We purchased this cotton candy maker to use and have fun with this summer. I wanted to try it out because it uses candy that you probably already have around the house and you don't need to order anything special to use it. I also liked the fact that you can make it using sugar-free candies as well, that way I can enjoy the treat with my children.

It's ready right out of the box with just a couple pieces to assemble. You must put the extractor head, bowl and rim on top of the main unit and you're ready to roll. It also comes with two plastic cones so you can get started right away. It does not come with any candy or sugar so you need to have those.

I read several reviews and watched some videos that I found on the web so I would make sure that I knew how to use it.

After assembling, turn the unit on and let it heat up for 5 minutes. Turn the unit off and add your candy, sugar or sprinkles. Turn the unit back on and just shortly the floss starts appearing. Take your cones and start circling the inside the bowl to get it started on the cone. Now you can just hold over the unit and twist the cone over and over again to wrap the floss around the cone. It was actually pretty easy and it worked perfectly.

We made a couple of different batches and we turned the machine off in between each batch because the extractor head spins when the machine is on. We would insert our candy while the machine was off and then turn the machine back on to make cotton candy.

We used lifesavers the first few times and then we used blue raspberry flavored and colored decorating decors from Cake Mate (just the standard cookie/cupcake sugar sprinkles that come in the cake baking section of the grocery store). They each turned out terrific and had amazing flavor. The smell of the blue raspberry cotton candy making was fantastic. The sprinkles did seem to take a little longer to start making than the life savers did.

It makes the same texture as carnival cotton candy but honestly, the taste is much better. Cotton candy just has a ... well, a cotton candy flavor but when you taste it and it tastes like yummy tropical flavors, etc, you will be amazed. This is cotton candy on a whole other level. Yum!

You can order sugar and cones for it right here on Amazon but you probably already have candy around the house that you can use and you can even make your own cones with just rolled up paper if the 2 plastic ones included are not enough.

The Nostalgia Retro Countertop Cotton Candy Maker has brought back delightful memories of childhood fairs and carnivals right into my home! This vintage candy machine is not only adorable in its retro red design, but it also delivers delicious cotton candy that tastes just like the ones I used to enjoy as a kid.

One of the best features of this cotton candy maker is its versatility. It works with both hard candies and flossing sugar, providing options for different flavors and textures. I love experimenting with various hard candies to create unique cotton candy flavors, and the results have been delightful every time!

The set comes with two reusable cones, a sugar scoop, and an extractor head, making it a complete kit for creating cotton candy at home. The cones are easy to clean and can be used over and over again, saving me the hassle of purchasing disposable cones.

Using the machine is a breeze. It heats up quickly and is ready to start spinning cotton candy within minutes. The extractor head works like magic, turning the melted candy or flossing sugar into fluffy and sweet cotton candy in no time.

I appreciate the compact and countertop-friendly design of this cotton candy maker. It doesn't take up much space in my kitchen, and the retro red color adds a charming touch to my countertop.

Cleaning the machine is simple as well. The extractor head can be easily removed for cleaning, and the unit itself can be wiped down with a damp cloth. The parts are well-made and durable, ensuring the machine will last for many cotton candy-making sessions to come.

Not only is this cotton candy maker perfect for family gatherings and parties, but it also brings joy and excitement to any occasion. Watching the cotton candy being spun right in front of my eyes is a delightful experience that never gets old!

In conclusion, the Nostalgia Retro Countertop Cotton Candy Maker has exceeded my expectations in every way. Its charming retro design, ease of use, and ability to create delicious cotton candy from both hard candies and flossing sugar make it a fantastic addition to any kitchen. Whether you're hosting a party or just want to enjoy some nostalgic treats, this cotton candy maker is a must-have for all ages. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to add a touch of fun and sweetness to their home!

I have a few things to say, both about this product and the things you can use to make cotton candy with it, about the hateful and (sorry) uninformed feedback from some buyers, and about expectations on planet earth.

First, those expectations: you can go buy a chimpanzee. You can put him in little clothes and ask him to shake your hand, and you can giggle as he eats pieces of banana. And you can either admit to yourself that it's a chimpanzee, or you can fool yourself into thinking it's a live-in Certified Public Accountant.

Go with the first option. Enjoy the handshakes and banana nibbling. Because if you hand him your W-2s and your bank statements and your box of receipts, you'll be really unhappy when you come back on April 15th and he hasn't prepared your Income Tax returns.

He's a chimp. He TOLD you in the ad that led you to buy him that he is a chimp. It never said "Chimp CPA who can also whip up a heckuva chocolate souffle."

That was YOU projecting YOUR desires on him. Not him making promises he didn't and couldn't keep.

So please, people: before you buy this product and get on here and give it a One-Star review stating how disappointed your 75 party guests were that they had to wait a whole 5 minutes each for a ball of candy floss made of chewy caramels, THE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION CLEARLY TOLD YOU WHAT YOU WERE GETTING YOURSELF INTO.

- This product is adorable, and so versatile in that it creates delicate cotton candy out of not only traditional commercial candy floss, but also common table sugar and an almost unlimited variety of hard candies.

- "Almost" unlimited is stated very clearly in the description and the more helpful user reviews, as well as the enclosed direction manual. How many times do you have to read "soft candies and Jolly Ranchers and gummy candies do NOT work" before you stop screaming here "I used soft candies and jolly Ranchers and gummy candies and they did NOT work!" Seriously, how many times are you going to stick your hand in the chimp's mouth while he's eating his banana, each time screaming "Ow! Why did he BITE me?"

- There are products on the market, many available here on amazon.com, that cost into the thousands. These are great machines for when you own a carnival concession, or rent out to party planners and catering managers. But this unit? It costs less than 40 bucks. Hello? I don't think I REALLY need to educate you here. You're lucid enough to use a computer to find and order such items, so there is an assumption that you can take certain crucial bits of info and interpret them knowledgeably (or at least rationally). IT'S FORTY BUCKS! Do you think Ringling Brothers execs sit there smacking themselves on the head, saying "Darn it all! We bought all these two-thousand dollar machines, when we could have just spent 35 bucks a pop -- with free shipping!" Nosir. A $35 machine does a $35 machine's work. And if you thought you'd stumbled upon the goose that laid the golden egg, I hate to report that the sad fact of life we learn here is "you get what you pay for."

That all being said, what you PAID for is a darned good unit!

If you're having the fly-away problems reported by some, you have to realize (a) it's fibrous, sticky candy being made, not adobe blocks, so yeah... gravity doesn't have much say in this; and (b) if you're vigilant in properly catching it on your cones, this is minimal at worst. Just be careful to do it, if this troubles you, in an area where a few stray wisps of flying sugar floss won't mess with your head. I was going to prop the unit up next to my grandmother's antique lace wedding dress from 1932, but instead I decided to do it on my kitchen counter with the range hood exhaust fan on. But I'm funny that way, I guess.

All the complaints of the candies used to make floss, I'm sorry but: I am dismissing these summarily for the reasons of not paying attention as stated earlier.

I used two different brands of floss. Both worked flawlessly and BOTH -- with just a tablespoon of product as measured by this machine's enclosed measuring scoop -- had me wondering if I'd have to start a second cone. Not because it became scary-huge, but because I thought it looked like WHAT I WOULD EXPECT A HOME COTTON CANDY CONE TO LOOK LIKE WHEN FILLED TO REASONABLE CAPACITY. I stuck it out bravely and made it all fit on one. I'm daring that way.

I also used plain old, bottom-shelf, store-brand white sugar. Again: flawless floss, and more than the "two small bites" several reviewers complained of. But also bear in mind that "two bites" of cotton candy are not equal to two bites of meat loaf. Cotton candy is simply not as dense. That's why it's called "cotton candy" and not "candy loaf". And I don't think meat loaf would work well in this machine either, but I'm sure that somewhere out there someone is totally miffed that their experiment with their saucy dinner leftovers did not produce a fluffy ball of candy when stuffed into this machine.

I then pushed the envelope with hard candies and discovered a truth: you have to use a "hard crack" confection, plainly and simply, as the directions and reviews and product description and logical thought have dictated already ad nauseum. Lifesavers and Worther's Originals are brilliant.

I THEN GOT REALLY MAD SCIENTIST AND TRIED HALL'S COUGH SUPPRESSANT DROPS AND GUESS WHAT? Amaaaaaaaaaazing! Cotton Candy Medicine! You cannot BELIEVE how amazing this turned out.

Because first, I had a cough and needed pampering, and second, because THE COUGH DROPS ARE THE RIGHT CONSISTENCY.

The big lesson here though, and I think it had a lot to do with why some found the floss balls too small: the direction to use two hard candies does not take into consideration the SIZE of the candies. Two Lifesavers have FAR LESS MASS than two butterscotch or striped peppermint candies. Since it is NOT a nuclear reactor and you will NOT decimate your neighborhood or our planet by being a bit experimental, if the candy looks small, use three or four of them. G'head. Go nuts.

Finally, to the complaints of it taking forever to heat up: Bull pucky.

I let it run for about 10 minutes just as a preheat. From thereon in, it's smooth sailing. I found that with the addition of floss or candy or sugar or what have you, it's necessary to not belabor the step of adding the sweets. Shut it, wait for the spinning to stop, load, and then turn it right back on. Don't give it cooling time.

You'll probably note as I did that there's an initial "floss fake-out" where you get a batch that spins on contact, and then barely anything further happens. Don't even bother gathering this: in a minute or so it will really start producing floss and you'll want to conserve your energy for gathering the real stuff.

Do as the directions say: start by coating the cone with one or two turns in the upright, vertical position (like you see the pros doing); but since the unit is small and as the ball grows it gets too close to the heating and spinning action in the center, you want to turn the cone once started to the HORIZONTAL position, and then like you're casting a spell on the machine, wave it back and forth slowly like a magic wand, spinning it between your fingers as you gather. Don't be afraid to use your free (ahem, and CLEAN) hand to sort of smooth it into place as necessary on the cone.

And use your ears in conjunction with your eyes: the faster the unit spins the faster the floss is produced. So when you hear it revving higher, get ready for an increase in output.

My first time out, I made six batches (I know, I'm a pig) in rapid succession. I stood over the machine, and took breaks only to get other ingredients out and ready as the mood struck. I left the machine running so it would stay warm, and literally, each batch only took a minute TOPS to get flossing once the candy was added. It works really well if you and a friend or two sit around the machine, at the table, with all your ingredients laid out, and your own cones. You can take turns, keeping it hot and going, and enjoy bolt after bolt of fluffy yum. Think of it as a spun sugar fondue. No seriously. This isn't just for kids anymore...

Clean up? A total snap. And yes, there will be a buildup of unflossed candy gunk around the rim, but that is a total BONUS because when you EASILY break it loose you have a crunchy candy treat that reminds you of all the cotton candy confections you just enjoyed.

Some users complained of how hard it was to assemble and dissemble but I disagree completely. The heating/spinning cup inserts VERY easily, and slides off easily with a bit of a tug. But it's built to stay together when spinning at a high RPM, so duh: it takes a tiny bit of effort. You can't just ASK it to come off. You actually have to (gasp!) pull it. The top rim pops on and off with no effort. The bottom bowl twists counter clockwise to "lock" into place but admittedly, I don't even lock it fully. I twist it, keeping downward pressure, until it says "yeah, that's good enough for me." And then it's good enough for ME in turn. It stays snug, and since there is no motion involving the bowl, and no unit motion that even shakes it loose (either up or clockwise) this has NEVER failed me. And it comes right back off, again, with a bit of a tug. Fears that the wear and tear perpetrated against the unit in this process I feel are without foundation. You needn't force the poor thing, and you also (in my opinion) shouldn't be making so much cotton candy in your every day life that the unit is used often enough to suffer much wear and tear in general.

I cannot recommend this unit enough.

This cotton candy maker is a good little machine if you have the time to stand there for a while. It makes good cotton candy but it doesn't make a lot at a time which is a pain when you have 5 little ones all wanting to eat some at the same time lol

Whether you can enjoy candies with sugar, or are diabetic, here are flavor combos and suggestions plus what you CAN'T use.

First off, here is what WON'T work with this machine:

* Skittles, Lemonheads or Boston Baked Beans
* Hot Tamales or Ike & Mikes
* Gummy Bears or Worms
* Gumballs or Round Candy
* Citrus Slices or Starburst
* Anything chewy, gummy or with too much cream

For best results, use no more than two pieces of candy (so it spins faster), but you can also cut/break candy into halves. One piece of candy on one side of the spinner, and two halves opposite that for better flavor combinations.

Good candy choices include Lifesavers (fruit, Hawaiian Fruit, Fruiteria, butter rum) but not their Mints (won't fluff), Werther's Original & Chocolate Hard Candies, Butterscotch, Cinnamon Discs, Peppermints, and Coffee (but not Nips). Brach's Soda Poppers (Root Beer, 7UP, Dr. Pepper, Orange Crush) work great, but only use one candy cut in half or it won't fluff right.

Here's what I've come up with so far:

* Orange Muffin: 1 Butterscoth + 1/2 Cinnamon + 1/2 Orange LS
* Turtle Frappe: 1 Hard Coffee + 1 Werther's Caramel Chocolate
* Raspberry Mocha: 1 Coffee + 1/2 Raspberry + 1/2 Werthers Choc.
* Chocolate Covered Strawberry: Strawberry LS + 1 Werthers Choc.
* Cherry Garcia: 1 Cherry LS + 1/2 Werthers Choc + 1/2 Vanilla
* Candy Apple: 1 Green Apple + 1 Cinnamon Disc

Your cotton candy will be fluffier with sugar-based candy, though sugar-free still works fine. Avoid candies that have too many non-sugar ingredients; heavy creams or actual peanut butter will cause it to not fluff.

For best results, DO NOT stir your cone in a circle around the spinner (like how you would stir a pot of soup). That only works on big machines, you'll be too close to your heat source and some of the candy will burn. Instead, do that for just a few seconds to get some fluff on your cone. Then wave the cone side to side a few inches above the spinner, while slowly spinning it in your hand (like the way you twist your fork with spaghetti on it). That twisting will pull fluff towards your cone; you can even raise the cone a few inches every so often to pull more fluffed candy up and out of the bowl. Mostly you want to keep it away from the hot spinner.

This is a really fun product, and you're given many ways to experiment with flavors. Definitely get your hands on one.