old fashioned carnival snow cone machine

We put a full-size sheet pan under the whole machine to help catch some overflow, but you're probably going to want to set this up outside, in the garage, or in your snow cone shop's kitchen. And we do mean shot: It quickly overflowed the small included plate under the blade. In our testing, this beast shot out fine shards of still-crunchy ice, more snow cone-style than shaved ice. With its adjustable blade and 1/3-horsepower motor, the machine can demolish 6 pounds of ice per minute. The brand is known for its high-quality professional-level concession equipment, including this seriously solid ice shaver. The puck makes around three servings, which means you can't get a ton of shaved ice out of this machine without a lot of pre-freezing.ĭon't let its name fool you: The Great Northern Popcorn Company offers all kinds of snack-making tools. That's an advantage in one way, but not in another: Each one takes at least six hours to freeze completely, and there's only one mold included. Part of the reason this machine is so consistent is that it uses an ice puck sized exactly to fit. It melts faster than the crunchier-style snow cone, though in our tests the ice retained pretty good texture even after five minutes on the counter. The result is a delicate, fluffy dessert that holds syrup well. The Shoxil's blade works kind of like a cheese grater, making ultra-thin slices of ice rather than breaking into a more snow cone–like pebble. You tighten the lid in place after loading in an ice block, which keeps even pressure against the blade regardless of how fast or slow you turn the crank. We were honestly surprised in testing at how consistent a texture we got from this manual unit. The catch is that you have to crank it yourself.

The Shoxil machine makes fine, flaky shaved ice, and it does so for 20 bucks. We're not sure if that's because it might overheat in the sun or what, but it's unfortunate when snow cones are such an enjoyable treat to eat outside. Also, the instructions say not to use the machine outdoors. It's a great idea to lay down a kitchen towel below the machine before you start using it. When using the Cuisinart to make lots of snow cones at once, we did find that it dripped water as we opened and closed the hopper handle and pulled the bin in and out. The instruction booklet does have recipes, and we especially enjoyed the piña colada syrup we tried out. The set also doesn't include any syrups, so you'll also need to buy some bottled snow cone syrups or make your own. It comes with four reusable plastic cones and a dozen paper ones, so you'll likely need some extra cones before you throw your next party. The hopper leaves several inches above the blades, plus the included scoop means you'll never have to have your hands anywhere near sharp or moving parts. The fun machine is also safe enough for kids to use with adult supervision. It might not be the best choice for the serious crushed-ice aficionado who wants more control over texture. The speed and efficiency of operation-and the flip-out trays that hold four cones for syruping-make this the ideal machine for a birthday party or summer get-together where you need lots of ice, fast. It gave us classic crunchy bits, small enough to absorb syrup and hold a domed shape but not the finest-crushed snow cone you can get. Setup for the Cuisinart is incredibly easy, and using it is entirely foolproof as there's nothing to measure and no settings to adjust. In testing, it took six hopper loads to completely fill the bin, and that was enough ice for 13 standard-size snow cones. You load cubes into the hopper, then press down onto the handle to push it through the blades into the bin below. While a lot of snow cone makers need special ice blocks you have to freeze ahead of time, this handy little machine can use any kind of ice cube straight from your freezer or a store-bought bag-and it can crush enough ice for four or five cones per minute.

Old fashioned carnival snow cone machine