VIVO Blue 1030W Electric Cotton Candy Machine, CANDY-V001B

Prompt delivery even here in Alaska, easy setup. I have been using it for the last several days pretty hard to get a feel for it. Planned use is for fundraising events, parties etc. At first I considered a machine with a temperature knob and more expensive devices. Turns out this device has a thermal switch that keeps the head at the same temperature so there doesn't appear to be a need for heat control. The device has a number of safety features I was surprised to see on a machine in at this price point. 1) Grounded 2) Safety switch on one of the bowl hold down catches that prevents machine from powering on at all should the bowl not be installed for any reason 3) Shields around the head and motor to prevent debris from entering motor assembly and parts under the head. Overall very happy, makes floss quickly both from a cold start and just in pure volume. Its designed to toss floss up and in batches. You can use a stick or cone to collect above the head and then transfer to bags if needed. It has about a 2oz spoon with a nice handle that works pretty well, looks like the spot welds on the bowl and spoon will be the first to have issues but that can be addressed. My unit included a spare belt for the motor and appears to be a decent nylon belt. If I had to have something to dislike it would be that the unit is a bit out of balance so it has a little table creap while running. That and the single page manual that I skipped over had the key element about the safety switch. I missed that after my first clean and I went to turn the unit on without the bowl and thought I got a dud. Turns out I should just RTFM. Other reviewers mentioned "sparks" and such from under similar machines. The primary reason this would happen is there are two carbon brushes that supply power to the head's heater and so if the brush contact points were dirty or such then I could see that point would spark like any other brushed motor. This will eventually need some maintenance (brush replacements, contact cleaning) but for my expected use not likely for some years. The floss head is machined aluminum and has 4 screws and it's easy to pop them off and clean the burnt sugar that inevitably builds up. I personally like this design better then a ribbon. The head is a bit on the heavy side so it holds heat well. There is a video showing you can toss a bit of water in the hot head to help clean out some carbon during use. Yes this works just be aware that you get a pretty hot cloud of steam and I frequently get a bit of burnt floss to flow out shortly after so be prepared for a bit of a mess. If you do this it flings water and steam a fair distance around, ended up splashing my kids and coating the workspace with gunk. However it did clear the head pretty well. I paired this unit with a bubble top for another brand and it fits fine. It's harder to work since the bubble limits how high you can work your cone but I like the reduction in mess. One drawback is any debris is pretty much blown out of the bubble onto the operator so if you do this setup prepare to get floss over your arms, in your face and hair etc. In the interest of being fair, I have only used this machine a few days. However we got this after trying one of the Nostalgia units. I wish I had just saved my money and went for this unit first! The Nostalgia unit takes ages to heat, is harder to clean, and only makes one cone every 5-10 minutes. I knew that it would be slower and lower volume but you try having 8 kids around you asking when they can each have their own. @ 10min a cone thats basically asking the last kid to wait nearly an hour and a half. By comparison this unit makes a full cone in about 20 seconds. The first day I let my kids eat as much as they wanted in about 45 minutes they all taped out and said they had enough. I was still tossing cones because it was enjoyable! Cleanup is a snap. I use a bit of water in the head to flush out what I can and to help cool the head for safer handling after turning the unit off. Pop the pan off and wash with hot water. That's pretty much it, occasionally you will want to clean the head more, the manual recommends using vinegar. I haven't gotten that dirty yet.

This is a replacement for first one ordered. First one didn't work. Was not putting candy out correctly causing burn. When second machine was being ordered I was standing right inside my opened door. How I knew I was getting delivery was I heard the box hit the concrete hard and loud. Couldn't believe it was dropped like that. Box clearly showed what was inside. After that I worried this machine might be broken. And that also maybe that's what was wrong with the first machine. But thankfully it seems to be working well. I've only used it once so far. Everything seems to be good. It's a good machine. Makes great cotton candy. Fast and easy to use. Definitely a good purchase. And the children love it. As well as the adults.

I rate this highly because, for its size, I think it does an excellent job. Yes, if I had unlimited funds and unlimited storage space for frivolous things, I would like a full sized professional cotton candy machine. But, for its size, it makes candy fast and beautifully. Because the bowl is smaller and has lower sides, this works best if you wave your cone or stick over the center to get the most candy with the least flyaway, but it spins floss pretty fast and the children were delighted with how huge I could make the fluff in a short time. To make a huge cone, I use 3 scoops of sugar, one at a time, until the ball of floss is really big. This is how they were when I was a child in the 1950s. I would not get the hood that prevents floss from flying because, then you cannot make the impressively huge balls of fluff or bring them out through the opening. To accommodate great big balls of floss, I made my own sticks of ⅜" dowel rods, cut to 18" long. The kids were so impressed. I wash and reuse the sticks. A tip is to watch the humidity if you plan to make the floss outdoors. With high humidity (like we had when I took it to a Florida beach location, the floss compacted and became thick and chewy. Indoors it was light and fluffly. At home, in the north mideast region, I can use it outdoors if the humidity stays below 50. Above 50 humidity, it is worth cleaning up indoors. Another thing to be aware of is that you will not feel much heat above the center heating unit. The first time I used it, I kept waving my hand above the heating unit, waiting to feel heat. I overheated the unit and the result was candy fluff flying all over my kitchen and burning slightly before it spun threads. Now I only allow it to heat 2.5 to 3 minutes before adding the sugar. This works great. Also, melted sugar will collect on the edges of the bowl. After using the machine, I push these off with a wooden spoon to avoid scratching the bowl. I break the pieces into manageble sizes (about 1" or shorter). Then I can reuse them by turning off the motor while filling the center with pieces. Then turn it back on and spin more candy floss. If the unit seems to be getting too hot, just turn off the heat for a few seconds while arranging the sugar pieces...back on with the motor when it is filled.)

I cannot begin to tell you how excited I was to get this item and write this review. My review is mostly in the video as well as some how to tips but I will give some back story. I had recently ordered a cotton candy machine that was meant for smaller home use from Amazon 2 weeks ago. When I received that machine, a part of the clip on the base of the bowl that helps lock it into the machine was broken into a million pieces causing the machine to spray cotton candy everywhere and the bowl vibrated loudly as a result of not being securely fastened. Needless to say, back it went. I did A LOT of research and decided on the Vivo. I have also ordered the mesh part that goes around the bowl but it has not arrived yet. The Vivo was shipped to me in record time considering most purchases take a week to get here right now. I ordered on Thursday and had it by Saturday afternoon. The bowl and machine were both packed perfectly and secure. The machine comes with the base, bowl, sugar scoop, extra belt replacement and the instruction manual. It tells you very simply how to set up and use the machine. Power it on, wait two minutes and then turn the heat on and wait another 4-5 minutes before beginning. Cleaning is fairly simple also. You keep the machine on, drop some water slowly into the head, it will cause steam so slowly and carefully, until, the head has time to clear out the sugar. Turn it off and allow to cool down before removing the bowl and cleaning the head. I did not order the bubble Cover to put on the machine since I did order the mesh piece that goes around it- that’s supposed to catch the extra cotton candy that hits the side of the bowl and keep it from floating in the air, so I cannot speak on whether the bubble or the mesh is better since I have not received the mesh yet but I have heard that either the mesh or the bubble cover is a good thing to have. I can tell you that without either one, cotton candy will end up flying in the air and if you make more than a few cones at a time, you will notice a cotton candy haze in the room. The only reason I did it inside for the party was because I live in NC, and even though it is October, when I made one cone outside at the party, it was sticky and not fluffy and melted in a matter of minutes due to the moisture/ humidity in the air. So know your area and locale and decide ahead of time whether or not it's a good idea to do outside. Even though it was a cool day by our standards, the humidity was still 90% and someone on another review said don't make it outside if the humidity is 50% or higher. Other than that, we love this machine. It is smooth, quiet and pumps out a couple of cones a minute making for great personal or business use. I am beyond thrilled with this machine!

Best Cotton Candy Machine on Amazon! I purchased this to replace a smaller "home edition" cotton candy machine that ended up not working. This was totally worth the investment. The machine is easy to use and takes about 4 minutes to warm up. A long handle metal sugar scoop is included to maie pouring easier. After the machine is warmed up- pour the sugar in and be ready!!! This thing makes cotton candy FAST! It also works with regular granular sugar. My kids had a great time spinning their own cone. You can purchase a dome for less mess but its really not necessary if you are working outside. Inside- definitely get it! I will probably purchase it eventually but to start out with- not necessary. You will not go wrong with this machine. When finished, let the machine cool down completely. What I liked the most about this machine is the pan locks in place on the motor box. Clean up it easy! Unlock the pan and spray with warm water. The sugar melts and gently scrub. Cleanup is easy! Great investment and fun for the family!

This has been such a fun purchase. My kids love to make the cotton candy. It is really easy to use. This company has a video on how to set it up, gather the cotton candy, clean it and trouble shooting. These are things we found after we started using it… Cotton candy will build up in the bowl pretty quickly. We take a wooden spoon to get it off and then throw it away. (We tried reusing it twice and it didn’t work well or taste good.) The plastic lid that is sold separately is totally worth it. Cotton candy will fly everywhere. The lid will cut that down quite a bit. The name brand sugar works the best. We buy it at a store that sells it locally, it is half the price. Cleaning the small silver thing that spins the sugar is a must EVERY time. We did not and it was horrible to try to clean. I’ve have had to unscrew that silver bowl, scrub it really hard and then re-screw it. I would definitely recommend this brand specifically. It’s been great!

It is a pretty nice machine with easy clean up. You will need to purchase a dome with this cotton candy maker or be prepared to clean up surface and cotton candy everywhere. This machine is great for for the serious hobbies that, but for commercial production, look elsewhere

Love the cotton candy machine!!! My 1st one that arrived I did have to send back as soon as I received it due to the horrible vibration. It would literally vibrate itself across the table if no one was holding on to it. You can't call Vivo but you can instant chat with them on their site and if you have to email them, they are super fast with getting back to you. I was on a deadline with needing one for my upcoming event and they worked with me to send the replacement one quickly. Also the head where the sugar goes in, it is not curved like the picture shows. I would have like the curved fins on the side of the head because those throw the cotton candy in a smaller area which is what I liked for making flowers. This one still works great and will make a huge, fluffy cotton candy on a stick. If you like HUGE, FLUFFY COTTON CANDY, this machine is perfect for you and you'll love it. I do see people complaining about needing a hood but I believe that's because they don't understand that this particular machine is made for throwing the cotton candy upwards. Most cotton candy machines you see at carnivals and most of the ones you rent, throw the cotton candy to the side. This one is NOT made that way. This one, you need to have your cone up above the head and when it starts coming out, you spin the cone around between your fingers. The carnival ones and rental ones spin it out to the side so you can collect it with the cone by swirling the cone around in the bowl. Just so you know.... if it it has fins on the side of the head, the cotton candy is going to move upwards. If you see the one without fins and the head has tiny little holes all around the sides of it, the cotton candy will spin out to the sides of the bowl.

BUEN EQUIPO Y EL PROVEEDOR A CUMPLIO EN TIEMPO Y FORMA

Purchased this for work, get used weekly in our care facility. Wonderful cotton candy machine - follow the instructions and pre-warm up your machine and it works perfectly. Even without the dome, the sugar stayed in the machine and there was no mess, I was amazed but the dome really isn't needed. Came with spare motor belt in case it wears out and instructions on replacing it which is appreciated. Works incredibly well and quickly makes giant tufts of cotton candy. Would definitely recommend! We love it!

Got this as a surprise gift for my wife, who's wanted one for years. Only had it for a few days. The machine works great, it's so easy to use and easy to clean. We have zero complaints. It's worth noting that the dome is not at all needed. It might be nice if you're using it indoors to stop any loose bits of cotton candy from flying away and making a mess, which will sometimes happen. But honestly, at least for us, it wasn't worth the extra cost for the small benefit.

My son decided to start a Cotton Candy business and after some research we chose this machine. It's performed well all summer and he's probably served up about 500 by now. Giving it appropriate down-time, the machine can do a 6 hour day at the local market. It's served at school events and birthdays. The past weekend it ran pretty well 2 hours solid - the only real 'problem' was needing to clean it occasionally. With isn't a problem, just dump some water in the floss head. At one point it felt out of the back of the car - kept on ticking (although there's a dent in the paint now). The 'downside' was the drive belt, it snapped after about 50 hrs of use. Replacing it wasn't easy, but was something we managed to do. We now have spares for the next time. Then again, if you're not running it as a business, you might never come across this problem. Overall a great machine which has more than paid for itself in a few months.

The machine is perfect It’s exactly what I wanted. What I don’t get is why doesn’t it come with the dome I mean.. You clearly need the dome because if you don’t have it cotton candy May and will go everywhere. So now I have to spend another $99 at Costco.ca to buy the dome because Amazon doesn’t have it and well it’s just really annoying at this point as the machine itself cost over $300 already. But like I said earlier the machine works great and it makes a lot of cotton candy if you buy the right floss. But I would suggest or consider including A dome in the future. Oh and for anyone else who is considering buying this and thinks that you need to buy the stupid mashed that they sell for this thing don’t buy it it doesn’t work you need to actually stand in front of the machine and twirl the cotton candy onto the stick there’s no other way around it.