Best Cotton Candy Machines – Buyer’s Guide

Best Cotton Candy MachinesWho doesn’t remember the intoxicating smell of cotton candy as a child? To get one of those happy childhood memories, use a small-scale cotton candy machine in your own home. These are easy to use machines that help you recall one of the sweetest memories of childhood with the smells and taste of real cotton candy. You can even get commercial-grade machines that you can use at events or even start your own business with.

Choose Your Option!

Here are a few tips on what to look for in the best cotton candy machine and a few reviews to help you start shopping.

Best Cotton Candy Machines for Commercial Use (Updated July, 2023)

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Editor’s Choice

Clevr Large Commercial Candyfloss Machine

Clevr Large Commercial Candyfloss Machine

  • Bowl Size: 20.5″
  • Bowl Height: 6″
  • Colors: Blue; Pink; Red
  • Power: 1080W (operates on 110V / 60Hz power)
  • Dimensions W x D x H: 13 x 20.5 x 19 in
  • Weight: 30 pounds

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VIVO Pink Electric Commercial Cotton Candy Machine with Cart

VIVO Commercial Cotton Candy Machine with Cart

  • Bowl Size: 20″
  • Bowl Height: 6″
  • Colors: Pink, Blue
  • Power: 1030W (operates on 110V / 60Hz power)
  • Dimensions W x D x H: 21 x 21 x 22.5 in
  • Weight: 46.8 pounds

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FunTime FT1000CC-P Commercial Cotton Candy Maker

FunTime Commercial Cotton Candy Maker

  • Bowl Size: 20″
  • Bowl Height: 6″
  • Colors: Pink
  • Power: 950-1050 watt / 120 volt
  • Dimensions W x D x H: 20.5 x 20.5 x 19.5 in
  • Weight: 27.8 pounds

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VIVO Candy Floss Maker with Bubble Shield

VIVO Commercial Cotton Candy Machine with Buble Shield

  • Bowl Size: 20″
  • Bowl Height: 6″
  • Colors: Blue, Pink
  • Power: 1030 watt / 110 volt
  • Dimensions W x D x H: 21 x 21 x 14in
  • Weight: 23 pounds

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Best Cotton Candy Makers for Home (Updated July, 2023)

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Editor’s Choice

Nostalgia PCM805 Hard & Sugar-Free Candy Cotton Candy Maker

Nostalgia PCM805 Cotton Candy Maker for Home

  • Colors: Pink/White
  • Power: Standard household electrical outlet 120V
  • Dimensions W x D x H: 12.1 x 11.9 x 8.7 in
  • Weight: 3.7 pounds

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Nostalgia PCM325WP Vintage Hard and Sugar Free Countertop Cotton Candy Maker

Nostalgia PCM325WP Vintage Cotton Candy Maker

  • Colors: Pink, White
  • Power: Standard household electrical outlet 120V
  • Dimensions W x D x H: 12.25 x 12.25 x 11in
  • Weight: 5.3 pounds

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BELLA 13572

BELLA 11407 Home Cotton Candy Maker

  • Colors: Red, White
  • Power: Standard household electrical outlet 120V
  • Dimensions W x D x H: 13 x 13 x 7 in
  • Weight: 4.6 pounds

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Best Cotton Candy Machine Reviews

1. Clevr Large Commercial Candyfloss Machine – Best for Versatility Use

If you love to eat cotton candy of carnival-quality, then the Clevr Cotton Candy Machine is a versatile and popular favorite at parties and other events. This cotton candy machine would even work well if you have your own catering or party business since it is cute, affordable, and performs well.

You can produce cotton candy for toppings on cupcakes and cocktails, and you can also come up with your cotton candy flavors depending on how creative you are. This easy to operate machine just needs to be turned on and heated up. After pouring some sugar in Candyfloss Machine, you can start twirling your own cotton candy.

Features for the Clevr Cotton Candy Machine includes quick and hassle-free heating that gives you fluffy amounts of cotton candy, a storage drawer that is perfect for supplies and accessories, and a safety latch that keeps the machine from working unless you have the bowl latched in securely. It operates with 1080W of power and features a high-performance belt-driven motor that comes with a 20 ½ inch stainless steel bowl, an extra drive belt for the motor, and a stainless steel scoop.

The Clevr Cotton Candy Machine can produce between two and four servings each minute and this machine is easy to clean once you have cooked some portions of cotton candy. It also features a voltmeter, heat controller, and power switch on the front panel.

If you are looking for a good way to start your own business, this commercial-grade cotton candy machine can give you high-profit margins. Or, it can be a good way to get your kids interested in starting a business of their own. Either way, if you pull out the Clevr Cotton Candy Machine, you can make any event you have just a little more special.

Pros:
  • Commercial sized so it is great for special events
  • Easy to clean and to operate
  • Not difficult to learn how to make
Cons:
  • When the cotton candy is ejected, it can fling out not onto the cone or tub
  • Needs a cover since both cotton candy and sugar will fly out

2. VIVO CANDY-V002 – Best Mobile Cotton Candy Cart to Make Kids Happy

The Vivo Mobile Candy and Sugar Cotton Candy Maker Cart is an electric machine that can be used for both commercial and home use. It has an output of two to three services of cotton candy each minute and operates on 1030 Watts of power.

This is easy to use the machine that warms up in about five minutes and produces cotton candy right after you add the sugar. The included stainless steel bowl has a twenty-inch diameter and comes with a convenient cash drawer and sugar scoop.

The scoop can easily collect the cotton candy webs on cones that are held right above the bowl and the whole thing effortlessly disassembles for easy cleaning. You can also purchase an optional clear bubble shield to go over the top of the machine to contain the cotton candy as it is produced.

This versatile machine also uses hard candy for added flavor options and the ability to use sugar-free candy so you can make a healthy treat. The Vivo Mobile Candy Maker Cart comes with a stand that includes wheels for easy portability as well as spare parts and an instruction manual. Kids will love watching how the machine is spinning the sweet candy into fluffy cotton candy at your next event.

Pros:
  • A well-built machine that is worth the price
  • Fast to warm up and quickly makes fluffy cotton candy
  • Great machine that makes a lot of cotton candy before it needs to be refilled
Cons:
  • So fast you need to make sure you have cones ready to go
  • Not that easy to clean up

3. BELLA 13572 – Cheap Cotton Candy Machine for Home Use

Another cotton candy machine that is also versatile enough to use hard candy is the Bella Cotton, Candy Maker. You can use both hard candy and sugar-free candy as well as granulated sugar so you can create a wide range of flavored treats that are also healthier for you.

This is a great machine to be used for birthday parties, holiday get-togethers, or to keep the kids occupied on snowy days or school breaks. The Bella Cotton Candy Maker includes funny and tasty flavor combinations, a measuring spoon, and three plastic cones.

It also comes with an easy to see backlit power switch The rotating disk, lid, and bowl are safe dishwasher, and it comes apart for easy cleaning. Kids love watching when the cotton candy is spinning while watching it through the translucent bowl on top. Kids will be fond of creating delicious cotton candy without having to leave their house.

Pros:
  • Can use with hard candy for more flavor choices
  • Puts out a good amount of candy at a decent rate
  • Great for parties and only has a two-minute pause when you need to put more sugar
Cons:
  • Warm-up seems a little slow at ten minutes
  • The 110v outlet isn’t the best for heating elements

4. Nostalgia Hard and Sugar-Free Candy Floss Maker – Best Machine for Home Use

Transforming hard candy into fluffy cotton candy, the Nostalgia Hard and Sugar-Free Candy Cotton Candy Maker is easy to use and clean. Just turn on the machine and pour hard candy according to your choice and start spinning. In no time, you will have a tasty and colorful treat that your whole family will love.

It also spins traditional sugar making this a versatile unit that is like two machines in one. Simply wait until the floss is spun and then collect it with the cones. This is also a great way to make a sugar free or low-calorie treat by using hard candy according to your choice.

The Nostalgia comes apart easily for cleaning and comes with a dishwasher safe bowl. It is a fast machine that is easy to use and clean. And to give it more stability, it comes with suction cups for feet. This is a funny and easy way to bring the experience of a carnival right into your home for your entire family to enjoy.

Pros:
  • Makes a good amount of cotton candy for your family
  • Easy to take apart for easy cleanup
  • Great for family use and kids love it
Cons:
  • Bowl isn’t attached and wiggles a lot
  • Doesn’t work well with hard candy

5. FunTime FT1000CC-P – Best Rated Commercial Use Cotton Candy Machine

If you are looking for a commercial-grade cotton candy machine, the Candy Cloud Machine features 950-Watts that heats up quickly in just two minutes. It will continuously operate making cones in thirty seconds once the ingredients have been added and the spinner has been warmed up.

The included stainless steel bowl measures 20 ½ inch in diameter and lets you collect the cotton candy easily and it also allows everyone to look like a pro while they make it. Features include a storage drawer that is built-in and that makes storing everything easier and also it is more than enough room for the spare cones and floss sugar.

You can also use hard candy-like Life Savers, Stick Candy, Peppermint Candies, Pixie Sticks, and Jolly Ranchers. With these easy substitutions, you can be creative with your cotton candy flavors.

The Funtime Cotton Candy Machine features two-button operations with a fast warm-up time and a continuous yield of one cone every thirty seconds. It also includes an extended sugar scoop that makes it easy and safer to place the sugar in the spinner and the volt display ensures that you are receiving the proper power supply.

With four vibration-reducing clamps, your stainless steel bowl is held in securely and the heavy-duty rubber feet also help to get rid of vibrations.

This is a substantial machine to have on your countertop, so make sure you have plenty of room. It also includes a safety fuse that is built-in to be used in kitchen areas, and the included safety features will not let you leave the heat on the machine without it spinning.

Pros:
  • Like real carnival cotton candy
  • Easy to use and makes large portions
  • Great for outdoor use at events
Cons:
  • So fast that you need to have the sticks ready to go or it will make a mess
  • Clean up definitely needs an adult to do it

Buyer’s Guide

Cotton Candy Machine for PartyWho Need a Cotton Candy Machine at Home?

Even though a cotton candy machine is a perfect way to entertain kids at home or help celebrate a birthday party, it can also be a great addition to any event or help you make some extra money. Some interesting events together with your neighbors, PTA events, or local fairs can all benefit from a little fundraising with a small-scale cotton candy machine in their concession stand.

Both adults and children love the sweet and simple appeal of cotton candy and whether you use it at a summer event or in your house during winter break, it is easy to use and clean up the machine that everyone in your family will love the process of making cotton candy.

Sweet Nostalgia

Admit it. You remember that wonderful time when you were a kid where the sweet taste of candy was intoxicating. Those days in your childhood when you spent whatever money you had at the candy or drug store to load up on all your favorites. Also, will you stop and think about all those times you spent at amusement parks and carnivals, even the more recent times you may have taken your kids.

Food is the most memorable part of any of those experiences, especially all the fried and sweet confections that you only would get when you went to the fair. One of those favored treats is now available for you to make at home for your own kids.

Also known as fairy floss, cotton candy is a form of spun sugar that is made through steps that include heat, liquefying, and spinning. This usually colored sugar is spun into thin strands that are called sugar glass. Collected together in a ball, cotton candy is mostly comprised of air and the sugar strands themselves only weigh about an ounce per serving. Sold at carnivals and fairs, it is usually collected onto a plastic stick or rolled-up paper and can have flavoring and food coloring which is added to it to give it a fun boost.

How Cotton Candy Machine Works

Today, most cotton candy machines use a head that spins and covers a small bowl where you place food coloring and granulated sugar. Near the rim of the spinning head is a built-in heater that melts the sugar and with the help of centrifugal force. The machine squeezes the molten sugar out tiny holes where it will solidify in the air.

After it is liquefied, the sugar falls into a larger bowl sitting around the spinning head and collects over an extended period of time inside the bowl. The spun sugar is wound by the machine operator from the bowl rim around a stick or paper cone to be shared with others.

It is even possible to get a single serving of cotton candy in a vending machine. Cotton candy machines that are sold today tend to be somewhere ranging from a tabletop size that can be used in your home to a commercial size machine that will hold up to three pounds of sugar and have compartments that store several different flavors.

Things to Consider When Choosing a Cotton Candy Machine

Every party contains some sweet treats or it’s not really considered a party. When choosing which mouth-watering sweets to have for a holiday party you should consider making your own cotton candy instead of the usual cookies, chocolate or candies.

Cotton candy is enjoyed by everyone, young and old. It is one of those candies that everyone remembers fondly from their childhood and will be appreciated by everyone at your party. So, if you plan to buy a cotton candy machine for home use or commercial use at events, there are just a few things to be considered before making your purchase.

Consider the Usage of the Cotton Candy Machine

If you only plan to use your cotton candy machine at home, you should look for one that is small, easy to use, and economical. When buying one as a gift, you might want to find out what they would use the machine to determine the appropriate size.

Consider the Number of People You Would Serve

Depending on how many people will be using the machine, you will need to choose your unit accordingly. A small and compact machine is fine for you and your kids, but if you own a business or plan to use it at events where you will be serving lots of people, of course, you would like to look for a commercial-grade machine that can produce a lot of cotton candy quickly and also doesn’t have a lot of downtimes when you need to add more sugar.

Other Considerations

Budget

It is always a good idea to purchase something within your budget, but it is also important to consider investing in a machine that will be durable enough to last a few years. Buying a machine that is cheaper may end up costing you more in the long run if it doesn’t stand the test of time and you end up having to buy a replacement.

Find the one that suits your needs and requirements as far as quantity and speed and also check into its quality and effectiveness before making a final decision.

Power

The power of the heating element is key if you are using it for professional purposes. The more power the heating element has, the faster the machine will get hot so you can get started selling your cotton candy and it will also speed up the process every time you have to add more sugar.

If you are just using it for your three kids at home, this consideration is less important allowing you to look at less expensive models. Models that give you the capability of adjusting and controlling the temperature are not only more convenient but they help you make sure you get the consistency right every time.

Speed

Make sure you do your homework and find out the rate of cotton candy the machine will be able to produce. If you are using it at home, you won’t mind that it turns one out every couple of minutes or that it takes the machine fifteen minutes to warm up after adding sugar.

When you are using it for professional reasons and you have a crowd of people standing in front of you, you need it to produce quite a few cotton candy portions per minute and you also don’t need to take ten minutes to warm up again after adding more sugar.

Durability

How long-lasting the motor and heating element is really an important factor to consider, especially if you are using it for a business or you are entertaining a large crowd. The capacity of the bowl is another consideration as you want to make sure it will be able to handle several servings at one time.

Machines that are easier to clean are also preferable for obvious reasons, so look for a unit that includes a mechanism that makes it easy to detach the bowl. The cleaner you can keep your machine, the longer it will last.

Construction

A cheaper, plastic unit is fine if you are getting a unit for a party at home or a family event. If you are making cotton candy for a big event like a fair or fundraiser, you would like a sturdy commercial-grade machine with a strong motor and all-metal construction. These machines are designed with motors that are separated from the machine to make it last longer.

Accessories

To keep the cotton candy from flying out onto the ground, of course, you would like to look for a model that has a bubble top that creates a rim around the machine top. This will also allow you to shape the cones easily.

Many of the less expensive machines will include cones, recipes, and raw materials so you can get started creating tasty treats. The commercial models often come with a built-in cash drawer and cart to help you transport the machine and be prepared for a busy day at the fair while selling your sweet confections.

Warranty & Support

As always, you can tell the better products from the others on the market by the support they get. If they come with a warranty, the longer the better, than you can tell it is better quality. These days, most companies should be able to provide you with some support through live chat, email, and telephone, so if your model doesn’t, you may want to find one that does.

Conclusion

No one can deny that adding a cotton candy machine to any party will help make it memorable. Evoking fond memories of carnivals and fairs from our childhood, cotton candy reminds us of all the things we loved about our youth. Finding the best cotton candy machine really depends on how you will use it and how many portions you plan to serve. No matter which one you choose, everyone will enjoy the fun of swirling a cotton candy stick and eating everyone’s favorite childhood treat.

Stephen James
Stephen James

Hello! My name is Stephen James, and I am a home-improvement fanatic! It is amazing how many interesting items there are that can make your home a lot safer and comfortable. What I do is seek for all the innovative inventions that each and every one of you can easily introduce into your house. Every item that I see fit to be reviewed and incorporated into your home is carefully picked and then tested by me. My primary goal is to help you fix any possible issue in the household with the best fitting solutions. If you want to know some more about my daily activities, you can follow me on Twitter - https://twitter.com/stephenjamespro

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  1. Avatar
    Mary

    I have recently purchase the Bella cotton candy maker. I must say that it is the best cotton candy maker ever! I have been using it for two months so far, but the kids are in complete awe from it!

    Reply
    1. Stephen James
      Stephen James author

      Thanks a lot for your feedback! It is always a pleasure to be useful for my readers!))

      Reply
  2. Avatar
    Helen

    I’m in love with the Funtime machine. It takes very little time to assemble it, which is excellent news. I had no idea how to do it properly, but the included instructions were of great help. This candy machine is a beast! Takes only five minutes to get cracking!

    Reply
    1. Avatar
      Stephen

      I’m happy that you like it! Funtime has one of the best candy machines on the market, and this particular unit is an all-time favorite. Check back with me to catch all the latest reviews!

      Reply
  3. Avatar
    Margoe

    Excellent review, keep up the good work! I’ve got a quick question, though: how do you keep your home cotton candy machine clean? I’m especially interested in the middle part. I tried to clean it with really hot water, but that doesn’t really do much – the machine stays black no matter what I do.

    Reply
    1. Avatar
      Stephen

      Thank you for the kind words!
      Now, to address your issue, I want to share a list of things that you can do to keep that candy machine of yours nice and clean:
      – Always give the machine time to rest. Don’t run it for hours straight without any breaks. On average, I let it “catch its breath” for 15-20 minutes after using it for an hour or so.
      – Let it cool down for five minutes and then clean it with a piece of cloth. Make sure the cloth isn’t dry and use some water to help the process. This will prevent burnt sugar from clogging up the insides. And if you’re already dealing with a black machine, try using baking soda. Vinegar can also work. Let it seat for a minute or two, and then clean it (with a dry cloth this time).
      – Keep your eye on the spinning head: make sure it’s not running without floss for long.
      – Again, candy machines turn black because of burnt candy. To avoid that, always check the temperature and see that it’s not too high.
      I hope these tips will help you take care of your candy machine. Hit me back if you still need some advice.

      Reply