Back to Basics Cotton Candy Maker (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

This machine works just fine, but be aware that it only handles about a tablespoon of sugar at a time. If you want a large cone of cotton candy you will need to stop the unit and add a second scoop of sugar. It has three small suction cups on the bottom in order to keep it from moving across the counter when it is turned on. You WILL need to make sure it is secured because the vibration from the spinning DOES make it travel across the counter quite a bit, and it could easily fall off the counter if you are not watching it during the heating period.This isn't something I will use much, so I can live with it as is, but there are two annoying aspects of this unit.First, the clear plastic shield just sits atop the white bowl base and then the pink ring goes over the area where the two pieces meet. The ring doesn't actually attach or snap on in any way, though, so what you get is two pieces of plastic rattling against the third piece because of the high vibration of the unit when it is on and spinning. Between the rattling and the noise of the motor, it is VERY loud. I end up pressing down on the plastic pieces with my left hand to try to minimize the rattling while I am using my right hand to wind the cotton candy onto the paper cone.Second, although the plastic bowl and shield clean up very easily (the sugar dissolves in water), you have to remove a metal bolt (it is too small and tight to remove with just your fingers) to take off the metal spinner in order to wash it. Then you have to try to dry it as best you can, reattach it, and then turn the unit on again to spin it for a minute to be sure to get the remaining water of out if before you put it away.

Works great. We had no problem creating nice, fluffy cotton candy treats.I am rating it five stars even though it has shortcomings because of the price. The issues are simply that it takes a long time to heat up the sugar once deposited, and the swirls of sugar floss are a bit inconsistent. But for $35 you can't beat it.Others have complained that it takes a long time to make a lot of cones of candy. This is true. But if you are having a cotton candy treat at a 9 year old's birthday party you have to think ahead. You will NOT be able to create a dozen cones of candy in a few minutes. However, if you want the kids to experience the fun of making the cotton candy the solution is simple.You need to pre make MOST of the cones you will need. Then when the kids gather, make two or three more, giving the kids a chance to participate. We had 8 people wanting a cone, so I pre made all 8, then had each person take a turn making additional cones while the onlookers enjoyed the pre made candy.Another issue raised by others is that they could not make a good sized ball of candy. I had the same problem until I changed my process.Unlike with professional machines, you do not get the best result by swirling the cone in an inverted position into the candy floss. That will or can result in the cotton candy falling off the stick, or hitting the side of the machine and deflating the candy.I got great results (see photo) by holding the cone horizontal and just above the opening of the machine, then rolling the cone in my hand while working the cone back and forth, left and right over the top of the machine, collecting the floss as I rotated the cone.Let the machine heat up for 15 minutes, pour in the sugar, then let it get hot again, hold the cone horizontal, rotate and move back and forth and you'll have a delicate and fun treat to eat with the kids.

I bought this for my kids for Xmas after reading reviews of many products.I will list my concerns then answer to how the product performed:Too hard to make cotton candy/too small of product:This was one of the largest complaints I read. I decided because of this I was going to buy floss sugar. When we made ours we had no trouble making cotton candy with our sticks. They averaged about the size of a football, maybe a bit smaller.Stops working after a few uses:This one I read a ton on and is mostly likely due to improper cleaning. I mean the sugar is harden and cause all sorts of problems if you don't clean it very well. We have meticulously cleaned ours each time and we have been able to use it several times to create single serving size cotton candies.Vibrates too much:Lots of reviews complain about vibrating. I think this is due to uneven loading of the sugars or clumps in it. What we do to prevent is as we are filling we tap the side of the make to make sure the sugar levels out in the pan evenly. We also try to avoid using the clumps of sugar. I also placed it on a towel as some other reviewers have mentioned.Hard to make good candy puffs:This one is going to boil down to a few things. I tried to do it w/o instruction and it didn't go well. My wife then explained to me how it was to be done (She read the manual) and I was easily able to make a good puff. Also I think a lot of it has to do with the sugar. Floss sugar will produce a better result every time. You also will want to make sure you're not touching the little metal thing in the center...each time you do you break the "web" of candy and it has to start over resulting in some extra waste. Less waste means bigger puff!As long as this thing holds up I would recommend it to anyone