Two different jobs: the cream siphon is charged with nitrous oxide (N2O) and makes hot and cold foams and whipped cream; the soda siphon is charged with CO2 and makes a litre of soda that holds its pressure to the last glass. Here are the siphons from 250ml to 1 litre in stainless steel and aluminium, the chargers for both gases and the injector nozzles.
A siphon is a pressurised container with a valve. What you do with it depends on the gas you put in, and the two gases are not interchangeable. Nitrous oxide, N2O, dissolves in fat and lifts cream, egg white and gels: it is the foam gas. Carbon dioxide, CO2, dissolves in water and gives the bubbles: it is the soda gas. A cream siphon charged with CO2 makes a sour-tasting foam, and a soda siphon charged with N2O makes still water.
Which siphon for which job
Siphon
Gas
Makes
Sizes
Cream, stainless steel
N2O, 8g capsule
Hot and cold foams, whipped cream
500ml and 1 litre
Cream, aluminium
N2O, 8g capsule
The same foams, lighter
250ml, 500ml and 1 litre
Soda, stainless steel
CO2, 7.8g capsule
One litre of soda per charge
1 litre
The size: 250ml, 500ml or 1 litre
The 500ml is the bar size: you charge it before service, it sits in the fridge and it covers a night of sours and drinks with foam. The litre is the banqueting and prep kitchen size, where the foam is made once for the whole service. The 250ml suits a bar with a single foam on the menu, or one that wants two flavours without washing the siphon in between. The capsule is the same for all three: what changes is how many you need per charge, and the instructions for each model say so.
Stainless steel or aluminium
Stainless steel is the dearer of the two and has no drawbacks: it lasts for years and stays the same. Aluminium, in black or white, is lighter in the hand and the cheaper of the two, and the coloured finish looks right on an open bar. Neither goes in the dishwasher: it is the seals in the head that cannot take the hot cycle, not the metal.
The three pieces that make the serve
The 1 litre stainless steel cream siphon is the large size with a fixed valve: a litre of foam at a time, hot or cold, for banqueting and for teams that prep once.
The 1 litre soda siphon charges with one 7.8g CO2 capsule: five highballs per charge, and the pressure stays the same from the first glass to the last.
The N2O chargers (Pack of 10) are 8g capsules in recyclable steel: screw one in, hear the short hiss, and the gas is in.
The capsules: 8g of N2O, 7.8g of CO2
The 8g N2O capsules, in packs of ten, go on the cream siphons. The 7.8g CO2 capsules, also in packs of ten, go on the soda siphon: one capsule charges one litre. They are single use, made of steel, and go in metal recycling. Keep them in the station drawer, away from heat.
The injector nozzles
The set includes nozzles to inject foam inside, for hidden fillings, and shaped nozzles to pipe it on top. With a 500ml siphon and the nozzles, you top a sour and fill a dessert with the same tool.
If you serve one foam a night
A siphon is not compulsory. The whisk spring, in the molecular accessories, whips egg white in the shaker with a dry shake, no gas needed: it costs little, and the foam must be served straight away. The siphon makes sense when you serve more than ten foams a night, or when they have to be identical in every glass.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a cream siphon and a soda siphon?
The gas. A cream siphon charges with 8g N2O capsules and makes foams and whipped cream. A soda siphon charges with 7.8g CO2 capsules and makes sparkling water. The capsules are not interchangeable.
Which size suits a bar?
The 500ml for the bar: you charge it before service and it covers a night of sours. The litre for banqueting and the prep kitchen. The 250ml for a single foam on the menu, or for two flavours without washing in between.
Stainless steel or aluminium?
Stainless steel lasts for years and is the dearer of the two. Aluminium is lighter, the cheaper of the two and comes in a coloured finish. Neither goes in the dishwasher, because of the seals.
How many capsules do you need per charge?
For soda, one 7.8g capsule per litre. For foams it depends on the size and the density: the instructions for each model say so, and adding more does not make the foam firmer.
Does a siphon go in the dishwasher?
No. The hot cycle hardens the seals in the head and the siphon stops holding pressure. Rinse it by hand and store it open.
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