I'm a huge slush-puppie fan and decided to order this little guy based on the reviews and price. Since receiving it a few days ago, I've been extremely satisfied. It's very simple to use and clean, and produces excellent shaved ice. I'm also quite surprised how fast it makes it. For the quality and price, you will not find better machine!
Also, to make a slushi just like the blue raspberry slush-puppie, mix it with Berry Bonkers Hawaiian Punch (one of the harder flavors to find, but I get mine at Shaws). The very similar taste together with the great shaved ice makes it virtually indistinguishable. As a result, I couldn't be happier.
We just got this machine today. Very easy to disassemble and clean and even easier to use! Pour the ice in and turn the top to the right. Pick Slushy or Snow Cone Setting and plug in. That's it! I have loved snow cones since I was a child and now I can make them anytime I want! Added bonus - now I can make my icy blended coffee drinks too! I"ll be saving big bucks!
This worked very well for us. We made shaved ice and put fruit and condensed milk over it. I've only tried the slushie setting which worked great. It shaved ice fast. I had a party and served about 10 servings (about a cup of shaved ice each) and it took less than 5 minutes. Sometimes it was not shaving the ice cubes in it, and all I had to do was to shake the machine a little bit so the ice cubes would rearrange themselves. I used the long ice cubes came directly out of my refrigerator freezer.
I know it seems like a simple product, but the people who complain that it takes 10+ minutes to make a bowl just aren't using it right. Make sure the you twist the knob in the middle of the hopper to lock the chutes in place -- otherwise, there isn't enough downward pressure, and the cubes will just skim over the blade.
I've had at least 4 ice shavers before this one, and this is the best. Requiring a special cylinder of ice is a pain because you have to have the molds prepared ahead of time, and the molds eventually crack. I've used Rival ice cube versions, but the normal one spits ice pieces everywhere, and the deluxe one does a little better, but it still overflows because the shavings collect in the middle and don't spread out. Also, the lid warped in the dishwasher, so it was tough to turn on/off.
The Icy Treats Maker has none of those problems. I can make lots of shavings, and it's really quiet. I haven't decided which size shavings I like better (slushy v. snow cone). The only problem I have is jamming of ice in the chutes. My ice maker makes long, curved "cubes" that don't flow down the chutes all the time. Regular rectangular cubes work much better, but I can either break my cubes in half or shake the machine when I hear it stop making noise.
I've had at least 4 ice shavers before this one, and this is the best. Requiring a special cylinder of ice is a pain because you have to have the molds prepared ahead of time, and the molds eventually crack. I've used Rival ice cube versions, but the normal one spits ice pieces everywhere, and the deluxe one does a little better, but it still overflows because the shavings collect in the middle and don't spread out. Also, the lid warped in the dishwasher, so it was tough to turn on/off.
The Icy Treats Maker has none of those problems. I can make lots of shavings, and it's really quiet. I haven't decided which size shavings I like better (slushy v. snow cone). The only problem I have is jamming of ice in the chutes. My ice maker makes long, curved "cubes" that don't flow down the chutes all the time. Regular rectangular cubes work much better, but I can either break my cubes in half or shake the machine when I hear it stop making noise.
