iSi Cream Dispenser - 'Bigger' & Cheaper Alternative To N20 Chargers?



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PaullyP

Guest
I own a couple of espresso cafes in my city and business is good and
turnover is brisk.

We have always used a great amount of whipped cream - on drinks and
served with deserts. I started out using the conventional disposable
cannisters of whipped cream, and found them expensive on a per serving
basis.

So, always on he lookout for cost-cutting measures, opted to buy a set
of iSi cream dispensers - a very good investment ... as they produce a
thicker higher quality cream product, and also allow for addition of
flavouring to my base cream mix ... very nice!

The downside of these cream dispensers, is that I seem to go through a
high volume of N20 (notrous oxide) bullets/charges./cartridges ...
which are used to add a pressure base to the dispenser, turning liquid
cream (which is added to the dispenser) into a 'whipped' final form
(which comes out of the dispenser's nozzle).

However, while a cheaper option than the disposable whipped cream
cannisters, the number of N20 bullets/charges./cartridges that I go
through is alarmingly high.

And that is where I decided to look for a bigger and cheaper N20 supply
alternative.

I visited an industrial gas operation that imports tanks of N20 used
for the midical market - 5 feet high, and can store some 26 kg of N20
product - quite the volume alternative compared to a single N20
bullet/charge/cartridge that holds a mere 8 grammes of N20 product.

I need no license or permit to buy the product, and the cost per tank
comes in at USD$175, and a rental of USD$25/month for the 5 foot
clylinder - i.e. I am buying the N20 but not the cylinder, I have to
rent it. Still seems a fair deal ... especially since one single N20
bullet/charge/cartridge will cost me close to USD$1 including freight,
etc...

Doing some arithmetic .... from 1 large cylinder @ 26kg (26,000
grammes) I should be able to get 3,250 small N20
bullet/charge/cartridge servings of gas (26,000 / 8 grammes) .... quite
the saving on a dollar to dollar basis. And even allowing for some
additional wasteage from using the larger cylinder, loss of
pressurisation, etc.... the economies of scale are still very prevalent
in my mind.

So ... how to get the N20 from the large cylinder into the cream
dispenser?

Well, took one of my dispensers to their factory and they can supply me
with a regulator and the hosing/pipes needed to connect the big N20
cylinder to my dispenser ... simply turn the 'tap' on the cylinder and
the N20 should flow directly into the cannister.

Now this is where it gets a little grey ...

How do I gauge how much N20 to put into my dispenser?

Well, my dispenser has a volume of 1litre, and I add two small N20
bullets/charges/cartridges for a 'full load' of liquid cream base ...
so I need 16 grammes of N20.

While I can't possible measure how much N20 I am exactly filling into
every individual cream dispenser, surely there must be a pressure
release mechanism in the dispenser that releases some N20 gas when the
pressure in the dispenser goes above the optimum limit?

I am hoping so.

I already emailed the manufacturer of my dispensers (iSi) asking about
the pressure release function - NOT stating that I intend to use a
large cylinder to re-charge my dispensers ... and will post their reply
along with my test results once I get my large cylinder and hose
mechanism sorted out.

I just thought I might invite some comments about my idea and perhaps
shed a little light on other potential (more economical) gas-refilling
options out there.

Thanks for your time everyone! :)

Regards,

PaullyP
 
PaullyP wrote:
>
> I own a couple of espresso cafes in my city and business is good and
> turnover is brisk.
>
> We have always used a great amount of whipped cream - on drinks and
> served with deserts. I started out using the conventional disposable
> cannisters of whipped cream, and found them expensive on a per serving
> basis.
>
> So, always on he lookout for cost-cutting measures, opted to buy a set
> of iSi cream dispensers - a very good investment ... as they produce a
> thicker higher quality cream product, and also allow for addition of
> flavouring to my base cream mix ... very nice!


It also allows you to reduce or eliminate the sugar from the
whipped cream. A nice service to your low carb customers
and your high carb customers might not notice and will
likely have sugar added elsewhere.

> And that is where I decided to look for a bigger and cheaper N20 supply
> alternative.
>
> I visited an industrial gas operation that imports tanks of N20 used
> for the midical market - 5 feet high, and can store some 26 kg of N20
> product - quite the volume alternative compared to a single N20
> bullet/charge/cartridge that holds a mere 8 grammes of N20 product.
> ...
> How do I gauge how much N20 to put into my dispenser?


Is there any chance you can tour a factory that cans whipped cream?
They will have solved your problem somehow.

Alternately the company that made the cream whipper unit that
uses wip-it canisters may have a model that uses large tanks or
has a conversion kit. If they don't offer to help them develop one
to market to other coffee shop owners if they'll help you develop
a conversion kit for you. You could end up with a patent and an
additional stream of income from it if you're clever with machines.

My best guess is you're looking for the type of pressure
regulator used in scuba gear.
 
Doug Freyburger wrote:
||| I visited an industrial gas operation that imports tanks of N20 used
||| for the midical market - 5 feet high, and can store some 26 kg of
||| N20 product

Geez, how much whipped cream do you use in a month?!Are you counting the
6.6g of carbs/cup of cream along with considering the dense calories?
 
He's an espresso cafe owner. I don;t think he's planning on chowing through
all the whipped cream himself :)

Tara

"Marengo" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:bocIf.88616$4l5.72843@dukeread05...
> Doug Freyburger wrote:
> ||| I visited an industrial gas operation that imports tanks of N20 used
> ||| for the midical market - 5 feet high, and can store some 26 kg of
> ||| N20 product
>
> Geez, how much whipped cream do you use in a month?!Are you counting the
> 6.6g of carbs/cup of cream along with considering the dense calories?
>
>
>
>
 
I am planning to use as 'lite' a cream as possible - fatwise.

Judging by the amount of fat contained within the standard disposable
cream cannisters, achieving a more diet-friendly alternative should be
straightforward.

As regatrds chowing down all the whipped cream myself ... while I might
have enjoyed heavenly doses at first, you couldn't pay me to have
another serving of the stuff now! lol
 
PaullyP wrote:
>
> I am planning to use as 'lite' a cream as possible - fatwise.


You posted this to a low carb group not a low fat group. Folks
here wish you'd use heavy cream not half-n-half because in
general fat isn't an issue for us but carbs are. The amount of
fat in the little puffs of whipped cream we have aren't a
problem but ending up with real sugar mixed into the cream
might be.

You you can possibly offer heavy and lite cream, you'll be able
to appeal to your low carb customers with one and your low
fat customers with the other.