Not all snow cones available online deliver what they promise. So we scoured through several sellers and acquired 16 best snow cone machines available in the market to find the top performer. After 72 hours of several tests, we found that Hawaiian S900A is the best. It is very simple to use and has all the accessories you need for a great snow cone party. And Cuisinart SCM-10is the second best option.
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Top 7 Snow Cone Machines
| Product | Cone Holder | Capacity | Adjustable Blade | Check Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaiian S900A | No | 4 cones | Yes | CheckPrice |
| Cuisinart SCM-10 | Yes | 4-5 cones | No | CheckPrice |
| Nostalgia SCM502 | Yes | 2-3 Cones | No | CheckPrice |
| Victorio VKP1100 | No | 5-6 Cones | No | Check Price |
| Great Northern Premium | No | 6 lbs | Yes | CheckPrice |
| VIVOHOME Electric | Yes | 2 lbs | Yes | Check Price |
| Nostalgia ISM1000 | Yes | 1 cone | No | CheckPrice |
1. Hawaiian S900A Shaved Ice Machine – Best Snow Cone Maker Kit
The Hawaiian Shave ice cream is one of the fastest ice maker. Even the built quality really impressed us. Overall the package includes everything you need for making the ice except the ice itself. The package includes 3 Pints of Syrup, 25 Snow Cone Cups, 3 Black Bottle Pourers, 25 Spoon Straws and 2 Round Block Ice Molds.
Overall the built quality is really good. The blade is made of stainless steel and the body of machine is made of plastic. We were pleased to see the plastic quality. And when you create snow, the process is simple and clean. It doesn’t make much mess which is crucial when you are serving kids.
- Powerful motor.
- Adjustable blade to make different texture of snow.
- Ease to use and maintain.
- Includes lot accessories.
- Inexpensive.
- None.
Bottom Line
The Hawaiian S900 is the most basic and easy to use shaved ice maker. It hardly makes any mess and maintaining it is also easy.
2. Cuisinart SCM-10 – Party Snow Cone Maker
The Cuisinart snow cone maker is one the most popular snow maker in the market. The design looks more professional and also the performance is much better compared to other snow machines. The machine is built from high quality material. It uses the mix of steel and plastic. The manufacturer claims it is made from BPA free material.
During our test, we made 25 cone continuously to measure how much time it takes and the mess it makes. We were amazed it took us 15 minutes creating the snow and feeling the 25 cones. The pull out tray makes the entire process mess-free and easy.
- Professional quality snow maker.
- Powerful motor.
- Pull out tray.
- Machine hardly makes any noise while making snow.
- Inexpensive.
- It does take minute or so to make the snow.
Bottom Line
If you want to buy a professional quality snow maker, the Cuisinart SCM-10 is the best snow cone maker for any kitchen.
3. Nostalgia SCM502 – Budget Friendly Shaved Ice Maker
The brand is appropriately named nostalgia. When you look at the snow cone maker it takes you back to times when snow cone stand were popular. The Nostalgia offers more than an ice cream machine. The package includes snow cone syrups, 2 reusable cups and straws. The 2 cones won’t be enough, as people always want more but at least manufacturer has made an effort to make a ready to use kit.
Built quality is ok. It could have been better. We believe mostly kids are going to use the machine, so there is chance it might not last as long it should as the plastic used in it is breakable. Beyond the structural weakness, it has two cone holders, and has built-in safety switch.
- Shaves fine ice.
- Takes only 30 seconds to create a batch of ice.
- Stainless steel blade.
- Safety switch.
- Free flavoured syrups.
- Inexpensive.
- Built quality is not that good.
Bottom Line
The Nostalgia snow cone machine is very good value for money product. It is fast and keeps the kids entertained with its cool snow con stand design.
4. Victorio VKP1100 – Snow Cone Maker For Kids
The Victorio VKP1100 is another awesome snow cone party package for kids, adult, and old. The package includes, a snow machine, straw, 25 cups, and three syrup flavors. When you look at the design it looks like a toy for kids. Our experts say, it is instantly a big hit among kids. Kids love to use the machine on their own.
The machine is majorly built from plastic but seems sturdy. But it might break easily if it falls off the kitchen platform. One major thing missing from the unit is the tray. Hence, if you allow your kids to handle the machine, it is quite possible your kitchen platform may be wet and messy after the party.
- Very easy to use.
- Snow can be directly connected into a cone.
- Motor is powerful.
- Consistent and fluffy ice.
- Does not run with hopper lid open.
- No tray.
- Noisy.
- Plastic feels cheap.
Bottom line
Most of the snow cone machine requires you to collect the ice in tray and then scoop it in to a cone. But with this machine you can directly collect the snow in a cone. However, this process is bit messy.
5. Great Northern Premium Quality Ice Cub – Most Powerful Snow Cone Maker
The Great Northern Premium Quality Ice Cub is designed for the commercial users. The built quality, capacity, and the motor together makes it one of the premium range ice maker. The specification of the motor is 1/3 HP and 1725 rpm. Further, the adjustable stainless steel blade add to its power. Apart frm the machine there is nothing much included in the package like snow cone or straws.
We loved the built quality. It is made of brass and stainless steel for the majority of the part making it an impact proof snow cone machine. However, one major difference compared to other ice shaver machines is that you will have to use the big blocks of ice compared to ice cubes. Moving the machine is also a huge issue as it weighs 55 lbs.
- Built from brass and stainless steel.
- It uses adjustable and replaceable stainless steel blade.
- Powerful motor.
- Easy to use.
- Suitable for commercial operations.
- Expensive.
- Heavy compared to other snow machines.
Bottom Line
If you run a restaurant or food truck, this machine could be a great addition to your business. We also recommend to those adult who love snow cone. It could also be a piece of antique in your home.
6. VIVOHOME Electric Ice Crusher Shaver – Fastest Shaved Ice Maker
Our team instantly fell in love with the machine. The VIVOHOME Electric Ice Crusher Shaver is suitable for all type of users. Be it commercial or home, the machine impresses all with build quality, speed, and capacity. The quality of the ice is really good and can make awesome snow cones.
Being a power machine we were worried about the heat dissipation but it has multiple vents to counter it. We did ran the machine continuously for an hour but there very little heat. Overall machine is good, but the 11 lbs. weight takes some effort to move it around.
- Powerful motor.
- Process ice much faster.
- Uses regular ice cubes.
- Anti-slip rings.
- Vents for heat dissipation.
- Expensive.
- Not easy to carry around.
Bottom Line
With such high power and fast process, the VIVOHOME Electric Ice Crusher Shaver could be a huge hit in a home party. If you own restaurant or food truck, it would be meet all your requirements .
7.Nostalgia ISM1000 – Snow Cone Machine with Cone Holder
Nostalgia ISM1000 is another best snow cone machine for home. It is most recent variation of snow makers by Nostalgia. The design is intuitive and you can take apart different parts for easy maintenance. It has cone holder instead of tray which allows you to fill the cone directly from the processor. The only thing is you will be able to make one cone at a time instead of procession ice for several cones in one go.
Most of the parts are built from plastic but it is good quality plastic. It looks good compared to other snow cone makers that use cheap looking plastic. Only thing you will have to keep in mind is the size of the cone. The cone holder is not adjustable.
- Quick and easy to use.
- Cone holder.
- Easy to clean and maintain.
- Portable.
- Push button for better control.
- Make ice for only one con.
- Cannot run the machine continuously more than 30 second.
Bottom Line
With all the nostalgia accessories, the ISM1000 would be a fun machine to use. Looking at its size and capacity it is only suitable for the home use.
Buyer’s Guide – What To Consider While Buying The Best Shaved Ice Makers?
Be it summer or winter kids will always demand for the snow cone. But having a snow cone maker at home has it advantage. You control what your kids eat and it’s more fun. And if you are run a food business where you constantly require shaved ice, having a good snow maker will make your job much easier than ordering it from some vendor. But with so many different type of snow cone maker around, it is hard to find the best one. But if you know what to look for in a snow cone machine, you could buy the perfect one for yourself.
1. Blade
What is snow cone machine? It is a machine that shaves or grinds the big chunks of ice into fluffy or chunky powder of ice. So for shaver machine of any capacity should have the best possible blade. Most of the best shaved ice machines use stainless steel blade as it is strong and durable. Some may have adjustable blades too. The adjustable blades allow you to control the fineness of the snow. So depending on the type of snow cones you want to make at home or for you customer you will have to buy the machine with right blade.
For home use a normal stainless steel blade does the job but for commercial purpose, it is better to get the adjustable stainless steel blades. However if you want an unit with adjustable unit for home Hawaiian S900A is the one.
2. Capacity
Different snow cone machines have different capacity. When you are looking for the capacity of the snow cone maker, you look for the capacity of the hopper. Hopper is a part where you feed the chunks or blocks of ice. Almost all the snow maker for home have lower capacity. However, if you want a snow cone machine for home with highest capacity, we would recommend buying VIVOHOME Electric Ice Crusher Shaver or Cuisinart SCM-10. Both can make snow for more than 6 cones at time. The VIVOHOME can give you 2.2 lbs. in one go.
3. Ease of use
There are two different variants when it comes to the way you use the machine. One allows you to fill the cone directly while the other requires you to grind the ice into a tray or container and then scoop it into a cone. Both has their advantages and disadvantages. The Cuisinart SCM-10 and Hawaiian S900A are two of the best snow cone machines with tray. The tray can be pulled out when you want to make a cone and close once done. This system allows you to keep the space clean. However, if you want to fill cone directly without having to use the scoop, Nostalgia ISM1000 is good option. Usage is all about the preference.
4. Design And Built
Most of the snow cone machines we tested were made of plastic. The plastic is not durable and impact proof compared to steel but it depends on the user. If you want a machine for your home, even the machine built from plastic will do. However, you have to make sure that it not of low quality. You will find even among the plastic, there are different grades of materials used. For commercial use, always prefer to get a machine that is made from stainless steel. As the stainless is more durable, strong and impact proof. In addition, it is much easier to clean than plastic.
5. Maintenance
Snow cone machines are similar to grinders which require good maintenance to last long. Only difference is that snow cone machines only grind or shave ice. You have to make sure the part that houses motor is well sealed because if any ice is left in the hopper or tray, it is possible water may reach to the motor.
Another thing you should to take care of is that, do not run the machines continusoly for more than 2 minutes especially with low power machines that uses push button. Running these machines beyond 2 minute may harm the motor. Always read the manual before you use these machines.
How Do We Conduct Tests Of Snow Cone Machines?
Our process began with selecting the different machines for tests. We went through several sales numbers with the help of our 9 experts. Few of the experts had experience in sales of these machines which really helped us. We also searched on the internet to find the top brands of snow cone machines. Finally, we selected 16 snow cone machines for tests.
Once we acquired all the 16 machines, we determined the parameters for the test. These parameters include factors like, ease of use, capacity, safety, quality, durability, maintainence, etc. Based on these parameters we designed certain tests. During test we used different kinds of ice, pushed the motors to their limits, and measured the time machines take to process ice. In addition to tests, we also contacted several existing users to know how the machines perform after few months or years of purchase. We also went through several review sites, to know what people thing about each machine.
After we had all the data from tests, user reviews and expert views, we asked our team to score each model based on the three parameters, usability, capacity, and speed. We thing=k these three parameters are basic attributes a snow cone machine relies on. After calculating overall score, we create a list of seven best shaved ice makers. Here is the score card:
| Product | Speed | Ease of Use | Design | Overall | Check Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaiian S900A | 97.2 | 97.4 | 97.1 | 97.2 | CheckPrice |
| Cuisinart SCM-10 | 96.9 | 96.8 | 97.3 | 97 | CheckPrice |
| Nostalgia SCM502 | 96.3 | 96.7 | 97.6 | 96.8 | CheckPrice |
| Victorio VKP1100 | 96.1 | 96.3 | 97.2 | 96.5 | Check Price |
| Great Northern Premium | 96.8 | 96.1 | 96.8 | 96.5 | CheckPrice |
| VIVOHOME Electric | 97.1 | 96.1 | 96.2 | 96.4 | Check Price |
| Nostalgia ISM1000 | 96.5 | 95.8 | 96.3 | 96.2 | CheckPrice |
Final Thought
As there are number of manufacturers, you will find too many options to choose from. Even if you have some idea you won’t be able to choose the absolute best that fits your requirement as well as budget. So this is where our post helps you. We not only provide the reviews but also a simple buyer’s guide to help choose the right product for you. Our list offers you machines that are some or other way best among all. All you have to do look at your requirement and determine which model will suit those requirements. Till then, happy shopping.
Hawaiian S900A Shaved Ice Machine- Editor's Choice
Summary
The Hawaiian S900 is the most basic and easy to use shaved ice maker. It hardly makes any mess and maintaining it is also easy.
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