Cotton Candy Machine

Cotton Candy Machine Phenomena

The cotton candy machine started from the simple idea of creating a tasty sweet treat made from a regular sugar. If you  have ever been at a fair or an amusement park, chances are you have remembered the sweet smell of cotton candy hover in the air from the cotton candy machine. Cotton candy is indeed a nice sweet treat that is enjoyed by both adults and children. For many of us the cotton candy is the highlight from our childhood of visiting the fair. However many of us do not really know how the machine works or when it invented.

Cotton Candy Machine – The History

The record for the first patent filing was made by two people; John Wharton and William Morrison, who were from Tennessee. The duo had created a cotton candy machine which was patented officially in 1899. This version of their machine worked somewhat similar to the versions that we still use today. But no one really knows who the very first person to come up with the cotton candy was. According to the history, there were four people who more or less had the same idea with the sugary treat, out of which three applied for patents for their idea and for their designs on the first cotton candy machine.

After getting the patent for their candy machine, Wharton and Morrison brought their new cotton candy machine to the World’s Fair in St Louis in 1904. People were clamoring to get their sweet sugary candy treat and they were overwhelmed by the response. At the time, visitors paid 50 cents to get into the fair. The two of them then decided to charge 25 cents for their sweet concoction. This was actually quite a high price to pay for a treat back in those days. Even so, the response was great and their machine ran overtime. At the end of it all, Wharton and Morrison sold over 68,000 boxes of the sweet stuff for a whopping $17,000 in sales!

The other person who filed the patent for such a machine was Thomas Patton. Patton however used a completely different technique in creating the cotton candy. His machine utilized gas which rotated a plate. The rotating plate spun the sugar and thus formed threads. This sugar threads is what is often referred to as floss. Patton would always be credited as the first person to ever collect the candy threads or floss and form a ball out of it. This ball resembled a ball of cotton, thus earning the sugary treat its name, the cotton candy.

Patton’s machine received its patent in 1900. He however went on a different path altogether to make money from his cotton candy machine. Instead of selling cotton candy himself, he decided to sell the machine to the circus. So he approached the Ringling Brothers’ Circus and they in turn loved his machine. They used the cotton candy machine in their shows together with popcorn. Their investment in the machine paid off as the cotton candy was a huge hit with all their customers.

Cotton Candy Machine – The Evolution

The machines did not last very long and constantly broke down or burned up. Also these older versions of the cotton candy machine were loud and made rough rattling noises. This of course affected their sales. This all changed when a company known as The Medal Products came up with a machine which used a slightly different system. Their machine was based on a spring base, and this eliminated the previous problems with the older machines. This advancement helped make the cotton candy machine really popular.

Today, you can find cotton candy machines at every fair, carnival, circus or amusement park that you go to. Shops offering cotton candy machine rental make it easier for small entrepreneurs to try their hand at selling cotton candy at these places. For the slightly more serious entrepreneur, a cheap cotton candy machine provides a chance to easily make a part time income by selling cotton candy.

How to Use a Cotton Candy Machine

Perfect for Many Different Occasions

The cotton candy machine has indeed come a long way since its inception. The sweet cotton candy will always be associated with a childhood memory for most of us. The idea of the cotton candy was one of the best ideas ever, although no one can say exactly who invented the first cotton candy machine.

A cotton candy machine can be used for many occasions. For birthday parties, soft pink and purple bubble gum flavored cotton candy will surely be loved by little girls. Perfect for theme parties, the cotton candy colors and flavors can be custom made and entirely up to you and your imagination. For holidays like Christmas, the white sugary cotton candy is reminiscent of warm snow, making it a great dessert to serve for Christmas lunches.