right? if so, you can go there and pick these up.

oh, can you use soy lecithin as a stabilizer?

[NYC Mike]

Go to any smokeshop in NYC and ask for "whipits".

[ASM NY]

Bryan,

Check out this here. I buy mine from here. They carry both ISI and other brands at very good prices.

[Daniel]

I recently picked up an ISI Dessert Whip.  I've looked through the various threads on this product and am learning a lot, but have yet to come across recommendations for procuring reasonably priced refills.

I don't need a case of 600,  I'm a home cook who's actually at home only a few months a year.  With that said, William Sonoma destroys me by charging $12 for 12 chargers.  At a dollar per charger, it doesn't exactly lend itself to tons of experimentation.

I've seen chargers sold online for in boxes of 24, so I suppose I can order a couple boxes of those.  ISI, unfortunately, happens to be the most expensive brand. I know they say not to, but will the other brands' chargers work in my whipper?  Can I find chargers lthat will fit in a sporting goods store or something for cheaper?

As an aside, does anyone know if I can use xanthan gum instead of gelatin in dairy-free foams?  If so, what proportions should I be using?

←

I have never bought NO chargers for cooking.. But I used to by mine in the village.. For an extra five bucks you get a plastic cracker and a balloon..

Edited May 10, 2006 by Daniel (log)

[Ylee]

Hi, just wondering.. is there a thread somewhere about the different/interesting ways people have come up with to use the isi?

[Anonymous Modernist 268]

Just got one, haven't had a chance to use it yet, but I have a question... The instructions don't discuss using more than one charger, and in fact, state "you only need 1 charger for your iSi ThermoWhip," but I've seen many recipes and bloggers talking about using 2 or 3 chargers.

Is this because they're using the 1L GourmetWhip rather than the .5L ThermoWhip? Is the general guideline 1 charger per half liter?

As an additional bit of confusion, the instruction bookalsostates "do not use more than 2 chargers for Espumas." So... how many chargers can I safely use in my little half liter ThermoWhip, and is there a reason to go for 2 or 3 rather than 1? Stiffer mousses?

[Anonymous Modernist 10]

Daniel Rose said:

Just got one, haven't had a chance to use it yet, but I have a question... The instructions don't discuss using more than one charger, and in fact, state "you only need 1 charger for your iSi ThermoWhip," but I've seen many recipes and bloggers talking about using 2 or 3 chargers.

Is this because they're using the 1L GourmetWhip rather than the .5L ThermoWhip? Is the general guideline 1 charger per half liter?

As an additional bit of confusion, the instruction bookalsostates "do not use more than 2 chargers for Espumas." So... how many chargers can I safely use in my little half liter ThermoWhip, and is there a reason to go for 2 or 3 rather than 1? Stiffer mousses?

The rule of thumb is that for 1/2 liter, 1 charge is sufficient but because nitrous oxide is a fat-solulable gas, if the liquid you want to foam is lean and you want it to be thicker or foamier, you may need 2 charges even in a 1/2 liter.

[Anonymous Modernist 12451]

Hi, i'm looking into buying a whipping siphon but I was wondering about the size.

In the "Top 5 Modernist Cuisine at Home Tools" blog you mention that we should try to get the 1L if possible. I was just wondering what would happen if we cut the recipe in half, would a 1L siphon still work properly? or do siphons need a minimum amount of ingredients to work properly.

Thanks so much for the help!!

Martin

[Anonymous Modernist 12451]

Hi, i'm looking into buying a whipping siphon but I was wondering about the size.

In the "Top 5 Modernist Cuisine at Home Tools" blog you mention that we should try to get the 1L if possible. I was just wondering what would happen if we cut the recipe in half, would a 1L siphon still work properly? or do siphons need a minimum amount of ingredients to work properly.

Thanks so much for the help!!

Martin

[Anonymous Modernist 12636]

I've been thinking about this as well.

Pros

Getting a smaller size will save on the needed gas cartridges.

It's just me and the wife and it seems to make economical sense to go smaller in use of ingredients.

Cons

Anytime we hosted a dinner we would have to do things in batches.

If I wanted to do something like beef jerky it would also be done in batches.

I just got the books so still thinking about it. Overall it makes sense to just buy the 1 liter. It would have small costs for just the wife and I but I wouldn't be using it every night. The size and space would be there when I needed it.

[Anonymous Modernist 12636]

I've been thinking about this as well.

Pros

Getting a smaller size will save on the needed gas cartridges.

It's just me and the wife and it seems to make economical sense to go smaller in use of ingredients.

Cons

Anytime we hosted a dinner we would have to do things in batches.

If I wanted to do something like beef jerky it would also be done in batches.

I just got the books so still thinking about it. Overall it makes sense to just buy the 1 liter. It would have small costs for just the wife and I but I wouldn't be using it every night. The size and space would be there when I needed it.

[Anonymous Modernist 12451]

Thanks Travis,

I agree with you, Cartridges are pretty inexpensive when bought in large quantities; my greatest fear was that the siphon required a "minimum level of ingredients", buying the 1L model and that one of two things would happen: (i) that I scaled down the recipe and for it to not work properly or (ii) not scaling it down and wasting ingredients.

I've been searching the internet for a while and, though I haven't found a direct answer, this doesn't seem to be a problem. In all of the recipes that I found that made any reference to using a bigger sized siphon (including some from modernist cuisine) it just said to increase the amount of gas. This may be only true for those specific recipes but I haven't found any saying you should increase the amount of ingredients, and there is talk of maximum level but none of a minimum level.

The biggest drawback if the batches is when you are doing a recipe in which you need to let it sit in the siphon for a long time.

I ended up ordering the 1L model. Hopefully it'll work fine (I'm confident it will).

Best,

[Anonymous Modernist 12451]

Thanks Travis,

I agree with you, Cartridges are pretty inexpensive when bought in large quantities; my greatest fear was that the siphon required a "minimum level of ingredients", buying the 1L model and that one of two things would happen: (i) that I scaled down the recipe and for it to not work properly or (ii) not scaling it down and wasting ingredients.

I've been searching the internet for a while and, though I haven't found a direct answer, this doesn't seem to be a problem. In all of the recipes that I found that made any reference to using a bigger sized siphon (including some from modernist cuisine) it just said to increase the amount of gas. This may be only true for those specific recipes but I haven't found any saying you should increase the amount of ingredients, and there is talk of maximum level but none of a minimum level.

The biggest drawback if the batches is when you are doing a recipe in which you need to let it sit in the siphon for a long time.

I ended up ordering the 1L model. Hopefully it'll work fine (I'm confident it will).

Best,

[Anonymous Modernist 13871]

I'm about to purchase a whipping siphon/cream whipper. Is it OK to put CO2 cartridges into a iSi cream whipper? I'm reading some stuff online that says to ONLY use Nitrous/Cream chargers in cream dispensers, and ONLY CO2 cartridges in soda siphons. Modernist Cuisine at Home says it is OK to use CO2 cartridges (in addition to nitrous) in a whipping siphon. Can someone please clarify? Even the iSi manuals say "only use iSi cream chargers". Thank you!

[Anonymous Modernist 13871]

I'm about to purchase a whipping siphon/cream whipper. Is it OK to put CO2 cartridges into a iSi cream whipper? I'm reading some stuff online that says to ONLY use Nitrous/Cream chargers in cream dispensers, and ONLY CO2 cartridges in soda siphons. Modernist Cuisine at Home says it is OK to use CO2 cartridges (in addition to nitrous) in a whipping siphon. Can someone please clarify? Even the iSi manuals say "only use iSi cream chargers". Thank you!

[Judy Wilson]

At the lab we use them interchangeably with the same iSi dispenser.

[Judy Wilson]

At the lab we use them interchangeably with the same iSi dispenser.

[Anonymous Modernist 12636]

I'm seeing the name difference between "Soda Siphon" and "Whipping Siphon". While cheaper, Soda Siphons seem to be limited to CO2 and plastic hand-wash-only heads. That's not something I'd want to send eggs through.

[Anonymous Modernist 12636]

I'm seeing the name difference between "Soda Siphon" and "Whipping Siphon". While cheaper, Soda Siphons seem to be limited to CO2 and plastic hand-wash-only heads. That's not something I'd want to send eggs through.

[Anonymous Modernist 13172]

This actually leads me to two questions:

1) In MC at home it talks about using one charge and immediately dispensing it and then charging it twice. I assume in recipes when it says two charges it actually means 3 using the technique described earlier. Is that correct?

2) If I'm using a .5L iSi then should I use 1 charge where it says two if is a lean foam?

Thanks for the help!

[Anonymous Modernist 13172]

This actually leads me to two questions:

1) In MC at home it talks about using one charge and immediately dispensing it and then charging it twice. I assume in recipes when it says two charges it actually means 3 using the technique described earlier. Is that correct?

2) If I'm using a .5L iSi then should I use 1 charge where it says two if is a lean foam?

Thanks for the help!

[Anonymous Modernist 310]

1) the extra charge is to flush the headspace of the syphon of the air. It's specialy important when you try to carbonate things to maximize the amount of CO2 incorporated.

2) it should be ok. It's no problem if you put two charges in a .5L charger. The extra gas will just flow when you put the capsule.

Good luck

[Anonymous Modernist 310]

1) the extra charge is to flush the headspace of the syphon of the air. It's specialy important when you try to carbonate things to maximize the amount of CO2 incorporated.

2) it should be ok. It's no problem if you put two charges in a .5L charger. The extra gas will just flow when you put the capsule.

Good luck