Write an article based on this "Pick up two essential tools. Get the technique. Whip the cream until it thickens. It could take a minute it could several minutes before your cream thickens. Enter the soft peak stage. Finish with stiff peaks. Stop."
You'll need an extremely large stainless-steel mixing bowl and a large balloon whisk to properly whip cream by hand.  A bit of patience and strong arms (or a friend who'll lend a hand) are nice to have, too.  A balloon whisk helps to incorporate lots of air into the cream as you whip, creating an airier, lighter product. Chef Leslie Bilderback recommends what she calls a "ludicrously oversized bowl" because the more surface area the cream has, the faster it will whip. Always chill your mixing bowl ahead of time.  A stainless-steel mixing bowl is your best choice because it'll hold the chill longer, but you can also use porcelain or glass.  To keep your cream extra cold while working, you can also set the mixing bowl inside a larger bowl that you've filled halfway with ice. Begin whipping the cream in a wide, circular motion.  As you whip, lift the whisk out of the cream with each pass.  By doing this, you'll bring more air into the cream, and it'll whip more quickly. Whip as quickly as you can; the faster the better. After whipping your cream for about 30 seconds, you should see lots of little bubbles--the cream should resemble foam.  Continue whipping and notice when you get to the point that you can see and to feel your cream begin to thicken. It depends on your arm strength and how successfully you maintain good whipping technique. When you get to the point that the cream starts to hold it's shape, you've reached the soft peak stage.  This is the point at which you'll add sugar and/or flavorings to your cream. If you're working ahead and won't be serving your cream for a while, stop whipping now and put your bowl in the refrigerator until you're ready to finish. It should only take an additional minute or so to move from the soft-peak to the stiff-peak stage.  To test it, take a scoop on the end of your whisk and turn it upside-down.  The peak on the scoop should hold firm and not soften back into itself. If you over whip your cream, you will end up with butter.  If you see it the mixture starting to separate, you've gone too far. You do not to have to whip your cream by hand.  You can use a mixer with a whisk or whip attachment; however, since this is a classic French recipe, you may prefer to use this classic method of whipping by hand.