Whipped Cream Dispensers

Whipped cream dispensers — the siphon itself, from $48.99. Seven models from iSi, Hendi, Mosa, Camo, Smartwhip, Quick Whip and OHYEAH!, mostly 250 ml with aluminium heads, plus a 500 ml Smartwhip.

A dispenser is the pressure vessel you charge and dispense from: you fill it with cream, thread in a charger, shake, and it holds the foam stable for hours instead of the few minutes a whisk gets you. It works the same way for espumas, foams and rapid infusions — the cream is just the most familiar use.

What to look at when choosing: capacity (250 ml suits most single-site kitchens, 500 ml if you are dispensing through a busy service), head material — aluminium heads outlast plastic ones under daily use — and which charger format it takes. Every dispenser here takes standard 8 g cartridges; if you are running a cylinder instead, you also need a regulator between the two.