Best Snow Cone Maker Reviews 2020

The price of snow cone makers varies greatly, depending on what you need the machine for. A countertop model, for example, will cost less than a commercial-use one, but you can find snow cone makers for as a little as $20 and for as much as $400. To make a tasty frozen treat, you don’t have to spend $400, but if you’re looking to serve a ton of tasty frozen treats to friends, neighbors, and family, you may want to spend a little more.

One thing we can caution you about is to avoid very cheap snow cone makers simply because the plastic components in these aren’t always BPA-free and are at risk of breaking after only a few uses.

Although you may have some idea about what to look for as you shop around for your snow cone contraption, it can be hard to figure out which features are the most important. Does wattage really matter or should you focus more on the types of blades? It’s these questions that we can help answer.

As you shop, look for the following…

• Manual or Electric: Electric ones are easier to operate, but more prone to breaking and can’t be used anywhere. Manuals ones are a little harder to operate, but are portable and useable wherever because they don’t need electricity to work.
• Safety Features: If you’re purchasing a snow cone maker for your kids to operate, make sure to take a close look at the safety features to avoid any unwanted accidents.
• Capacity: If you’re making lots of snow cones for lots of people, go with a machine that can hold lots of ice and churn out the snow cones pretty quick.
• Versatility: Some machines only crush the ice, some only shave it, but some do both. Decide which you’d prefer—snow cones, shaved ice, or both.
• Size: Some snow cone makers are huge and even smaller models can be a little heavy. If you plan to store the unit on your countertop, measure the space out to ensure it’s big enough.
• Extras: Lots of machines come with reusable cones, paper cones, recipe booklets, and more. Some also come with syrups, but you can always top your snowy treat with juice, soda, or fruit and honey.
• Ice Type: Some just use regular crushed ice, but others require ice molds. The molds usually come with the machine, but not always, so be sure to check before purchasing.

Now that you know what to look for, we can talk about how these features play into the design.

Snow cone machines usually have several important components: interior blades that crush or shave the ice, a horn to put the ice inside, and a hopper to push the ice down. Some machines also have a box similar to a commercial popcorn machine at a movie theater. This box holds the ice and, if big enough, can actually cool a small area.

All machines have stainless steel blades, but not all the blades are replaceable. If the blades aren’t replaceable, keep in mind that you may have to just buy a new machine when the blades wear down. Additionally, the type of ice you want—whether it’s crushed for snow cones or shaved for shaved ice—will depend on the shape of your ice and how the blades chop through it. Some people prefer machines with ice molds because the blades literally just shave off a fine layer of ice whereas machines without molds usually end up crushing and grinding the ice.

Depending on the size and capacity of your machine, it may or may not have a box to hold shaved or crushed ice. If you’re a single person or have a small family, the box isn’t necessary, but if you want to use the machine for a party or other function, the box is more convenient because some can hold enough ice for 20 snow cones at a time.

Lastly, safety features. These features are usually fairly simple, like the machine won’t operate without the lid placed on it, or a safety cutoff switch that turns the engine of when it gets too hot or no ice is in the horn. Most countertop machines are fine for kids to operate themselves, but be sure to supervise them the first couple times to ensure no accidents.

Snow cone makers couldn’t be easier to use! A manual one requires that you turn the crank to grind up your ice and that’s it. Electric ones just require you to push a button, but some machines are built so that the button has to be held down to continuously grind or shave the ice (this is another type of safety feature common in commercial machines).

Clean-up is also a breeze as long as you don’t add syrup to the main ice box (if your machine has one). Adding syrup to just the bowls or cones of ice is the best idea because then you won’t have to dissemble your machine to clean the sticky residue out of the box. Don’t ever put syrups into the hopper unless your machine okays it. Many of the interior components can’t be washed.

The last thing to remember as you make your shaved ice or snow cones is to enjoy the process and the end result!