Nostalgia Electrics Hard Candy Cotton Candy Maker
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Through Christmas, we’ll be sharing our favorite picks for holiday gift ideas for food-lovers, home cooks (both novice and all-star) and those who love to entertain. Check out details below for a new holiday gift idea… and scroll down for a giveaway!
Holiday Gift Idea: Nostalgia Electrics Hard Candy Cotton Candy Maker
Anytime I see a Nostalgia Electrics appliance while I’m out shopping, the inner kid in me comes out and I’m suddenly overwhelmed with cravings of all my favorite childhood treats. You may have seen some of their products from their fun collection of retro-themed small applainces including popcorn makers, a snow cone maker, cake pop and donut hole baker, and the super-retro hot dog roller. I have a huge soft spot for all things retro, so their fun-food small appliances instantly win me over. When I had the chance to test their Platinum Series Hard Candy Cotton Candy Maker, you can imagine my excitement!
Platinum Series Hard Candy Cotton Candy Maker
Who doesn’t love cotton candy?! It was THE treat I looked forward to most at the State Fair when I was a kid. This cotton candy maker from Nostalgic Electrics brings back all of those favorite childhood memories carting around a big bag of cotton candy and all of my stuffed animal winnings while I road the Scrambler (over and over) with my dad. Though the Fair only stops by once a year, I don’t have to wait that long to indulge. I tested the new Cotton Candy Maker just in time for some holiday-scented cotton candy and got to share its fluffy creations with my 4-year-old daughter and create new memories with her.
I love the look of the machine… the brushed platinum exterior still has a bit of retro flair without being kitschy. If you’re displaying it on your countertop, it will blend in nicely with other appliances, but still has that retro “cute factor” of a cotton candy machine. It’s surprisingly lightweight, but has suction cups mounted on its bottom legs to ensure sturdiness while you’re spinning sugar. Assembly was very easy—I was actually surprised at how short the instructions were, but it’s so simple… all you do is check to make sure all parts are locked into place, turn it on to preheat for at least 5 minutes, then turn off to drop in your hard candy (or flavored sugar), and back on again and it works in an instant.
Heating up for round two
My 4-year-old really wanted to help me test it on our first go around. I was apprehensive, worrying that the appliance might get too hot for her to help spin sugar, but found that the heat is completely contained inside the machine. All of its outer parts stayed cool to the touch and I had no worries letting her help along the way (with my supervision, of course)! This would be such a fun activity for a birthday party. I took the opportunity to use up leftover hard candies from Halloween (the machine only requires 2 pieces of hard candy for a ‘serving’)—and it worked like a charm. The machine preheated in 5 minutes and when we dropped our candy in, it instantly started spinning sugar. With the machine, you get two reusable plastic cones to hold your tufts of sugar, though if you’re planning a big party you can find disposable paper cones from numerous sellers online. The clear rim that tops the cotton candy maker lets you see the soft, cottony sugar as it spins which really excites the kiddos… (and the grown ups).
Our favorite combo of candies were Jolly Ranchers; watermelon with blue raspberry were fantastic. I’ve never had cotton candy so ‘flavored’ before… this beats the standard pink and blue varieties at the Fair, BY FAR. Since it’s near the holidays, we also broke up some candy cane pieces and spun peppermint-flavored cotton candy that was equally addictive. I felt that the texture was lighter than the bagged cotton candy I’ve had at the Fair and if you love cotton candy, then you know that lighter = better. I can’t wait to experiment with fresh-made cotton candy for some out-of-the-box desserts when we entertain.
My cotton candy rotating skills might need some practice, but you get the idea:
Candy Cane Cotton Candy
Candy Cane Cotton Candy
The machine spins candy in small batches (but plenty enough for one serving). If you’re looking for those giant, fluffy cones of cotton candy, just add in another 2 pieces of hard candy after the first have dissolved and keep spinning on the same cone. Try layering flavors, too!
Wanna buy one for yourself or a friend? You’ll find the Cotton Candy Maker exclusively at Nordstrom’s this year. Purchase one online at shop.nordstrom.com or at a Nordstrom’s retail location near you.
Check out more of their products online at nostalgiaelectrics.com and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
Ready for a giveaway? Enter below!
Giveaway Details
The folks at Nostalgia Electrics are giving one lucky reader their very own Platinum Series Hard Candy Cotton Candy Maker! Enter below:
THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED. CONGRATS TO OUR WINNER, KRISTINA’S K.
We received complimentary samples to facilitate the writeup; however, our opinions are wholly our own. View our Disclosure Policy for more info.
About the Author - Amy Martin
Author of Her Plate, Amy's love of food, cooking and all things culinary keeps her endlessly plotting what her next meal will be. Her pastimes include creating in (i.e. demolishing) her own kitchen and baking far more sweets than her tiny family could ever eat.
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Cinnamon!
blue raspberry
Wow–I haven’t had cotton candy in so long, I don’t even know the flavors! My favorite when I was a kid was “pink.” lol. I think I’d love your Jolly Rancher idea.
I love to get there and look at them all and make them give me the purple one which occurs when they change over from pink to blue. So whatever that is, it is my favorite!
The pink stuff you get @ fairs.
Didn’t know they had flavors! Kids have only ever had the pink ones?!?!
I just thought my options were pink or blue! You mean there are flavors???
Any flavor is my favorite!
I like the pink
strawberry
CAndy Cane
blue raspberry
Whatever the pink colored one is… bubblegum?
I love it all all flavors and colors
strawberry
Peppermint
Raspberry.
blue raspberry
strawberry
The pink colored Cotton Candy is my favorite flavor.
What a fun machine to giveaway. My kids had been wanting one for the longest time! My favorite flavor is bubble gum. 🙂
amy [at] utry [dot] it
Any flavor will do for me I just love cotton candy!!!
Strawberry!!
the stuff I ate as a kid, it was pink don’t know if it had any flavor other than teeth rotting sugar.
I haven’t had it in so many years! I don’t remember that there were flavors–I just liked the pink one.
I like the pink kind. I thought the flavor was cotton candy flavor.
Blueberry for me.
love the pink one I am guessing it is strawberry..
All the colors taste the same to me, lol, like cotton candy. If there were mango flavored cotton candy, I would love that.
I never knew there were flavors other than colored sugar 🙂
Blue! (Not sure what that flavor is exactly lol)
Pink…maybe that’s cherry?
Raspberry
I didn’t know there were flavors. I just like the color pink and pure sugar
Strawberry for me
My favorite is the blue raspberry also
Pink Lemonade
THE BLUE RASPBERRY OF COURSE! OR PINA COLADA
I love strawberry cotton candy. Thanks for the awesome giveaway 🙂
Renee
fattybumpkins at yahoo dot com
The only flavor I’ve had was “pink”, but root beer barrel flavored cotton candy would be fun!
I like the blue raspberry one. 🙂
I like the pink one!
We go to a fair every year that serves maple cotton candy and it is so good.
I always liked the blue whatever the flavor was you got at the fairs.
I love the blue raspberry flavor! So yummy! I can NEVER say no to fresh cotton candy, in fact I served this at my wedding as a special goodie. I thought the kiddos would love it- didn’t know how many adults would love it too! It was the hit of the day! =)
I love cherry flavored! so good.
The blue one! LOL
Bubble gum flavored.
Blue raspberry!
Love the Jolly Rancher idea. My favorite flavor is sour green apple.
I didn’t know until now that cotton candy came in different flavors. I thought it was just a different color of the same exact thing.
The pink flavor was always my favorite.