Nostalgia Cotton Candy Machine - Retro Cotton Candy Machine for Kids with 2 Reusable Cones, 1 Sugar Scoop, and 1 Extractor Head – Red

I held off writing this review until I had the cotton candy machine for a while. I've had it for a few months now and the machine is still working great! I'm perfectly pleased with it. I make sure I clean it properly, as described in the manual, after each use, and I haven't experienced any issues with it. I saw other reviews when I was considering buying it warning that the machine stopping working after a while, and it *could* be that those machines weren't being cleaned properly. The part where the flossugar comes out is VERY small (it has to be so that only the melted sugar comes out, not whole granules), so if you neglect to clean it and let anything build up in there, it probably would stop it working properly. However, take care of the machine as you're supposed to and it should continue working for you as it's supposed to! :D A few tips on operating: 1. Have patience! As other reviews have stated, yes, it IS slow. This is a smaller model, it can only heat up and spin the sugar so fast, so you will have to have a bit of patience. You're not going to produce mass quantities in a small amount of time, but for what it's designed for (small, personal use) it's perfect! 2. Take the instructions rule to let it warm up first seriously. If you don't let it warm up it'll just take even longer to start making the flossugar into cotton candy, so again, see tip #1. 3. On occasion when I'm making the cotton candy it stops shooting it out but I can see there's more in it. I think this happens because the force of the spinning holds a lot of the sugar fairly high in the machine. When this happens I flip it off for a second and after it stops spinning I knock the sugar back down and turn it back on. It only takes a second and usually speeds up the cotton candy process! 4. If you're using hard candies, yes you *can* just stick the whole candy in there. However, as other reviewers have mentioned, it'll come out better if you mix in some regular sugar to soften it up. To that end, I recommend crushing the candy if you can and premixing it with a little extra sugar. I find that the cotton candy comes out not only smoother but faster than waiting for the whole solid candy to melt :D Again, I highly recommend this product! I've been having a delicious blast with it ^_^

I tried my hardest to come up with anything bad with this product and I just can't. It's awesome! We bought this for my sons birthday party this year (which hasn't happened yet) but of course had to try it out sooner. We LOVE it! We've used both hard candy and the cotton candy floss (sugar) and I have to say that the floss works better. It produces much more candy and it's much fluffier and lighter. That is not to say that the hard candy option is a bad option. It isn't! It's great, tastes wonderful, and gives the illusion that you're eating more than just two tiny pieces of candy! I agree with everyone when they say that you MUST let this warm up for the correct amount of time! It is so important to get the best results and for the life of the machine. The machine will spin out sugar onto the sides of the plastic around the machine and it looks as though it would be hard to get off. I was a little feverish over the potential hard time I would have cleaning this unit but it is a non-issue. Clean up is much easier than it looks and that sugar "stuck" to the sides is very easy to get off. I do have to say I wouldn't trust it to make multiple cones for a large party all in a row. I would definitely let it cool after every 5 or so cones. Maybe more? We are making the cotton candy ahead of time for my sons party. We LOVE this. Also perfect for date night! Pop in a movie and make cotton candy and enjoy eating it together! :)

I bought this cotton candy machine for my granddaughter for Christmas, and she loves it. She's 11 years old, and it is simple enough for her to put together and use. We read the directions, and she understood that it is important to allow enough warm-up time in order for the sugar or candy to melt properly (3 minutes). I bought a set of the flossing sugar bottles and a large box of the paper cones to go with it. She and her friends had a great time experimenting with the different flavors of flossing sugar and then trying out hard candies, which worked equally well. It took a little time to master the art of how to hold the paper cones and how to gather the "cotton." At first she kept dipping the cones vertically into the spinner, but it was too easy to bump the heating element and then melt the ball of candy on the cone. She also found that the candy gathered too tightly around the cone and ended up in a heavy ball instead of the traditional cottony fluff. After reading some reviews, we found that starting the cone inside the bowl and then holding the cone above the bowl allowed the "cotton" to very lightly wrap around the cone, thereby producing a huge and fluffy cotton candy, just like at the carnival. Although the machine does work very well, there are a few issues I wish the manufacturer would address. The machine vibrates so much that you really need a second person to hold it in place. Putting some rubberized shelving material under it helped some, but you still need a second person to help. This vibrating also shakes the plastic bowl loose. Clean up is easy with the exception of the heating element. Once the heating element has cooled, it needs to be removed for soaking/cleaning. This is NOT an easy chore. I am a pretty strong person, but I had a very hard time removing it. When you push the unit on, you will notice that it goes on VERY tightly. So once it is coated with sugar, cools, and hardens, it is even harder to get off. I actually am concerned that I will break it or bend the post it is mounted on. Be sure there is an adult to do this step of the clean up. I read a few other reviews that addressed these issues, so I know it isn't just the one I bought. But I'm surprised more people haven't mentioned these things in their reviews. Perhaps not all of these machines do this. Once the heating element is removed, clean up is easy. Everything is soaked in hot water for a short while to melt the remaining sugar. No scrubbing is needed. This is a fun machine for a small group of kids (and adults), but I wouldn't plan on using it for a huge birthday party of children; it takes too much time for each cone...maybe 4 or 5 minutes. It's a good idea to read the directions well and some of the reviews here on Amazon before using your machine. Some people have already tried all the different candies that work and will tell you what does not work. This is good information. Overall, we are happy with this purchase.

Was nervous about the many poor reviews, particularly recent ones, so put it together carefully, read the instructions, and watched some YouTube videos about cotton candy machines. After making our first set of batches, my overall take is it's a great little unit. I had no trouble getting it going, waited the full 10 minutes for it to heat up before using it, and used candy floss sugar bought separately (unit doesn't come with any). Spun up into floss in about a minute, and was relatively easy to spin out onto cones (came with the flossing sugar), or a straw / chopstick we had around. We made about 6 'batches' consisting of about a tablespoon of sugar (the max for the unit), and they got eaten very very quickly (faster than I could make them). I set it up outside because of the reviews saying the sugar got sprayed 4 ft in every direction. I did not notice any sugar spraying out of it at all for me; my next batch I will try inside. I did however, find some perhaps 25%-50% of the sugar in the batch fails to make it into the floss, and is flung as small particles onto the walls of the bowl in a ring (where the spinning disk is). I collected it afterward (the pieces snapped off easily) and tried putting a couple big pieces in to re-melt and have less waste. That turned out not to be such a good idea, as the weighting wasn't distributed evenly for the spinning disk. The solution is to crush the hard candy into little pieces first, so that it can spin out more evenly, which I'll try next time. I stopped the machine due to the odd rotation that was occurring, and let it cool. The sugar in the head all hardened inside and looked like a fairly nasty mess to clean up. Good news is it's sugar, so it dissolves in water. After cooling for 20 mins I popped the head off and ran it under hot water and dissolved out all the sugar that had hardened inside. Took a good 10-15 mins to get it all out, so I won't be in any hurry to re-create that situation. But all in all it's straightforward to clean and looks like new again. In sum, does what it's supposed to do (makes delicious cotton candy), is easy to set up, easy to use, and easy to clean. 5 stars. Just know it's small batches, you may want to make some ahead of time if you have a bunch of kids / people that want to eat it.

Love this little machine. Cotton candy is my all-time favorite treat, and it's hard to find outside of summer fairs and the like. I literally never write product reviews but felt compelled to because of how great this machine is. This thing is fast, super easy to use, and cleanup is a breeze. I saw other reviews warning that it catches on fire, but if you follow the directions it's very safe. I've used it several times and haven't had any problems at all. Super glad I got this as a gift for myself!

People, save your money. I have tried everything to make sure the unit and all the assembly pieces are perfectly installed and level. I even put a level on it and it shows level. However, once you put in your sugar, even if you carefully spread the sugar around to make sure it's evenly distributed, the extractor head will become unbalanced and extremely noisy. It got so loud and vibrating so badly, I felt the machine was dangerous to operate. Way too noisy to run the machine with guests standing around. I have experimented by taking the plastic collection bowl and rim off and it was still noisy. Only when you take the wobbly metal extractor head off of it does it become whisper quiet. So I know it's not the motor. I have also completely cleaned the extractor head and put it on by itself -- still noisy and wobbly -- with nothing in it. This makes me believe this little metal plate is designed poorly or not heavy enough material to remain balanced. On a positive note, it does make nice fluffy cotton candy and it does look nice (in a plastic sort of way). I guess if you want to wear ear plugs, you could tolerate the noise enough to make some good cotton candy. I will be returning this machine. Review of replacement product: Since I had ordered $25 worth of fancy cotton candy sugars, which are NOT returnable, I was compelled to request a replacement cotton candy maker. As usual, Amazon is super about allowing you to return the product free of charge and got another machine out to me within a few days. Unfortunately, this machine is just as noisy as the first one. I have included a video which doesn't pick up too well just how noisy it is, but you can get the idea. The dilemma I face is my grandson loves the cotton candy it makes so I will keep this one. I will just have to wear ear plugs when I make him some. If I know I want to serve some to kids at a party I will make it ahead of time because the noise is too disruptive.

The Nostalgia Retro Countertop Cotton Candy Maker has brought back delightful memories of childhood fairs and carnivals right into my home! This vintage candy machine is not only adorable in its retro red design, but it also delivers delicious cotton candy that tastes just like the ones I used to enjoy as a kid. One of the best features of this cotton candy maker is its versatility. It works with both hard candies and flossing sugar, providing options for different flavors and textures. I love experimenting with various hard candies to create unique cotton candy flavors, and the results have been delightful every time! The set comes with two reusable cones, a sugar scoop, and an extractor head, making it a complete kit for creating cotton candy at home. The cones are easy to clean and can be used over and over again, saving me the hassle of purchasing disposable cones. Using the machine is a breeze. It heats up quickly and is ready to start spinning cotton candy within minutes. The extractor head works like magic, turning the melted candy or flossing sugar into fluffy and sweet cotton candy in no time. I appreciate the compact and countertop-friendly design of this cotton candy maker. It doesn't take up much space in my kitchen, and the retro red color adds a charming touch to my countertop. Cleaning the machine is simple as well. The extractor head can be easily removed for cleaning, and the unit itself can be wiped down with a damp cloth. The parts are well-made and durable, ensuring the machine will last for many cotton candy-making sessions to come. Not only is this cotton candy maker perfect for family gatherings and parties, but it also brings joy and excitement to any occasion. Watching the cotton candy being spun right in front of my eyes is a delightful experience that never gets old! In conclusion, the Nostalgia Retro Countertop Cotton Candy Maker has exceeded my expectations in every way. Its charming retro design, ease of use, and ability to create delicious cotton candy from both hard candies and flossing sugar make it a fantastic addition to any kitchen. Whether you're hosting a party or just want to enjoy some nostalgic treats, this cotton candy maker is a must-have for all ages. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to add a touch of fun and sweetness to their home!

I've never had a cotton candy maker before, so I can't say what the standard experience is, but this machine does consistently produce fluffy cotton candy. We've used both floss sugar and hard candy to make cotton candy. The floss sugar (whether from Gold Medal, Nostalgia, or the organic kind) all consistently has produced good results so long as the "head" in which you pour the sugar is pushed down well and sugar doesn't coat the top area of the head (which would probably be a side effect of having too much sugar in use at a time). Using hard candies has produced mixed results. Life savers seem to work pretty well but gave thicker irregular strands (sort of look like hand spun wool), but jolly ranchers tended to spit out bits that did not fully thread so we had particles in the air for part of it and what did thread was more crunchy than expected for cotton candy (slightly slivery). We used two different kinds of candy canes and one produced great cotton candy but the other did not. It is fun to try out the candies to see what happens. The particles that end up collecting on the splatter bowl after you've made several cones are yummy; the kids want me to break them off so they can eat these candy chunks after the machine has cooled. Unlike other reviewers I've liked using the plastic cones to collect cotton candy just fine. If you don't have enough, you can just slide the cotton candy off, to reuse them. Also, the bowls and cones clean off easily just using hot water to rinse them. While this machine definitely works to make cotton candy, I have several concerns with the machine's performance relating mostly to vibration issues: (1) it is usually very noisy, but varies in loudness (it is so loud that my son asked me to stop making him cotton candy in the kitchen because he couldn't hear his tv program in the living room), (2) the machine vibrates excessively and sometimes "travels" if I don't hold onto it after I have added the floss sugar (but doesn't seem to travel when I am just warming up the machine) (3) the "head" in which you pour the floss sugar is difficult to clean and continues to contain black stains after soaking and a thorough scrubbing, (4) particles get out of the head and melt in the area just under where the head spins, in an area that cannot be cleaned, and turn black, so far this does not impact performance, but I am afraid it will in the future, (5) the plastic removable bowl is difficult to get secured on all four sides (there is a plastic ridge that should fit under a raised metal ridge and with vibrations even if I get it secured can come loose), (6) the top bowl/splatter shield comes loose from the bottom bowl very easily and will pop off from vibrations (sometimes I have to hold it down because it will not stay secured), and (7) sometimes the head seems to become uneven while it is spinning, causing additional problems, even though I've made my best effort to get it down all the way on the stem. I don't know if I got a slightly bum machine, if I am not getting the head down or completely even, or if this is just standard. The machine works, it just makes me work harder than I would like to get it to work.

Perfect !

Si lo hace pero en cantidad muy pequeña y es muy tardado limpiarlo.

Llego en buen estado, funciona todo.

The product was in clean shape it’s easy to clean all the parts were there and we were able to creat a good amount of cotton candy.it doesn’t take a long time to heat up.Over all I really loved the product

Hace fácil los algodones, es sencilla para limpiar, solo que no puedo hacer los algodones más grandes, tarda algún tiempo en calentar.