Cotton Candy. It’s an amazingly simple, yet scientific process that produces such a unique, tasty & fun treat. Take a little sugar, apply some heat to liquefy it, apply some centrifugal force & voila’. It’s pretty cool when you stop and think about it. But, if you’re considering getting into the biz (and into the fun), you’ll need to know which type of machine will best suit your needs.
Cotton candy machines come in various sizes and their key components are constructed from different materials. Typically the bowl, which is the area where the cotton candy floss is spun, is either made of plastic or stainless steel. Additionally, the manner in which the sugar is heated to its liquid state by way of a heating element works in one of two ways. There are ribbon elements and there are tubular elements. Although the ribbon element heats up and adjusts more rapidly, it can be a little fragile. However, this style element seems to be the choice for most professional users and can be found on some of the higher end machines such as the industry standard Whirlwind.
Conversely, even though the tubular element is a little slower, it is very durable and difficult to damage. This is why tubular element cotton candy machines are popular with the occasional user and rental companies who rent their equipment to users with little or no experience. Of course you’ll need to have an idea of how much product your cotton candy machine will produce. You can use the chart below to reference the number of servings you can expect your machine to produce per minute. Once you narrow down which machine will be ideal for you, keep in mind that additional items such as floss sugar, floss bubbles, cotton candy cones & bags play a big part of the cotton candy experience. Also, even though all of the machines plug in to a standard 120v outlet, larger machines draw more amperage and need to run on a circuit with a higher capacity (as listed).
Ribbon Element
Floss Boss 3024 2 servings per minute 15 amps
Econo Floss 3017 2 servings per minute 15 amps
Stainless Steel Econo Floss 3017SS 2 servings per minute 15 amps
X-15A Whirlwind 3015A 5 servings per minute 20 amps
Deluxe Whirlwind 3008SS 6 servings per minute 30 amps
Deluxe Toronado 3005SS 8 servings per minute 30 amps
Tubular Element
Breeze 3030 2-3 servings per minute 15 amps
Accu Breeze 2-3 servings per minute 15 amps
Auto Breeze 3-4 servings per minute 15 amps