I have a few things to say, both about this product and the things you can use to make cotton candy with it, about the hateful and (sorry) uninformed feedback from some buyers, and about expectations on planet earth.
First, those expectations: you can go buy a chimpanzee. You can put him in little clothes and ask him to shake your hand, and you can giggle as he eats pieces of banana. And you can either admit to yourself that it's a chimpanzee, or you can fool yourself into thinking it's a live-in Certified Public Accountant.
Go with the first option. Enjoy the handshakes and banana nibbling. Because if you hand him your W-2s and your bank statements and your box of receipts, you'll be really unhappy when you come back on April 15th and he hasn't prepared your Income Tax returns.
He's a chimp. He TOLD you in the ad that led you to buy him that he is a chimp. It never said "Chimp CPA who can also whip up a heckuva chocolate souffle."
That was YOU projecting YOUR desires on him. Not him making promises he didn't and couldn't keep.
So please, people: before you buy this product and get on here and give it a One-Star review stating how disappointed your 75 party guests were that they had to wait a whole 5 minutes each for a ball of candy floss made of chewy caramels, THE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION CLEARLY TOLD YOU WHAT YOU WERE GETTING YOURSELF INTO.
- This product is adorable, and so versatile in that it creates delicate cotton candy out of not only traditional commercial candy floss, but also common table sugar and an almost unlimited variety of hard candies.
- "Almost" unlimited is stated very clearly in the description and the more helpful user reviews, as well as the enclosed direction manual. How many times do you have to read "soft candies and Jolly Ranchers and gummy candies do NOT work" before you stop screaming here "I used soft candies and jolly Ranchers and gummy candies and they did NOT work!" Seriously, how many times are you going to stick your hand in the chimp's mouth while he's eating his banana, each time screaming "Ow! Why did he BITE me?"
- There are products on the market, many available here on amazon.com, that cost into the thousands. These are great machines for when you own a carnival concession, or rent out to party planners and catering managers. But this unit? It costs less than 40 bucks. Hello? I don't think I REALLY need to educate you here. You're lucid enough to use a computer to find and order such items, so there is an assumption that you can take certain crucial bits of info and interpret them knowledgeably (or at least rationally). IT'S FORTY BUCKS! Do you think Ringling Brothers execs sit there smacking themselves on the head, saying "Darn it all! We bought all these two-thousand dollar machines, when we could have just spent 35 bucks a pop -- with free shipping!" Nosir. A $35 machine does a $35 machine's work. And if you thought you'd stumbled upon the goose that laid the golden egg, I hate to report that the sad fact of life we learn here is "you get what you pay for."
That all being said, what you PAID for is a darned good unit!
If you're having the fly-away problems reported by some, you have to realize (a) it's fibrous, sticky candy being made, not adobe blocks, so yeah... gravity doesn't have much say in this; and (b) if you're vigilant in properly catching it on your cones, this is minimal at worst. Just be careful to do it, if this troubles you, in an area where a few stray wisps of flying sugar floss won't mess with your head. I was going to prop the unit up next to my grandmother's antique lace wedding dress from 1932, but instead I decided to do it on my kitchen counter with the range hood exhaust fan on. But I'm funny that way, I guess.
All the complaints of the candies used to make floss, I'm sorry but: I am dismissing these summarily for the reasons of not paying attention as stated earlier.
I used two different brands of floss. Both worked flawlessly and BOTH -- with just a tablespoon of product as measured by this machine's enclosed measuring scoop -- had me wondering if I'd have to start a second cone. Not because it became scary-huge, but because I thought it looked like WHAT I WOULD EXPECT A HOME COTTON CANDY CONE TO LOOK LIKE WHEN FILLED TO REASONABLE CAPACITY. I stuck it out bravely and made it all fit on one. I'm daring that way.
I also used plain old, bottom-shelf, store-brand white sugar. Again: flawless floss, and more than the "two small bites" several reviewers complained of. But also bear in mind that "two bites" of cotton candy are not equal to two bites of meat loaf. Cotton candy is simply not as dense. That's why it's called "cotton candy" and not "candy loaf". And I don't think meat loaf would work well in this machine either, but I'm sure that somewhere out there someone is totally miffed that their experiment with their saucy dinner leftovers did not produce a fluffy ball of candy when stuffed into this machine.
I then pushed the envelope with hard candies and discovered a truth: you have to use a "hard crack" confection, plainly and simply, as the directions and reviews and product description and logical thought have dictated already ad nauseum. Lifesavers and Worther's Originals are brilliant.
I THEN GOT REALLY MAD SCIENTIST AND TRIED HALL'S COUGH SUPPRESSANT DROPS AND GUESS WHAT? Amaaaaaaaaaazing! Cotton Candy Medicine! You cannot BELIEVE how amazing this turned out.
Because first, I had a cough and needed pampering, and second, because THE COUGH DROPS ARE THE RIGHT CONSISTENCY.
The big lesson here though, and I think it had a lot to do with why some found the floss balls too small: the direction to use two hard candies does not take into consideration the SIZE of the candies. Two Lifesavers have FAR LESS MASS than two butterscotch or striped peppermint candies. Since it is NOT a nuclear reactor and you will NOT decimate your neighborhood or our planet by being a bit experimental, if the candy looks small, use three or four of them. G'head. Go nuts.
Finally, to the complaints of it taking forever to heat up: Bull pucky.
I let it run for about 10 minutes just as a preheat. From thereon in, it's smooth sailing. I found that with the addition of floss or candy or sugar or what have you, it's necessary to not belabor the step of adding the sweets. Shut it, wait for the spinning to stop, load, and then turn it right back on. Don't give it cooling time.
You'll probably note as I did that there's an initial "floss fake-out" where you get a batch that spins on contact, and then barely anything further happens. Don't even bother gathering this: in a minute or so it will really start producing floss and you'll want to conserve your energy for gathering the real stuff.
Do as the directions say: start by coating the cone with one or two turns in the upright, vertical position (like you see the pros doing); but since the unit is small and as the ball grows it gets too close to the heating and spinning action in the center, you want to turn the cone once started to the HORIZONTAL position, and then like you're casting a spell on the machine, wave it back and forth slowly like a magic wand, spinning it between your fingers as you gather. Don't be afraid to use your free (ahem, and CLEAN) hand to sort of smooth it into place as necessary on the cone.
And use your ears in conjunction with your eyes: the faster the unit spins the faster the floss is produced. So when you hear it revving higher, get ready for an increase in output.
My first time out, I made six batches (I know, I'm a pig) in rapid succession. I stood over the machine, and took breaks only to get other ingredients out and ready as the mood struck. I left the machine running so it would stay warm, and literally, each batch only took a minute TOPS to get flossing once the candy was added. It works really well if you and a friend or two sit around the machine, at the table, with all your ingredients laid out, and your own cones. You can take turns, keeping it hot and going, and enjoy bolt after bolt of fluffy yum. Think of it as a spun sugar fondue. No seriously. This isn't just for kids anymore...
Clean up? A total snap. And yes, there will be a buildup of unflossed candy gunk around the rim, but that is a total BONUS because when you EASILY break it loose you have a crunchy candy treat that reminds you of all the cotton candy confections you just enjoyed.
Some users complained of how hard it was to assemble and dissemble but I disagree completely. The heating/spinning cup inserts VERY easily, and slides off easily with a bit of a tug. But it's built to stay together when spinning at a high RPM, so duh: it takes a tiny bit of effort. You can't just ASK it to come off. You actually have to (gasp!) pull it. The top rim pops on and off with no effort. The bottom bowl twists counter clockwise to "lock" into place but admittedly, I don't even lock it fully. I twist it, keeping downward pressure, until it says "yeah, that's good enough for me." And then it's good enough for ME in turn. It stays snug, and since there is no motion involving the bowl, and no unit motion that even shakes it loose (either up or clockwise) this has NEVER failed me. And it comes right back off, again, with a bit of a tug. Fears that the wear and tear perpetrated against the unit in this process I feel are without foundation. You needn't force the poor thing, and you also (in my opinion) shouldn't be making so much cotton candy in your every day life that the unit is used often enough to suffer much wear and tear in general.
I cannot recommend this unit enough.
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Nostalgia: Timeless designs for the future
At Nostalgia, we have a unique way of looking toward an innovative future while holding on to the best parts of what came before.
From designs inspired by early 19th century America, to the timeless appeal of our Coca-Cola appliances, we strive to offer quality, attention-grabbing products that surpass the typical standards of design and functionality.
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Shop Retro Appliances
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Product information
| Material | Polycarbonate |
|---|---|
| Product Dimensions | 11"D x 12"W x 11"H |
| Brand | Nostalgia |
| Color | Pink |
| Recommended Uses For Product | kitchen |
| Item Weight | 4 Pounds |
| Special Feature | Manual |
| Manufacturer | Emgee |
| Size | 2 Reusable Cones |
| UPC | 885248708969 725638186642 887660229008 885107659906 082677213068 791769522239 885424931426 728131243300 722651277951 885701752522 885119613873 100012713544 963041560462 848296032844 756832731161 885108618322 787543826976 885662903353 741435466046 628304102499 |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 00082677213068 |
| Item Weight | 4 pounds |
| Department | Small Appliances |
| ASIN | B003FA0KN4 |
| Item model number | PCM805 |
| Customer Reviews |
4.1 out of 5 stars |
| Best Sellers Rank | #2,088,359 in Home & Kitchen (See Top 100 in Home & Kitchen) |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | April 3, 2010 |
Warranty & Support
Product Warranty: For warranty information about this product, please click here. [PDF ]
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Nostalgia Cotton Candy Machine - Retro Cotton Candy Machine for Kids with 2 Reusable Cones, 1 Sugar Scoop, and 1 Extractor Head – White
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In the Mood for Love?
My wait is over. I ordered this little contraption after reading a very thorough, enlightening review. I had some reservations based on some negative reviews I read through, but I wanted a cotton candy machine for my daughter's birthday party. It was only forty bucks so I took a chance. Guess what? This little machine will do JUUUUST fine. The trick is completely heat the elements before putting the candy/sugar in. (I used floss sugar three times tonight. I still need to experiment with candy.)The booklet said to heat it for at least five minutes if using candy and ten minutes if using sugar. I turned it on and let this baby heat for a full 15 minutes. I poured in a tablespoon of the sugar and quickly turned it back on. Within a couple of minutes, the floss began to fly. Paper cones seem to stick to the candy a bit better than the plastic cones that came with the machine, but it's still nice to have reusable cones! Granted, my cones weren't masterpieces,(one even came out looking like "Judy Jetson's hairdo") but believe me, I got a GOOD amount of cotton candy out of one serving of floss. I took pictures and will hopefully add them to my review when I have more time. If you don't rush the heating time and be patient, you will get a big, fluffy ball. The candy was the perfect consistency. After taking a bite, my husband looked at me with adoration in his eyes and told me he loved me. Oh yes. Each batch came out perfectly and they didn't take long to make. Our new little kitchen gadget is a hit, so far. It produces fluffy happiness and love. If you are considering a machine like this for home use, I highly recommend it. UPDATE: Well, it's the second night of owning this machine and we need practice making cones. (That's our excuse, anyway!) So, we had another fun time making huge, fluffy cones to eat. We made several more out of floss sugar, which turned out as beautiful as the previous batches. We tried a couple of peppermint candies as the last batch. OH my goodness, it was delicious! We still had better results with the floss sugar, but only in the quantity and "fluffy factor." The candies made less and were a bit more brittle than the what the sugar floss produced, but it was still very, very good tasting. I have downloaded a couple of pictures using my subpar laptop, so I hope they turn out okay! Thanks for reading!
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Cliente de AmazonReviewed in Mexico on August 2, 2017
Algodon de azucar
Style: WhitePattern Name: MakerVerified Purchase - Amazon CustomerReviewed in India on June 20, 2017
star duye kye dye RHA hu ki mene apne pese brbad kr diye
Style: WhitePattern Name: MakerVerified Purchase - konejiReviewed in Canada on October 24, 2016
Great machine for personal use!
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Mayrel CVReviewed in Mexico on June 26, 2020
Recomendable
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Cliente de AmazonReviewed in Mexico on July 21, 2016
Bueno
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