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I never know what gifts to get my family. My strategy of buying whatever is on sale on Amazon has been unsuccessful: the laser tag set gathers dust, the journals with clever covers remain unfilled, etc. This all changed when I stumbled upon the Nostalgia Hard Candy Cotton Candy Machine at a buddy's house a few weeks before Christmas. Homemade Candy Floss Machine
With this machine, you can make cotton candy using the standard flossing sugar or pop in any hard candy you choose to create unique flavors. My friend said his kids loved it, and it was used constantly. Could purchasing this makeup for my sorry gift-giving history? Spoiler: Yes. Yes, it could. Below is my victory lap as the Christmas hero, and how to make cotton candy at home.
The Nostalgia Cotton Candy Machine comes with two reusable cones for collecting the cottony goodness and a scoop for flossing sugar. To get started, attach the bowl to the machine, the rim to the bowl, and install the extractor head in the middle. This is all explained with helpful photos in the handy user manual.
The machine needs 10 minutes to warm up. Flip on the switch, and the maker is ready to go by the time you gather the supplies.
You can make delectable cotton candy using hard candies or flossing sugar. We use both, and hard candies tend to be faster. Once the machine is warmed up, you turn it off and allow the extractor head to stop. Then, you put your sugar of choice in the bowl of the extractor head and fire the machine back up.
Grab your cone because cotton candy threads will appear in the bowl in a minute or two. Lightly collect the threads with the cone, slowly turning it to create an even cotton candy cloud. Keep doing this for a few minutes until it stops producing cotton candy.
My family has experimented with various hard candies in the cotton candy maker. Here's some guidance from the user manual about what to use and what not to use:
We popped two of our go-to Lifesavers into the extractor, and when we fired up the machine again, it started producing cotton candy in seconds. Jolly Ranchers are another solid option, but they tend to come out with a less pleasant consistency. They aren't as light and fluffy as the Lifesavers, making for a less-perfect cotton candy cloud.
Around the holidays, we had a surplus of candy canes, which worked great in the cotton candy maker. Just be careful to break them up, and don't overfill the extractor. We found half a candy cane at a time worked well.
As a weirdo, I simply had to try cough drops. I put two lozenges in the extractor, and believe it or not, I made cough-drop cotton candy. As a Ricola lover, I enjoyed it, but I'm unsure how practical it is. It may have been one of those "we were too busy seeing if we could to ask if we should" situations.
For a traditional cotton candy experience, I ordered an assortment of flossing sugars from Amazon. Pink vanilla reminded me of the classic cotton candy flavor. The birthday cake flavor was also a hit.
The flossing sugar took longer to make — the threads didn't appear for a while and came slower than with hard candy. However, it seemed to produce a larger yield. Regardless of your sugar source, you can always stop the machine to add more and get a larger cotton candy cone.
Cleanup is a breeze. First, wait for the machine to cool down. Then, you can remove the bowl and wash it with mild detergent and water. I secretly enjoy eating some of the stuck-on candy before washing it. The reusable cones should also be washed by hand, though I've put them through the dishwasher's top rack and haven't had a problem.
There's a learning curve to using the Nostalgia Hard Candy Cotton Candy Machine. You gotta get a feel for collecting the cotton candy threads with the cone and twisting it just right. My wife is a pro at it, and my kids have her make the cotton candy for them. A youngster could use the cotton candy maker but should have adult supervision.
The Nostalgia maker is slower than the ones you might see at a fair, so be patient. My wife likes to make a lot at once and store it in a Ziploc bag for later snacking. We've found the cotton candy stores well.
Overall, this is the best present I've ever given my family. We've had the Nostalgia Cotton Candy Machine for two months, and they still love it. We have vegan, gluten-free, and just-plain-picky eaters in the house, and this is a treat we can all agree on. This machine will quickly pay for itself if you regularly spend money on cotton candy. Plus, it's often on sale for about $50. If you want to be your family's hero, buy them this cotton candy maker.
Pros: Reduces your cotton candy bills, works with most hard candy, easy to use and clean
Cons: Takes a little while to make a lot of cotton candy, hard for kids to use on their own
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