I Got Brain Freeze to Find the Best Shaved Ice Machines

• Dash Deluxe Shaved Ice & Slushy Maker: The fine setting produced somewhat fluffy ice, but it became clumpy and hard when mixed with liquid. That said, even the coarse ice is only slightly finer than the crushed ice you'd get through your freezer door. The 1-liter pitcher with a handle makes creating and sharing batched drinks easy. Plus, the base includes suction cup feet, which prevent the machine from sliding around during operation.
  Dealbreaker: You have to fully stop the machine to add the next batch of ice, and that was a dealbreaker for making the final cut. Because it suggested only eight ice cubes at a time, it took seven minutes to create the 2.5 cups of ice suggested for two servings of fine ice (it was about six minutes for medium and about 3.5 minutes for coarse).
• Dash Shaved Ice Maker and Slushie Machine: I liked that you could add a larger batch of ice cubes to the hopper on this model. In just over a minute (one minute and 13 seconds), it produced about 2 cups of shaved ice. It wasn't a quiet machine, but it was finished quickly! The texture was finer than nugget ice, which made for a satisfying margarita. You could maybe deem it suitable for crunchy snow cone, but it wasn't light and fluffy like a shave ice.
  Dealbreaker: The downside to this one is that it doesn't come with a receptacle for the ice, so you need to provide a bowl or measuring cup. Also, the portion with the motor is just sitting in the base, so you can't lift the machine by the top; you'll need to hold both parts to move the machine around.
  
• Nostalgia Vintage Snow Cone Maker: This model is undeniably cute: It looks like a little ice cream cart. But after attempting to test it, I learned that's where its charms ended.
  Dealbreaker: It just didn't work. It got clogged after maybe a half cup of ice was shaved and wouldn't resume, even with some coaxing.
• Nostalgia Snow Cone Maker: This retro-looking pick fared slightly better than its Vintage sibling above, but it ultimately wasn't up to the task.
  Dealbreaker: It came closer to filling its bin but stopped shy of completing the task — clogging before shaving all the ice in its hopper.
• Kool-Aid Snow Cone Maker : Also made by Nostalgia, this branded shaver performed the same as our Best Value pick. It shaves ice from a puck and comes with a reusable cone. It was fast and effective — made two servings in about 20 seconds — and has suction-cup feet to keep it from moving around.
  Dealbreaker: There actually isn't one. This machine was just as efficient as the Nostalgia Shave Ice Maker we recommend, but it comes with only one mold for making the ice puck. So we opted for the Nostalgia pick, which includes two molds, meaning you can prep four servings more quickly.

To test shaved ice machines, we followed the manufacturer's instructions for each machine to ensure we didn't exceed the recommended quantity of ice. The tests involved adding regular ice cubes to a hopper or grinding cup and then turning on the machine, or creating a puck from a mold and then adding that to the hopper.

We timed how long it took to reach three cups of shaved ice. If the machine could hold more, we filled the receptacle and measured the volume. If a machine had multiple grind settings (coarse, medium, fine), we repeated the test for each.

We then scooped out the ice and surveyed the size. We used the ice to create an alcohol-free margarita to test it in a beverage, and we also topped the ice with syrup to assess the shavings as a snow cone or shaved ice dessert.

✔️ Capacity: All power to the solo diner who wants shaved ice, but with the assumption that these machines are used for a crowd, you want to be able to produce as much shaved ice as possible. We preferred machines that had (or at least could accommodate) a large receptacle, allowing us to load a reasonable amount of ice per batch or allow a continuous feed. (Some models allow only small amounts at a time and require you to turn off the machine between additions.

✔️ Style: Some are industrial-looking. Some look like standard kitchen appliances or attachments. And then some are pure kitsch. There’s nothing wrong with getting the one that works best, but there’s an argument for upping the fun factor by trotting out a shaved ice machine that looks like a little street cart.

✔️ Extra features: We appreciated the models that had a little holder for cones. The Cuisinart we recommend has two: one that holds empty cones and another where you can slot the ones you’re filling. It’s a bonus that they flip up for more compact storage. We also saw machines that included a pitcher or a scoop.

Despite the names, shaved ice is actually more like snow than a snow cone. Shaved ice (or shave ice) is very fine and fluffy. Snow cones are generally a little more coarse and crunchy.

You can let your imagination run wild here. Many cultures like to include sweetened condensed milk for some creaminess, but for a basic version of flavored ice, find a simple syrup you like. Some shaved ice machine models come with syrups, and you can try these options:

• Syrups designed for coffee, soda or cocktails can make a novel but familiar treat.
• Foods that come packed in syrup (like maraschino cherries, canned peaches or canned lychees) provide a liquid and a topping if you'd like.
• Custom, homemade syrups are also fun: Ones containing powdered drink mixes like lemonade or Kool-Aid will give you that customary tartness.