Review on Nostalgia SCM525BL Vintage Countertop Reusable by Samantha Adams

A delightful miniature device with a nostalgic carnival feel. The scoop and plastic cones are well made and don't feel flimsy. Other than that, it was a wreck. Even before switching on, there is a warning on the motor that you must not run it for more than 5 minutes at a time. We put ice on top and let it thaw a bit so it doesn't get as hard as the directions suggest. The device can hold about 3/4 cup of ice at a time. A rotor on top spins a spiraling plastic hopper, and gravity is the only thing holding the ice off the blades. There is NO 'hull' at all in this car. The ice tumbles freely in the hopper, occasionally hitting the blades to snip off a tiny chunk. I let it run for the recommended 5 minutes, stopped it and let it cool, then let it run for another 5 minutes. Eventually there was enough ice to fill a snow cone and there was a wet mass at the bottom of the bunker where it had already melted. I tried using crushed ice from my ice cream maker, thinking it would work better, but to no avail. Cleaning wasn't bad as the entire top of the machine comes off and you can wipe the clear box containing the ice cream which was a plus. We didn't have any leaking water all over the counter; it was all included. But it just didn't work. My daughter wanted to give out snow cones to all her friends at the party and there was NO way this car could handle that crowd. We barely had a cone in 10 minutes and my kids were fighting over who would eat it. We brought it back and bought one of the more powerful "home commercials" that shaved off an entire popcorn bowl full of ice in less than 30 seconds. Get rid of the headache and buy the best car.