Why I got this
I wanted to have snow cones for the 4th of July (2 years ago) for the kids. With it being so hot outside I thought it would have been a hit. Sadly it was not used much and did not make a big splash like I would like.

What it comes with and assembly.
It comes with 3 samples of dried syrup and the unit itself.
There was nothing to assemble other than screwing on the lid and attaching the bin.

How it works
First take off the top lid. You then place regular ice cubes in the top compartment. Put the lid back on and turn on the machine. The inner compartment spins which forces the ice to come in contact with a razor. That’s how it gets shaved. It does not hold onto the ice cube, rather it tumbles that ice cubes around. Shaved ice is immediately ejected out of a port on the front of the unit. It’s that simple.
After you put the shaved ice in a container you can pour some syrup over the top and eat it.

What is the capacity?
It comes with a hopper. The hopper can hold up to 2.33 cups of water. But in reality it holds much less because the ice builds up in the center, not evenly across. I find the hopper to be a bit of a nuisance and just use my glass or cup, but there is some ice “spray-age” with that option.

Do you need the ice holding hopper?
No you do not. If you remove the hopper then you can put a bowl or cup, in place of the hopper, and use that to collect the shaved ice.

What is my opinion on the results
The ice is too course for my tastes. In addition the shaved ice is not uniform. You have big and small pieces and there is no way to really adjust the size of the shavings. I would much rather have fine shaved ice instead, even if it took longer or required a special ice-freezing container.
If you are looking for a slushy then you should spend the money and get an ice cream maker, not this unit. If you are looking for a shaved ice machine then you want to look for a machine that uses frozen blocks of ice and has a blade that only shaves the top layer of the giant ice cube.

What type of ice did I use?
Bottled water frozen in ordinary ice cube trays.

Can the blade be replaced?
The blade is attached with a screw and can be replaced. But I’m not sure if they still make replacements though.

How was it received at gatherings?
I left it out for people to do it themselves. I didn’t make a big deal about it. And because of that it didn’t get much use, in fact only one person (besides myself) has used it. And he wasn’t all that impressed with the results either.

Is it hard to clean?
It is just water so there is nothing to clean. The most you will have to do is wipe it down or let it air dry.

Durability
I have only used it a half-dozen times and so far there have been no problems. I have no concerns with the unit so far.

Weight and dimensions:
Weight: 3lb, 0.5 oz
Height: 10 inches
Diameter: 6 13/16 inches

Summary
Ultimately I cannot recommend this product. It just does not turn out a nice enough product for me to fall in love with. I’d rather go down to DQ for their slushy or the fair for a real Sno-Cone stand. In 2 years, I can count the number of times I’ve used it on one hand. I think that says it all.

Other reviews you might be interested in.
Rival Ice Cream maker


Recommended: No