The short answer. On our current prices a 2kg tank costs about 24¢ per charge. A 10-pack of 8g chargers costs about $1.10 per charge — roughly 4.6× more for the same gas. Even buying 8g chargers 1,800 at a time, you are still paying about 82¢ per charge. The catch: cylinders and tanks need a regulator, and 8g chargers do not.
Cost per charge, from our live prices
A "charge" is one standard 8g discharge into a dispenser — the unit a 640g cylinder gives about 80 of, and a 2kg tank about 250 of.
| Format | Example | Price | Charges | Per charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8g, 10-pack | Mosa 8g | $10.99 | 10 | $1.10 |
| 8g, 240-pack | Mosa 8g | $237.35 | 240 | $0.99 |
| 8g, 1,800-pack | Mosa 8g | $1,482.94 | 1,800 | $0.82 |
| 640g cylinder | Cream Deluxe Gold | $39.99 | ~80 | $0.50 |
| 700g cylinder | GoldWhip 700 Gold | $43.99 | ~87 | $0.51 |
| 1364g | GreatWhip Grand | $52.99 | ~170 | $0.31 |
| 2kg tank | Cream Deluxe Maxxi | $77.99 | ~250 | $0.31 |
| 2kg tank | Rotass Whip 2000g | $59.99 | ~250 | $0.24 |
Per gram of nitrous oxide the same picture reads: 8g chargers 13.7¢ down to 10.3¢, cylinders 6.6¢, 1364g 3.9¢, 2kg tanks 3.9¢ and as low as 3.0¢.
The thing most comparisons leave out
Those numbers are gas cost only. An 8g charger works with any standard dispenser you already own. A 640g cylinder or a 2kg tank does not — it needs a regulator, which is a one-off purchase. We do not sell regulators, so we are not going to quote you a price for one and pretend it is part of our maths.
What we can tell you is how fast it pays back. Moving from 8g 10-packs to a 2kg tank saves about 86¢ per charge. Regulators currently sell in Canada for around $60, which at that saving is repaid in about 70 charges — roughly 28% of a single 2kg tank. After that the saving is yours. (If you pay more or less for the regulator, the rule of thumb is about 117 charges per $100 spent.)
That is the honest version. If you whip twice a month, the regulator never pays for itself and 8g chargers are the right answer. If you run a dessert counter, you are paying four times over for the convenience.
So which format should you actually buy?
- Home kitchen, occasional use — 8g chargers. No regulator, no commitment, nothing sitting half-used. The premium per charge is real but the absolute numbers are small.
- Café or small kitchen, daily use — a 640–700g cylinder. Halves your cost per charge against 8g, and one cylinder replaces about eighty foil discs and the bin that goes with them.
- Busy service, changing cylinders mid-shift — 1364g. Same regulator, roughly double the run time.
- Dessert bar, caterer, events — a 2kg tank. The cheapest gas we sell by a distance, and the fewest changeovers. Our large-format range also lives at Smartwhip Tanks.
A note on flavoured units
Flavoured cylinders and tanks carry the flavour in the gas, so it arrives with the charge instead of being stirred in. They cost the same per charge as their unflavoured equivalents in our range. The trade-off is commitment: a flavoured unit dedicates the whole cylinder or tank to one flavour, so if you switch mid-service, run unflavoured and infuse separately.
Culinary use only
Everything above is about food-grade nitrous oxide for whipping cream, foams, espumas and infusions. We do not sell it for inhalation. If you want the legal position in full, see are cream chargers legal in Canada?, and when a cylinder is empty please read our disposal and recycling guide — these are steel pressure vessels and do not belong in the blue bin.
Prices and per-charge figures taken from our own live listings on 9 October 2026 and will drift as prices change. Charge counts are approximate and vary with your dispenser, cream temperature and how much gas you vent between uses.
Common questions
Are 2kg tanks cheaper than 8g chargers?
Substantially. On our current prices a 2kg tank works out at about 24¢ per charge against about $1.10 for a 10-pack of 8g chargers — roughly 4.6 times cheaper for the same gas. Even buying 8g chargers 1,800 at a time you still pay about 82¢ per charge.
How many charges are in a 2kg tank?
About 250 standard 8g charges. A 640g cylinder gives about 80, a 700g about 87, and a 1364g about 170. Real yield varies with your dispenser, cream temperature and venting.
Do I need anything extra to use a cylinder or tank?
Yes, a regulator. An 8g charger fits any standard dispenser, but cylinders and tanks need a regulator to connect to it. That is a one-off cost we do not sell, so factor it in separately.
How quickly does a regulator pay for itself?
Regulators currently sell in Canada for around $60. Moving from 8g 10-packs to a 2kg tank saves roughly 86¢ per charge, so that is repaid in about 70 charges — about 28% of a single 2kg tank. As a rule of thumb it is roughly 117 charges per $100 of regulator cost. If you only whip occasionally it may never pay back, and 8g chargers remain the sensible choice.
Is the gas different between formats?
No. Everything we sell is purity-tested food-grade nitrous oxide, whether it comes in an 8g charger or a 2kg tank. You are paying for packaging and convenience, not for better gas.
Is a 1364g cylinder worth it over a 640g?
If you are changing cylinders mid-service, yes. It uses the same regulator, gives roughly double the run time, and drops your cost per charge from about 50¢ to about 31¢.
Not sure which gas you need?
Everything above assumes nitrous oxide. If you are deciding between a cream charger and a soda charger, see N₂O vs CO₂ — they look identical and are not interchangeable.