What is the best sugar confection to add festivity, fun, and color to any kind of party or a fare? Without a doubt, the answer would be cotton candies! Also known as candy floss, these fluffy, colorful, and children-friendly confectionaries are deeply connected to many of our best childhood memories. And who would not want to relive those memories by making these with their children and creating memories of a lifetime?
Making cotton candies at home requires some preparations, including a cotton candy machine and the ingredients. Cotton candy machines can come in various sizes, with several unique features. To help you make the best purchase decision, we have prepared a complete guide to buy the best cotton candy machines. You’ll find some of the most sleek-looking cotton candy machines with lucrative features on our list. Go ahead and check them out!
Best Pick
The Nostalgia CLCM8AQ Classic Retro Cotton Candy Machine gives you two options; allowing you to use either flossing sugar or hard candies to make cotton candy. The machine is relatively easy to operate, all you have to do is warm up the unit and add the sugar of your choice, making up to 42 cones in one go. It is one of the most efficient machines in the market.
Budget Pick
The Candery Cotton Candy Machine is made of durable stainless steel with a pink finish, working as a piece of attraction in any party. It takes only a couple of minutes to convert sugar into cotton candy. The kit comes with ten candy cones and a sugar scoop, offering everything that you might need in your homemade cotton candy venture.
Quick Comparison: Top 10 Best Cotton Candy Machines
| Product Name | Included items | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Nostalgia CLCM8AQ Classic Retro Cotton Candy Maker | Flossing sugar in pink vanilla, strawberry, and raspberry flavors, two reusable cones, one sugar scoop, one extractor head | A+ |
| The Candery Cotton Candy Machine | 10 candy cones and a scooper | A+ |
| Great Northern Popcorn Company 6303 Vortex Candy Machine | Sugar scoop, and two spare belts | A |
| Vivo Candy-V001 Electric Cotton Candy Machine | 20 inches stainless steel bowl, and a sugar scoop | A+ |
| VBENLEM Cotton Candy Machine | Stainless steel sugar scoop, extra fuse, carbon motor brushes, and an instruction manual | A |
| Cotton Candy Express CC1000-S Machine | Cherry, raspberry, and grape floss sugar, 50 paper cones | A- |
| Olde Midway Commercial Spin-2000 Cotton Candy Machine | 3 bin storage drawer, ingredient scoop, 2 extra motor drive belts | A- |
| Kapas Cotton Candy Maker | Sugar scoop | B+ |
| Funtime FT1000CCP Candy Cloud Cotton Candy Machine | Stainless steel tray, large storage drawer with dividers, and stainless steel sugar scoop | B |
| Paragon Spin Magic 5 Cotton Candy Machine | 26 inches metal bowl | B+ |
1. Nostalgia CLCM8AQ Classic Retro Cotton Candy Maker
Nostalgia CLCM8AQ Classic Retro Cotton Candy Machine comes with incredible efficiency, in a baby blue body and white bowl. The party kit also includes three packs of flossy sugar: one in pink vanilla flavor, one in strawberry flavor, and one in raspberry flavor. The unit has a retro look that will surely take you back to those sweet childhood afternoons.
The extractor head allows you to use traditional flossing sugar as well as hard candies. Operating this piece is pretty straightforward.
All you have to do is warm up the unit, add the sugar, and floss the cotton candy in a few minutes. So, needless to say, the machine is very easy to use. Even beginners who have no prior experience can make a bunch of cotton candies without trouble.
Moreover, this unit features an LED lighted power gauge on the front that notifies you when the unit is running. There is also a sleek lever that allows you to switch the unit on and off. The kit also includes four reusable colored cones and ten clear plastic bags, making it a complete package to get the cotton candy production started at home.Highlighted Features
2. The Candery Cotton Candy Machine
The Candery Cotton Candy Machine takes just a few minutes to prepare sweet fluffy candies. The unit has a colorful design with bright and modern accents, it will fit right into your modern kitchen decor. It also includes a stainless steel silver bowl, that features an extractor suitable for both flossy sugar and hard candies.
The unit is also straightforward to operate, making it an ideal choice for beginners candy makers. Both parents and children can enjoy preparing a sweet treat for their entire families. The kit includes 10 candy cones and a reusable sugar scoop.
It is small, portable and includes all the necessary accessories in the kit. So it’ll save you any extra run to the grocery store, you’ll have it all shipped to your doorstep. Moreover, you don’t even need to five minutes to pre-heat the machine. The premium quality bowl is large enough to hold massive cotton candies for you. Now you can floss easier and floss larger.
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3. Great Northern Popcorn Company 6303 Vortex Candy Machine
Many people use cotton candy machines for small-scale commercial purposes such as opening up a stall at a community event for charity fundraising. If you are one of them and looking for a cotton candy machine that will be able to provide you the speed and endurance that a purpose like this demands, then this would be a great choice for you.
Moreover, it combines style from the old times to make you nostalgic with modern technology to make things easier and faster for you. It has a stainless steel kettle at the top where your cotton will start coming out and the steel has been made 30% thicker to make it more durable.
This kettle sits on top of a heating element which has a high power of 950 Watt. Once you switch the machine on, all you have to do is to give it 2 minutes to warm up, then you turn on the booster to warm it for four more minutes, and then this high power heating element will let you make cotton candy continuously. The machine is so efficient that you can make a whole cotton candy in just 30 seconds!
You would not want the noise coming from the machine to spoil the fun atmosphere of the party, and to stop that from happening, this machine uses a belt which minimizes noise and vibration. The machine also has a display where you can clearly see the voltage to keep track of the whole process.
Although this machine is awesome as it is, it also has separate components which are sold separately that can be attached to this machine to make it a portable cotton candy cart. The machine also has a drawer where you can store small components such as scoops, candies, etc.
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4. Vivo Candy-V001 Electric Cotton Candy Machine
If you want to make large cotton candies that are just as wooly and flavorful as the ones that you remember having when you were at a festival, then this is the one to go for. This cotton candy maker from VIVO comes with a large stainless steel bowl which will enable you to make jumbo cotton candies, and also to add multiple types of sugar to enhance the flavor of your cotton candies.
As the bowl is quite large, there are four safety clips which will secure the bowl onto the machine and keep it stable throughout the cotton candy making process. To support the making of a large cotton candy, the machine has been equipped with a power of 1030 Watts, and you can make 2 to 3 cotton candies in one minute!
So that you can add the sugar to the machine without creating any mess, this machine comes with a stainless steel scoop with a long handle. At the front, there is a meter that shows you the voltage reading, a switch for turning the machine on, and a switch for starting the heating up process. Apart from that, there is also a fuse dial for safety purposes.
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5. VBENLEM Cotton Candy Machine
VBELNLEM Cotton Candy Machine is a commercial-grade unit with a maximum heating power of 1000 watt. It comes with a 21-inches bowl that is made of food-grade stainless steel. Moreover, there is an aluminum sugar outlet that is featured for even heating. The unit has a simple control area that makes it incredibly easy to operate. It includes a voltage meter, fuse, easy power button, and a temperature controller.
The unit is quick but runs with a whisper-quiet operation. It is designed to produce up to seven servings in a minute, making it among the fastest machines in the lot.
Moreover, the unit features tough stainless steel locking clips and rubber gaskets that are designed to hold the large bowl tightly. And the feet are supported by skid-resistant rubber, to prevent the unit from falling due to heavy vibration.
The machine has a total warm-up period of four minutes. Once its ready, all you have to do is pour the flossy sugar into the bowl, and voila! You have your cotton candy.
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6. Cotton Candy Express CC1000-S Machine
Most cotton candy makers require you to arrange the sugar on your own and you might need to take a few trips to the stores to find a unique flossing sugar and paper cones for making your cotton candy.
However, this cotton candy machine comes as a complete package so that once you bring this home, you can start making delicious hand-spun cotton candies right away! It comes with three unique flavors of flossing sugar, which are Cherry, Blue Raspberry, and Grapes, and also a set of 50 paper cones.
If you wish to, then you can mix and match the different flavors to experiment and have a lot of fun as you make cotton candies of multiple colors. The machine has a dome on top of the bowl so the floss would not fly off everywhere, which keeps your countertop free of mess.
When you have finished making enough cotton candies to satisfy your sweet tooth, you can take the parts apart easily and wash them. This set is especially useful if you do not have the time to plan a lot and to gather the separate components for a party as this complete cotton candy making kit has it all in one single package.
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7. Olde Midway Commercial Spin-2000 Cotton Candy Machine
Instead of being a countertop machine, this comes in the form of a cart so if you are planning to make cotton candies for a crowd at an event whether it be a party, a carnival, a sports festival, etc.
then you should surely look into this one. The cotton candy machine is attached to a cart with two sturdy feet for standing, and two wheels which will help you to take the machine to anywhere you want.
The cart has a handle using which you can push it, and space which can hold three candy flosses, so you can continuously make cotton candies and keep it displayed for the people to take it from there. To prevent the bowl from vibrating and to keep it stable, it can be secured onto the machine using clips which are provided in the set. The machine also has a drawer where you can store your small equipment and keep them within your reach.
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8. Kapas Cotton Candy Maker
Kapas Cotton Candy Maker is among the most modern-looking cotton candy machines in the market, with a glossy red body with silver accent and a white bowl. It is designed to fit into your modern kitchen decor. It is an ideal pick for both parents and kids alike.
The large bowl, electric operation, clear rim guard, and stable feet make it beginner-friendly. Someone with no prior experience of candy making can easily indulge in the process and produce some flawless floss candies.
The unit weighs only about 4 pounds, making it incredibly portable and lightweight. You can carry it on a trip and entertain your kids on the road. It takes just a few minutes to prepare a sugar candy on this machine. The machine includes spoons. You’ll need flossy sugars and paper cones to begin the process. You can also use hard candies of different flavors. And once you’re done using the unit, you can easily disassemble it for thorough cleaning. No sugar particles will remain on its body after a wash.
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9. Funtime FT1000CCP Candy Cloud Cotton Candy Machine
As the name suggests, this machine will bring limitless fun to any party with its efficient cotton candy making abilities and its design that will remind you of an original cotton candy cart from the old times.
The machine unit comes secured to a pink colored cart with wheels, feet, and handle for easy portability of the cart. In addition to that, the front of the cart has a small space with two holes so that it can hold two cotton candies.
The machine's bowl where the floss will be spun is made of high-quality stainless steel and the heating element is powerful enough to heat up the unit and get it ready in only 2 minutes after you have switched it on.
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10. Paragon Spin Magic 5 Cotton Candy Machine
What we especially love about this cotton candy machine is the heat control dial which lets you adjust the heat. This is a feature that is required to make professional quality cotton candies, as you can lower or increase the temperature of the machine and as a result, control the melting of the flossing sugar.
That is why, if your aim is to make professional quality cotton candies, and you want to be able to use your cotton candy for a commercial purpose, then you need to look no more as this will provide you the complete coverage for doing so. Another unique feature of this cotton candy machine is a plastic mesh that comes with metal clips.
The purpose of this mesh is to go around the inner walls of the spinning bowl so that the floss comes out effortlessly and gets twirled around your cotton candy stick without becoming hard or soggy. For many cotton candy machine, this has to be bought separately if you really care about making your cotton candies perfect, for this one, you would receive it right with the machine!
There is another thing about this cotton candy machine that we appreciate is that both the instructions on how to operate the machine and the instructions for cleaning it are printed right on the machine so you would not have to find out the manual book every time you forget how to use the machine.
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Things to Consider Before Buying The Best Cotton Candy Machine
If you are done going through all the cotton candy machines on our list, we would highly recommend you to go through our next section which will discuss some of the key factors that needs to be considered before buying a cotton candy machine since these are the factors that will help you to decide which cotton candy machine will be the perfect match for you.
The purpose of use
This is an important factor which will help you to determine whether to go for the home-use cotton candy machine or a commercial one. The commercial one will usually have a more powerful motor and will be larger compared to the home use ones.
On the other hand, the advantage of a home cotton candy machine is that since it is smaller and easier to use, even your children can use it to make their own cotton candies and have a great time not only savoring their cotton candies but also by making them.
The type of sugar to use
As many of you will already know, cotton candies are made from sugar that has been molten and then spun at a high speed. That is why to make cotton candies, you have to add the source of sugar to your machine, and this sugar will determine the flavor, color, taste, etc., of your cotton candies.
The three common types of sugar used for making cotton candies are hard candies, sugarless candies, and flossing sugar. The hard candies are the usual candies that we have, whereas the flossing sugar is granulated. You can buy these candies from the store, and they come in various exciting flavors such as blue raspberry, rainbow, champagne, and butterscotch. Before you buy a cotton candy machine, make sure to check which type of sugar it is compatible with.
Separate Power and Heat switches
Many cotton candy machines are operated only by a single switch, which can be a good thing if you want it to be as easy as possible or to be used by your children. However, if you want to have a better control over the process, then it is best to go for the ones that have a separate switch for the motor and the heat.
Once you turn the motor on, the core of the machine will start spinning, and then you can turn the heat switch on and wait for the machine to heat up to the temperature needed for the sugar to melt. Having separate switches is very useful in situations, for example, when you want to refill the machine with more sugar. You can keep the heat switch on so that the machine does not cool off, but stop the motor from spinning so that you can add more sugar for making a new cotton candy.
Paper cones and scoops
Besides the main cotton candy machine unit, there are two other things that you need to keep ready before you start your session, and that are paper cones and a scoop. Paper cone is the thing around which the floss will twirl around. Most cotton candy machine comes with several paper cones or reusable plastic cones.
Instead of these, you can also use bamboo sticks that have been lightly wet with water. The scoop is also included in most of the set and this will be needed for scooping up floss sugar and adding it to the heating unit.
Plastic domes and mesh
When the candy starts to melt and the floss starts to come out from the machine, it can fly off in different directions. And many cotton candy machines come with a rim guard to prevent the floss from creating a mess, and this rim guard can be sufficient to keep the floss contained if the cotton candy machine is a small one.
But if you are using a large cotton candy machine, especially a commercial model, then it is best to use a mesh or a plastic dome, which are usually sold separately. The domes will help you keep the floss away from your clothes and surroundings, whereas the mesh helps you to create an evenly shaped, spherical and fluffy cotton candy as the floss is easier to wrap around the cones when you use a mesh.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use hard candy in a cotton candy machine?
Yes, you can use hard candy instead of flossing sugar, and it will bring similar result. Hard candies are, in fact, easier and quicker, and quite surprisingly, they are low in sugar content. You can even go for a sugar-free hard candy if you want a healthier bite. However, it’s best to avoid a hard candy that comes with a soft centre.
Can you use regular sugar to make cotton candy?
Besides hard candy, you can also use regular sugar to make cotton candy. Plain sugar will make equally satisfying cotton candy, even when its not crushed or coarse. However if you’re using regular granulated sugar, expect a bit of melted sugar on the rim after the cotton candy is ready.
How can I make cotton candy machine work?
Here’s how you can use a cotton candy machine to make cotton candy at home.
Conclusion
A cotton candy is among the most popular sweet treats in a party, especially if the party is for kids (at heart). Many of our favorite childhood memories are associated with a pink cotton candy, and keeping a miniature cotton candy machine within your hand’s reach may just be the best gift you can give yourself or a loved one. We have assembled some of the best cotton candy machines, and discussed the features you should look for while buying one. It is about time you grabbed your favorite cotton candy flavor, hit the power switch on the candy machine, and make one of those colorful piece of sweet fluff that will melt right into your mouth!
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