We’ve had a good amount of questions recently about our dispenser parts. So we wanted to dedicate a blog about the parts of the whippers. It’s a common problem that you loose your parts in the whipper, to either the garbage disposal or any other instance. The good news is we have some! You can find them here. It’s always good to go back to the basics to understand the elements of your whipper and terminology. For example purposes, we are going to use a ISI Profi whipper, which is one of ISI’s top of the line whippers with a stainless steel canister(the same one that Starbucks uses). This whipper is a push lever whipper, you might be familiar with there Desert Whip or Mini whip series which is the same design. Lets first go to the basics and label each part.
Head of the whipped cream dispenser – Inside the head is the Head Valve and Gasket
the tips screw on to the top of the head valve. (as pictured)
How does the whipped cream, become whipped cream?
The whipped cream only becomes a solid or foam when you press the lever, a mm of the head valve becomes exposed inside. The canister is under pressure because of the N20 and quickly pushes out with the whipping cream through the head valve.
N20 is extremely soluble in fatty compounds, it is dissolved in the fatty cream until it leaves the canister, when it becomes gaseous and then creates foam” whipped cream”. The whipping cream must have a minimum fat content of 28% to produce whipped cream with a dispenser. A whipped cream dispenser needs to be shaken after the N2O is inserted so that the N2O can bind with the fats in the cream. Then while pressurized within the canister the N2O remains bound within the fat. Once the cream is depressurized via the nozzle and the N2O expands within the fat molecule. Which makes whipped cream four times the volume of the liquid, whereas whipping air into cream only produces twice the volume. Carbon dioxide cannot be used for whipped cream because it is acidic in water, which curdles the cream and gives it a seltzer-like taste.
How should I clean my whipped cream dispenser?
It’s very important after each batch of whipped cream you finish or between uses( IE: breakfast- dinner) that you clean out your dispenser. If your using it between use, unscrew the tip and clean it out with sudsy warm water, and the cleaning brush that came with your dispenser – if you can’t find it, you can buy them from or parts page, or use a pipe cleaner like brush. We recommend after each batch you take your whipped cream canister apart, take out the gasket, and head valve and clean it with sudsy warm water. It’s important to make sure there is no cream particles lodged inside the head valve, or any where in the dispenser. Make sure to dry it thoroughly after use, either air drying or with a dish towel. Aluminum does not rust, but it does corrode, so make sure your dispenser is taken care of properly.
Common dispenser parts problems
“when I dispense the N20 in the canister it shoots out the top of the nozzle”
“When I dispense the N20 in the canister it comes out where the canister and the head meet”
This is a question we get a lot. If the N20 is escaping from the nozzle, it means the head valve is bad and you need a new head valve, this is the only solution. Make sure not to tamper with your head valve, unless you are cleaning it, this will limit issues.
If your gas is escaping where the canister and head meet, then most likely it is your gasket that needs replacing. Check your gasket and make sure it’s there of course, and there are no lacerations that would cause it to leak.
If you ever have any questions or concerns about your whipper, don’t hesitate to call us. As the saying goes “there are no dumb questions, only dumb answers” and we’ll do our best to limit those! We usually can remedy the problem quickly and get you back on the whipped cream express.
Hello-
I have really enjoyed the information on this blog. The information has been very informative and the recipes look great!
I have an ISI Whip Cream Dispenser (which I love) but sometimes when I pull the dispenser out of the fridge for use, the cream doesn’t come out as whip cream but just the liquid. It has happened two times and each time the cartridge was fairly new. Is it because I didn’t shake the dispenser before hand or because the tip needed to be clean?
I have really enjoyed the information on this site and I look forward to what comes next!
Hi Jennifer,
Thanks for the comment, and the kind words! We’re glad your enjoying your dispenser. The problem you seem to be having is common, it depends on a couple different factors. Make sure to look at what kind of whipping cream you are using. We usually recommend regular whipping cream, over heavy whipping cream because it has a better yield, but that doesn’t mean its definite. As regular whipping cream has less fat content. If you are using regular whipping cream, trying using heavy whipping cream and see if the results change..
You can add another N20 cartridge, even if it is halfway empty. It is very important to shake your dispenser vigorously before use, doing this will allow you to achieve a better outcome. The tip shouldn’t have any barring on this issue, but its always a good idea to keep it clean. If this is a problem you continue to have give us a call 1866-944-7427, and we will find another solution!
Thanks for reading,
Creamright
How many whipped cream chargers can you fit into a 1 pint dispenser?
thanks in advance
Hi Brett,
You can fit two cartridges in a one pint dispenser, one cartridge for a half pint, and you can use up to three cartridges in a quart.
Thanks,
Creamright
it was very interesting to read.
I want to quote your post in my blog. It can?
And you et an account on Twitter?
Yes you can quote this post, you can also follow us on twitter under our name “creamright”
I would love it if there were other attachments to make the whip cream come out in other types of shapes. As I was playing with my daughter and her play-dough set where you push it out in different shapes it occurred to me there should/could be something similar for whip cream dispensers…?
Love the article, very informative.
Hi! I am so glad I found your site! I can’t wait to try some of the unique creams! I have an isi Mini Whip and I love the homemade whipped cream, but I think I might be doing something wrong… The cream dispenses fine, and then it seems empty… so I take it apart to clean it and find that there is still 1/3 a can of whipped cream in there. It’s a shame to waste this… am I doing something wrong? Since it’s the small one it only takes 1 canister. I’ve tried leaving the canister on (thinking since I know there is gas left it will help) and taking it off right away, but both seem to have the same results. Please help…
Glad you found us! It sounds like you are doing everything right, one key thing that gets overlooked is making sure you shake the dispenser vigorously before use. It’s very important to do this otherwise you won’t get anything or you will just get liquid. If you are doing all these things, try adding another N20 cartridge, that might fix the problem. Let me know if that helps.
Hi! Just wanted to say thanks for the head nod. I was pretty sure I was following all the tips I had found on this site! I started keeping my mini whip on it’s side (in the fridge) and I reminded my husband to shake before using, and keep it fully inverted when using… suddenly it seems to work!
P.S. Your Bailey’s Bash (from the New Years post) is amazing! Thanks!
I just rec’d my ISI mini easy whip and I thought I was going to love it but I must be doing something wrong – the taste is just not right – it taste bitter (that is the best way I can explain it – I tried adding sugar (dissolved with vanilla) and I taste it before putting it into the easy whip but once it comes out it has an odd taste. Plz help.
Hi Vickie,
Hmm, it could be a few things. First, what kind of whipping cream are you using? We usually recommend regular whipping cream or heavy whipping cream, one because it comes out to thick, but the second reasons because we find that it has a better taste to it. Also try using powdered sugar over dissolved granulated sugar or a liquid sweetener like Agave. And lastly, and often most overlooked is the kind of N20 you are using. Sometimes the gas of the N20 can leave an after taste, or bitter like taste. You will find this most clearly recognizable between Chinese brand chargers and chargers exported from the EU – As the EU has much stricter health code standards, and is medical grade gas.
Let me know.
My whip cream comes out good when first made but after 24hrs or so it comes out liquidy. If I add another cartridge it is fine. It seams like my unit is leaking gas. My head gasket looks great. I would susppect its the O-rings on the head valve as it looks otherwise OK. can I order or do you know what size O-ring are on the isi dessert whip? MY gourmet whip works just fine so I’m sure it isn’t my cartridges.
Hi Sean,
Interesting situation, it could be a couple things. One of the major things people over look is the importance to shake your whipped cream maker before use. You must shake the dispenser before you use it to mix the milk fat with the gas, otherwise it will come out liquidy. Try that, if you have and it still is coming out liquidy, you are right it very might well be your O-ring slowly leaking the gas. All of ISI’s O-rings(also known as the gasket) are the same dimensions, and fit onto all of there dispenser heads. The only difference is the gasket, the Gourmet whip’s gasket is silicone instead of rubber which will allow you to put hot items in the dispenser. Here is the link to a normal rubber gasket and the silicone gasket.
Rubber gasket – http://www.creamright.com/product/PRT-WCD-IS6334.html
Silicone gasket – http://www.creamright.com/product/PRT-WCD-IS3031.html
Hope that helps!
Thanks for a good thread. I have a question: How long can you leave charged whipped cream in the refrigerator beffore it goes bad?
Usually for as long as the expiration date on the whipping cream itself, sometimes a little longer – but that would be a safe bet.
Getting an aftertaste sort of tangy? definitely shouldn’t be there. Help
Hmm…What kind of N20 are you using? What kind of dispenser do you have?
What if the gas is escaping where the cartridge holder meets the head? Is there a replacement part that can be ordered for that?
Hello –
It is normal that a little gas pushes out or escapes usually the top of the charger holder or the side either when you unscrew the cartridge holder, after releasing the gas. but if you are loosing the entire cartridge, you might just need to buy a new head, there is really no fix for it.
How can I un overfill a whipped cream dispenser? I put 6 cartridges in a half pint. Now the air is stuck in the dispenser. How can I release the gas. The handle won’t even budge. Please help
Hello,
Really at this point you just have to slam the handle with some kind of rubber mallet or something, just to allow it to release the slightest gas to get the handle moving and coming out. There isn’t a lot of options at this point. Other then that, attempt to unscrew the head, but most likely it will be just as hard as to press the handle though at this point. You should never ever put that many chargers in a half pint dispenser.