Whipping Siphon

Whipping siphons are mainly used for making whipped cream at the last minute, just before serving. They can also be used to hold liquids in a water bath during a busy restaurant service or a complicated dinner party. They can turn many sauces into foams. They look a bit like insulated coffee pitchers but have a tube with a lever handle sticking out the top at an angle. A small cylinder of nitrous oxide fits into another opening on top. After the siphon is filled half full with liquid, the nitrous oxide cylinder is screwed on. It discharges and the gas becomes distributed and pressurized in the liquid; this is sometimes referred to as “charging the siphon.” (Nitrous oxide is chosen as the gas because of its high solubility in fats. For this reason a siphon works well with liquids containing butter, cream, eggs, oils, or other fats.) When the lever is pressed, the gas-charged liquid is released. With the sudden drop in pressure, the gas in the liquid expands and causes the liquid to foam or froth.