Top 5 Best Cotton Candy Machines 2023:
- VBENLEM Electric Cotton Candy Machine
- Clevr Compact Cotton Candy Machine
- The Candery Premium Cotton Candy Machine
- VIVO Commercial Cotton Candy Machine
- Nostalgia PCM805 Hard & Sugar-Free Cotton Candy Machine
Is there a thing that evokes childhood memories better than pastel blue and pink cotton candy?
These wonderful memories hold a special place in our hearts.
Even today, it is equally popular and sold at the carnival, fair, circus, etc.
One thing’s for sure: No kid is indifferent to a stick of cotton candy!
With the right appliance, pastel dreams can become a reality at your home, and you can make cotton candy whenever you want to!
So, if you want a candy-time-traveler machine, you need to find the best cotton candy machine for you.
5 Best Cotton Candy Machines in 2023: Detailed Reviews
1. VBENLEM Electric Cotton Candy Machine
Our first pick has all of the features you could possibly want in a cotton candy machine: power, utility, and a reasonable price tag.
Let’s dissect the characteristics that make Vbenlem electric cotton candy machine so well-rounded.
It has a 1000W max heating power, and 30W operating power, which means you can use it both for amateur and professional cotton candy production.
There are as many as four size varieties of this machine, with the largest being a full-size professional machine with a stand and mobility wheels. There are also three color varieties to pick from (blue, red, and pink). These features earned Vbenlem maximum points in the design department.
The large 21-inch bowl is made from stainless steel, which means that it is quality and due to last for a very long time. The sugar bowl is made from aluminum, which heats evenly – something you undoubtedly want for top-notch cotton candy!
Besides, both bowls were very easy to clean.
What we liked is how user-friendly this machine is, even for complete beginners, in spite of how advanced production it offers. Namely, the control system is very precise, and there are the voltmeter, insurance, temperature, and ON/OFF button on the front part.
After it warms up in a couple of minutes, it will need only an additional minute to produce around seven servings of cotton candy! This is the highest amount that any machine has managed to make in a minute, and it’s another feature that bumped Vbenlem cotton candy machine above all the others.
The rubber feet that prevent any vibration and movement are a nice finishing touch to this perfect cotton candy machine.
Pros
- Quiet operating
- Stainless steel bowl
- Quick preparation time
- Powerful
- Versatile
- Sleek design
- Fast clean-up
Cons
- No cons here!
2. The Candery Premium Cotton Candy Machine
Our budget-friendly pick, the Candery Premium cotton candy machine, impressed me with its functionality and productivity.
Firstly, it looks like it just came out of a fairy tale, with a sleek ornamented pink design and a beautiful package. This also makes it a great gift. We fell in love with it right when the box arrived.
But more importantly, it performed just as well as some models that cost three times as much.
The high-quality construction features a stainless steel large bowl, a protective safety shield, and a stainless steel base. The assembly process is quite straightforward as well – you just need to put the floss applicator on the bottom, attach the plastic cover, and the machine is ready.
What is even better is that the manufacturers included ten candy cones and a sugar scoop in the package. You really cannot ask for more at this fantastic price!
It is usually very silent when operating; if it suddenly becomes too loud, it means that it’s time for cleaning. Thankfully, it is very easy to maintain!
All in all, if you’re looking for a candy cotton machine that you’re going to use strictly for your home production, and is perfectly safe to use around your kids, this is the one.
Pros
- Quality materials
- Stable feet
- Beautiful design
- Free accessories included
- The best value for the price
Cons
- Not suitable for a professional use
3. Clevr Compact Cotton Candy Machine
If you’re looking for a perfect compact cotton candy machine to start up your home business or want to produce large quantities of cotton candy, Clever may be just right for you.
It made it to our top 5 list because of the premium materials that were put into its construction.
There is a 20.5-inch stainless steel bowl, and 1080W of power is contained in the high-performance motor. The motor is also protected with drive belts to prolong the durability of this powerful candy maker.
This amount of power means that you’ll be making around four servings per minute, which is somewhat less than with our top pick, but it is still unbelievable.
The power does not come at the expense of size, so the Clevr cotton candy machine is just as compact as some less powerful choices. Weighing around 20 pounds, you can transport it quickly, and it’ll fit any kitchen counter.
The heating head heats evenly to produce quality and fluffy cotton candy, and the pan (or the bowl) surrounding it is removable and thus easy to clean.
Another thing we wanted to note is that it comes with a sugar scoop. Knowing that the manufacturers chose to include something extra is always a massive plus for us!
Pros
- A powerful, belt-driven motor
- Stainless steel
- Compact
- Free sugar scoop
- Fast
- Convenient to use
Cons
- The instructions are a bit obscure
- Only 110V plugin. So, if you’re outside the US, you may not be able to use it!
4. VIVO Commercial Cotton Candy Machine
We want to state the obvious: the Vivo cotton candy machine is expensive, and that’s why it isn’t our top pick.
But is it worth the money; will you get a stellar cotton candy machine? – Definitely yes.
Let’s break down the features.
This electric appliance has a 20-inch stainless steel bowl with a sugar scoop, and it is powered on 1030W. Just like the previous one, it operates on 110V, which may be a deal-breaker if you’re not from the US.
Performance-wise, this machine was fast and fully functional. It can work with hard candy, too, but we prefer making cotton candy the traditional way, with sugar.
A bonus tip: if you opt for hard candy, only use candy made with corn syrup (such as Nerds, Life Savers, Soda Poppers…)
Once you get a hold of its functions, you’ll be able to make around three servings per minute. This is pretty satisfactory and good enough for parties and small businesses, as well as for home use.
Getting a top is not mandatory, but we would suggest getting one and preventing any waste of your materials. We found the process to be 50% more productive once we got the bubble cover shield.
And if something goes wrong, it’s nice to know that you’re covered under a one-year warranty.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Suitable for hard candy
- Versatile
- A belt-driven motor
- No vibration
Cons
- Works only on 110V
- Pricey
5. Nostalgia PCM805 Hard & Sugar-Free Cotton Candy Machine
Last but not least, the Nostalgia PCM805 cotton candy machine is continuously amongst the best-selling cotton candy machines, and we can understand why.
The price tag for the features it offers is more than tempting.
It is true – there are some better models out there – but Nostalgia PCM805 does the job, and may we say, it does it very decently!
Before we begin with the description of the features, we want to say that this machine won the best design hands down. It screams “cotton candy”!
However, if you’re looking for an industrial-like machine that will produce cotton candy for professional purposes, search elsewhere.
But if your aim is to find an affordable and useful appliance to make cotton candy at home, keep reading!
Weighing only around 5 pounds, it is incredibly portable. There is a quality bowl with a rim guard around it so that you don’t waste any of your cotton candy.
Its weakest link is the speed, as it takes around 10 minutes to warm up. This is longer than with all of our other picks. However, once it does, the production is as effective as with them!
So, this is not a huge flaw, and we hope you’re not that impatient that 10 minutes would be a problem for you.
Because this machine definitely deserves a chance in your kitchen!
It is stable and easy to clean, and you even get two reusable cones, a sugar scoop, and an extractor head!
Pretty amazing, huh?
Pros
- High-quality materials
- Efficient
- Versatile
- Can work with both sugar and hard candy
- Easy to clean
- Portable
- Free accessories included
Cons
- Slower than our other picks
What Is a Cotton Candy Machine And Why Should You Buy It?
Cotton candy machines (obviously) produce cotton candy, a.k.a. spun sugar – colored, fluffy, and delicious.
But what else needs to be explained is how they function.
A cotton candy machine has a “sugar” bowl into which everything needed for cotton candy is poured (table sugar & food coloring, or colored sugar). Then, heaters around the head heat the mixture, melt it, and then the molten mixture is squeezed through tiny holes into a larger bowl.
In the middle of the second bowl is the spinning head around which you gather your cotton candy.
When the mixture is pushed out, the air solidifies the molten sugar, and the cotton candy builds up around the spinning head. Then, you just need to gather it, and there you have it!
So, you should definitely get a cotton candy machine – to create colorful memories for your kid, bring back yours, or even start up a small home business!
What Should You Consider When Buying a Cotton Candy Machine?
Now that you know how cotton candy machines function, you have to make sure to know about all the varieties out there.
So, without further ado, let’s cover the basics!
These are the most prominent factors you should bear in mind.
1. Type
The type of your cotton candy machine goes hand in hand with the purpose of your cotton candy machine and your intentions.
By the book, there are two types of cotton candy machines:
Commercial, the larger ones, and made for large-scale production, i.e., make larger quantities of cotton candy at once. They are also more expensive.
Consumer, smaller cotton candy machines, predominantly made for home use. They are more budget-friendly.
But we also like to say that there is a third type:
Interchangeable cotton candy machines. By this, we mean that now there is a considerable number of cotton candy machines that are both for home and professional or semi-professional use, as they are compact but powerful.
The latter type is our favorite because it enables you to occasionally throw an enjoyable cotton candy party, or start up your business if you feel like doing so, but you can also make just a couple of candies if you’re craving something sweet.
A possible type, which is more like a variant of commercial cotton candy machines, is cart machines. They are the real prototype of carnival cotton candy machines, as they come with a full-size cart and wheels. They are for you if you want to throw children’s parties in your backyard, or dabble into cotton candy production professionally.
2. Heat-up Time
Another factor to consider is the time that it takes for a cotton candy machine to warm up, and then, how long it takes for it to make candy.
Again, larger machines, which are also more powerful, heat up more quickly than smaller, consumer machines.
Most of our picks take no more than five minutes to heat, and another one to two minutes to make a couple of cotton candy servings.
As you can see, the whole process is quite quick, so you needn’t worry about heat-up time too much.
3. Production Speed
This is something that is inseparable from the previous factor.
If a machine quicks up quickly, chances are that the speed of creating candy is higher.
Also, professional machines were created to handle larger groups of people, and therefore their speed is higher. They can make as many as seven servings of cotton candy per minute! This is also the record we’ve seen.
On the other hand, smaller, consumer cotton candy machines usually produce one serving per minute.
4. Material
The materials of the parts constituting your cotton candy machines are also essential.
We have a simple rule here: we don’t accept anything less than stainless steel for cotton candy machine bowls. It is durable, easy to clean, and it simply cannot be substituted!
As for the sugar bowl, our favorite is aluminum – for the same reasons as stainless steel.
5. Design
The design is not of prime importance, of course, and so it accounts only for 20% of our final grade.
But since these appliances are the real retro icons, you might as well get one that looks like it comes from the 60s, with all the pastel colors and recognizable vintage design.
All of our picks look like that, and a cotton candy machine will surely stand out as one of the most interesting and well-designed appliances in your kitchen!
Conclusion: Our Pick(s)
All that is left at the end of this article is to unveil the best out of the best cotton candy machines.
Based on our research, the best overall choice for a cotton candy machine comes from Vbenlem. The manufacturers have put quite a bit of effort into making this incredible, versatile, and efficient candy maker.
The Clevr cotton candy machine is a close second to this model. It’s the only other cotton candy maker on our list with an industrial amount of power, and it’s the best compared to the similarly priced models.
Finally, our budget pick, the Candery cotton candy machine, sets itself apart from other machines with its beautiful design and high-quality construction.
You’re now ready to make your days sweeter and satiate your sweet tooth whenever you wish!
