To make a long story short, my iSi Mini Whip exploded the other day. It was the first time I was using the thing and I’d just filled it with 1/2 pint of heavy cream. The directions, though, left something to be desired (I’m going to blame improper translation). Doing my best to figure out what they meant, I charged the cream with a cream charger and shook the whipped cream. As you can see, when we started piping, it all came out normally and then went off like a white, sticky bomb.

It turns out you have to take the cream charger off before you pipe. Whoops! Anyway, I made up another batch and that one worked, although it tends to sputter and shoot cream all over the place. I continued to figure out what needed to be done:

Reading a recipe for Ferran Adrià’s coconut cream (now removed from the Internet), I found out the best methodology for using these cream makers (as the stupid directions are really poorly written):

1. Fill container with cream (or other substance (but don’t tell iSi, their product isn’t intended for making espumas)
2. Attach piping nozzle to head
3. Attach head to container
4. Refrigerate (I think this was also where we had problems)
5. After chilling, and just before service, remove from fridge and charge with N₂0

1. Pipe out cream

   I’ve noticed, with regard to the piping of the cream (or forbidden espuma), that if you only lightly press the dispensing lever, the cream will sputter and spray. You need to give it a pretty solid squeeze to get things going. Also, if nothing happens, stop squeezing and shake it again.