Cotton Candy Machines

Whether you call it fairy fluff, candy floss, or cotton candy, there is no denying that it is a guilty pleasure. There’s nothing like eating spun sugar to make you feel like a kid again. This confectionery delight is standard fair and circus fare, and many of us only get to have cotton candy once or twice a year – or, worse, never. What a shame. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

With a cotton candy machine, you can enjoy your own cloud of pink or blue sugar whenever you want. Not that you want to make it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but they are extremely convenient and fun for birthday parties and family holidays, and even fundraisers in your community. The home cotton candy makers are inexpensive and you can buy them online at stores like Amazon.com. Expect to spend at least $50 on regular machine for home and the nicer candy cotton machines are closer to $300 to $500.

How to Choose the Best Cotton Candy Machine

The first question you need to ask yourself when you are in the market for a cotton candy machine is what are you going to use it for? For instance, if you want a cotton candy machine so you can give your kids (and yourself, if you want to be honest about it) a treat on birthdays and special occasions, a smaller home cotton candy machine is perfectly sufficient. If you want to use your machine more frequently or for larger quantities, obviously a more industrial cotton candy machine is called for.

This is useful if you plan on selling cotton candy for profit or for fundraisers, if you are using it in a club or organization, or if you have a very large, exceptionally sugary family. See the top selling cotton candy makers here.

What We Recommend

We suggest shopping online at Amazon.com since they carry all the leading brands and often have the lowest prices on the web. You can browse the most popular cotton candy makers online here.

Home Cotton Candy Machine

If you are in the former category, Nostalgia makes some great small models. The RCM-605 Retro Series machine is styled like an old time cotton candy machine from last century. It is very compact, sitting comfortably on any kitchen counter, and includes a packet of cotton candy mix and two reusable plastic cones – a much appreciated touch. It spins the special sugar into fluffy cotton candy quickly, and inexpensively as well. Amazon lists it for under $50 (view all the Nostalgia cotton candy machines here).

Nostalgia Electrics RCM-605 Retro Series Cotton-Candy Machine

The CCM505 Cotton Candy Maker, also by Nostalgia, is modeled after an antique cart. It, too, is designed for a counter top and includes a packet of mix and two reusable cones. It retails for $50, but you can find it on Amazon for $37. You can also find a great selection of popcorn machines if your tastes run more salty than sugary. Perhaps reading cotton candy machine reviews is what you need in order to make an informed buying decision. Amazon lists dozens of models with customer feedback and owner opinions.

Nostalgia CCM505 Cotton Candy Maker

Larger Cotton Candy Machines

The two Nostalgia models are ideal if you just want a special dessert once in a while. If you’re going to be spinning up some sugar for a whole lot of people, though, you may be more interested in a larger capacity machine. Nostalgia also makes this, most notably the CCM-600. This is a full size version (34x21x50.5), and it looks like the CCM-505 all grown up. It makes a batch of cotton candy in under a minute and features an anti-vibration, hydraulic spinning head and a convenient rack for up to six cones.

Nostalgia Electrics CCM-600 Full-Size Cotton Candy Machine

Many find this ideal for  fundraisers, and for under $400, you can quickly recoup your money. Get more details on the Nostalgia Electrics CCM-600 Full-Size Cotton-Candy Machine at Amazon. The machine gets excellent comments from owners – we found one truly negative posting but it had more to do with customer service than the actual machine. Overall the CCM600 rates high for value and performance.

Big Cotton Candy Machines

There are big machines, and then there are industrial-strength, serious, candy-making giants like the ones made by Gold Medal. Gold Medal company is the king of fair food. They produce popcorn machines, hot dog machines, and machines for sno-cones, funnel cakes, and nachos. With these, you can make enough of your product to sell at any type of fundraiser or for profit at fairs and other events. One of the most popular is the

Gold Medal 3052 Auto Breeze Cotton Candy Machine with Internal Heat Control and Tubular Heating Element

This has a larger tubular heat element so you can make twice as much cotton candy as you can with the standard Breeze. Perfect results are achieved with Accu Control, auto shut-down, and a clog-resistant spinner head. This is a sleek, professional machine, and it costs a bit under $900. If you are using it for sales purposes, you will be able to recoup your investment: people can’t resist cotton candy. You can find a convenient list of vendors and prices for Gold Medal cotton candy machines here.

Whether you want to make cotton candy for a fun treat for your family or as an effective money-maker, you can find the right machine for your needs and your budget. One last tip: make sure you get the right cotton candy mix for your machine – some allow for regular table sugar, but many do not. Don’t get stuck with a great new machine and no mix! Stock up, and enjoy your candy floss, fairy fluff, and cotton candy. See all the most popular cotton candy mix online here.