During the holiday season, we usually rack our brains trying to think of great gifts we can give to our friends and loved ones. If you have not thought about it yet, kitchen gadgets can actually be great gifts as long as they match the interests of the receiver. For instance, if you have a friend who loves to host parties at home, why not give him/her a classy soda siphon with a matching set of soda chargers. This way, he/she will never run out of carbonated or soda water for the numerous cocktails they will create for their next party. For a college student who will be away from home for the first time, this can also be a great gift that he or she can use for his/her first house party.

Did you know that you can enhance the appeal of plain old whipped cream by infusing it with distinct flavors? Generally, we take our whipped cream as either plain or sweetened with sugar. The more adventurous types, however, can integrate other flavors into it, including chocolate, orange, vanilla, almond, cinnamon, or even rum. If you want to try this, just prepare heavy cream as you normally would. To this you can add drops of the liquid extract of your choice and then place the cream inside a cream dispenser (you can buy your supply of cream chargers beforehand). Experiment by working with the exact amounts of these extracts so as to produce light and frothy cream.

Carbonated water or soda water is the basic ingredient of most cocktails and other light beverages. For a party, hosts tend to stock up on bottled soda water for these cocktails. However, these could be quite expensive and could also lead to many empty bottles that are difficult to dispose. Unknown to most, soda water can actually be produced at home using a soda siphon. This siphon works by adding CO2 to the water with the help of soda chargers filled with CO2. These soda chargers are usually screwed on top of the soda siphon, which also features a small lever or plunger that initiates the mixture of CO2 and water, creating endless soda water for your cocktail needs.

Fresh whipped cream makes pastries luscious and decadent.  Those who are watching their weight would stay away from such desserts.  However, there is a way to enjoy fresh whipped cream that is not too rich for you.  By making your own whipped cream at home with the use of the whipped cream dispenser and cream chargers, you can control the ingredients you put in it.  Instead of the usual heavy cream with 36% or more fat, you can use low fat cream that contains 28% to 36% milk fat.  You also have the option to add sugar or not in your cream.  Being health conscious should not stop you from indulging in delightful creamy desserts as you can always make your own healthy low fat whipped cream.  

Nowadays, daily tasks are made even more efficient through the use of various tools that make it easy and convenient to complete the task at hand. In the kitchen, one such tool is the cream dispenser. In the past, when a recipe calls for whipped cream, you had to either make it yourself with much effort or buy something canned, which could be unhealthy and very fattening. Today, you can have a whipped cream dispenser, through which you can easily make whipped cream in seconds. The secret behind such dispensers is the cream charger, which is a small, metal tube filled with nitrous oxide. When mixed with heavy cream, it produces light and fluffy whipped cream in just seconds.

Desserts give each well-prepared meal a nice ending. In a dinner party, it allows you to savor the remaining hours as you talk with the other guests round the table. In the realm of desserts, those that are topped with mounds of freshly whipped cream never fail to catch the breath of any dinner guest. Be it on top of a slice of moist chocolate mousse cake or a selection of fresh fruits drizzled with warm syrup, whipped cream can make any ordinary dessert heavenly. With a whipped cream dispenser, you can even create whipped cream right on the table, just be sure that you have enough cream chargers that are recyclable just like their counterparts, the soda chargers.

As with any gadget, you would always want the soda siphon to last for a long time.  It should be good for more than just a couple of uses.  A good quality siphon would ensure that it would provide you good service and able to withstand rough handling.  There are siphons made of glass with mesh for protection, stainless steel and aluminum with plastic heads.  You want a siphon that offers ease of use and maintenance.  Check for siphons that have secure neck threading.  For maximum safety, opt for one that provides a pressure-regulating system.  Choose a soda siphon for its quality instead of its look and price.  Quality siphons are usually more expensive but it would be worth every cent as you keep enjoying a refreshing drink of soda water day after day after day.