Can't open your whipped cream dispenser?

OK, so who else is guilty of this?  I just opened my fridge the other day to find my whipped cream dispenser hidden on the bottom shelf of the fridge door.  Mind you I'm getting ready for Christmas dinner and this batch of whip cream was made for Thanksgiving dinner!

Obviously I was a little nervous about opening this thing up..I could already see hardened crud around the nozzle and knew it wasn't going to be pretty.  The first task was to get the dispenser head of the bottle which is not an easy task if you've let it sit and harden.

First thing you want to do is release any gas from the whipper.  Turn it upside down over the sink and release the nitrous and remaining contents into the sink by squeezing the handle.  Often times this will still not be enough to get the head off.  So run some hot water into the sink and fill it up enough so you can submerge your dispenser.  Let it soak for a good 20-30 minutes to loosen up any remaining stuff.  Squeeze the handle again as the warmth will reactivate any remaining nitrous oxide and allow you to fully depressurize the canister.  Now you should be able to unscrew the top of the head.

Make sure you clean the whipped cream dispenser good before making another batch for Christmas dinner!  Merry Christmas to everyone!  Always be sure to have a good supply of whipped cream chargers on hand.

Leaking Whip Cream Dispenser?

I don't make whip cream as much as I'd like anymore, but I always break out my whip cream maker for Thanksgiving desserts!  The family has come to expect fresh tasting whip cream and not the store bought stuff with all the preservatives and extra "stuff" you don't want to eat.

I've used the same Mosa brand whipper every year for the last 4-5 years and everything worked perfectly.  This time around I put in the heavy cream, couple table spoons of powdered sugar, 2-3 dashes of vanilla extract and screwed the top back on.  I gave it a few shakes to mix the contents and then used the charger holder to screw on the whipped cream charger.  To my surprise, the gas started to leak out through the sides of the top.  I immediately tried to tighten it to no avail.

I knew it had to be the gasket, so I removed the head pulled out the gasket.  The gasket had actually become hard after years of sitting in the cupboard.  I rinsed it with warm water and got it heated enough so it was a little softer.  I put the gasket back in, screwed the head back on and inserted another charger.  Voila...it worked!  This was a good short term fix, but I replaced the gasket so it's like new again.  These things pretty much last forever, but the little parts do occasionally need to be replaced.  You can get parts for your Mosa or Whip-It brand whipped cream dispenser here.