Pros:
5*, not 3*
Way cute
Constant use duty cycle
Short warm up time
No cool down time required
Beautiful cotton candy
Good size cones of candy - compared to other toy machines
Largely metal construction
Quiet
Cons:
Spinning, heated disk is a serious hazard to anyone that might touch it.
Disk will get damaged if dropped.
Slow - to be expected from a toy.
Small output of candy - to be expected from a toy.
Note that the "Nostalgia Electrics CCM505 Cotton Candy Maker" is the same mechanism as Looney Toons cotton candy maker. My review applies to both.
I give this a 5 star rating (excellent). I think I initially rated it only 3 stars because of the safety concern. Amazon won't let me change my rating. Other than the safety concern this is an excellent toy machine.
This way cute toy cotton candy maker is good. I used it a lot and it held up fine. It easily makes nice cotton candy. Largely metal construction is durable and well made. Clean up is not too bad. You pay for the cuteness in storage space, this box is big, something like a deep fryer. I was able to make respectable cones of cotton candy, similar to those shown on the box. As you run the machine longer it starts to work better, I guess it's heating up more. This machine can run for extended periods of time without overheating, a big plus over the misnamed "The Real Cotton Candy Machine," (TRCCM) a competing toy machine. I have run it for an hour at a time with no problem.
At a recent event I served a cone and absolutely stopped the show with everyone marveling at how beautiful was the cone of cotton candy.
With this machine there is only a two minute heat up period and no cool down period required, both big pluses. From ice cold you pour the scoop of sugar into the hopper, turn it on, and about two minutes later it begins to make the candy. At 1'45" you will smell the most wonderful aroma of caramelizing sugar!
As far as making candy goes, there is no question. This machine is far superior to TRCCM. However there is one serious reservation: this machine uses an exposed spinning metal disk. The heated disk spins at high speeds and would prove plenty dangerous if anyone was to touch it or get hair, jewelry, or clothing tangled.By contrast, TRCCM has no exposed moving parts and a plastic guard to keep fingers out.
Disassembly allows good access for cleaning. Cotton candy is intrinsically messy so you've got a problem no matter what. The disk keeps most of the sugar and candy away from the heating elements so you don't get a mess inside the unit. The bowl seals well against the body of the unit so not much candy there. The bowl detaches so you can wash it in the sink. Without the bowl you get good access to wipe down the rest of the unit.
The metal disk is sturdy, but gets damaged if dropped, which I did with mine. The Looney Tunes company offered a replacement disk for $10. Not free, but not a rip off either.
The instructions specify white table sugar only. This works fine, makes a lovely cone, and the lack of vanilla flavoring makes for delicious, unusual candy. However, people constantly annoy me by griping that it's not purple and asking if we can put food coloring in the sugar. I don't think that would work, I think the sugar would clump. So, to appease them, you might consider the "Nostalgia Cotton Candy Fun Kit - CFK-515," but shop around because the one on Amazon here is posted with a price that is way too high. Commercial floss (colored and flavored sugar) is also locally available, I don't know if either of these options would work in this machine.
This machine suffers some typical toy food maker shortcomings.
1: It's slow. It takes about two minutes to start making candy and then maybe five more to complete the cone. When trying to serve even five kids, hahaha-think again. It's not happening. With five machines maybe.
2: Quantity of candy output is small. The instructions warn you not to put too much sugar in at once; it's probably best to heed that warning. It comes with a little measuring scoop so that you can get it right. Once you put in that scoop, you need to wait until it's exhausted before adding more. That will cost you a two minute delay each time while the fresh sugar melts. However, that scoop does make a nice fluffy cone of candy that is great for this toy machine. Unfortunately it's not what you get at the carnival, but for this toy it's great. With practice you learn how to roll the candy loosely so as to make the most attractive cone possible. I found that candy output doubled or more on the third and later batches.
3: Lack of suction cup feet on this model will help this guy vibrate off the table.
4: Toy size bowl with no cover allows sugar granules and candy fibers to escape machine, making a mess. I didn't find it troublesome.
5: Consistency of candy is on the light side compared to what I get at the grocery store. That makes this candy light, fluffy and delicious, but it also allows you to eat the entire cone in a few bites. My guidelines: no sharing, and savor every bite for all it's worth, because that cone doesn't last long.
Notes on the video:
Here we are having great fun making cotton candy with the Nostalgia Electrics machine. You will obviously see that this machine works great. In this video Suelo made a gigantic cone that actually rivals what you'd get at the circus. It's similar to the cones shown on the box of this unit, that's an honest company, but then they don't have anything to be ashamed of with this unit, do they?
Click Here to see more reviews about:
Nostalgia CCM505 Cotton Candy MakerProduct Description: Now you can enjoy the wonderful taste of Cotton Candy anytime in the convenience of your own home!
Buy cheap Nostalgia CCM505 Cotton Candy Maker now Get 20% OFF
I got this towel as a gift for my son. Now he is 17 months old and has been using it everyday. It is nice and soft and dries very well. Look at the picture above. He was 1 month old then. Although I have to buy a new one as it has been overused.
