I received a Hawaiian Shaved Ice Machine party pack to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own, and some links in this article are affiliate links that may earn me a commission if you purchase through them.
Growing up, I remember my Snoopy Snow Cone Machine. In fact, I still own my Snoopy Snow Cone Machine and even have a few of the original yellow plastic cups in the box.
But that manual snow cone maker was not always the easiest to use, and it took some time and elbow grease to create enough ice to enjoy a snow cone.
An electric shaved ice maker? Way better. And easier. And faster.
In fact, I used the Hawaiian Shaved Ice machine at my son’s graduation open house, and it works perfectly for all the guests. They thought it was a really fun and neat treat to enjoy on a hot summer day.
We really put it through its paces that day (and have since!), and it continues to be a hit around here.
Can we recommend the Hawaiian Shaved Ice party pack? Absolutely!
What is included in the Hawaiian Shaved Ice party pack?
The Hawaiian Shaved Ice party pack includes everything you need to make at least 25 shaved ice frozen treats.
The package includes:
- An electric ice shaver with an adjustable blade
- Three bottles of shaved ice syrup (blue raspberry, cherry, and grape)
- Pourers for each of the three bottles
- 25 snow cone cups (you can buy more cups and other accessories as needed)
- 25 plastic straw spoons
- 2 ice molds/shaved ice catchers
What is the difference between a snow cone and shaved ice?
A snow cone is made with crushed ice, while shaved ice is made from ice cubes. Shaved ice is often served on a stick or spoon for dipping into sauces such as sweetened condensed milk as well as traditional snow cone syrups.
Of course, when we see shaved ice in the States, it is often served in a cone with the syrups drizzled over top like a classic snow cone, but they still are not the same thing.
Shaved ice is fluffier and absorbs the flavored syrups better than the crushed ice does. The smaller pieces mean the shaved ice is less crunchy and feels more like snow, too.
How do I assemble my ice shaver?
There are three simple steps to assemble the Hawaiian ice shaver when you first take it from the box to creating your own delicious frozen treat.
Second, place the top piece with the grey “power” button and electric cord atop your assembled electric ice shaver with ice in the circular holding area of the blade attachment piece.
Finally, plug your ice shaver into an electric outlet, and press the grey button with medium pressure. If you press too hard, you will end up with larger pieces rather than the flaky pieces of ice you want.
What kind of ice should I use in my shaved ice machine?
Those two round cups included with your electric ice shaver? They are ice molds.
I know. It blew my mind when I realized that, too.
I thought they were simply to catch the ice as I shaved it, but in fact, shaved ice works best with a block of ice rather than regular ice cubes as it allows for smaller pieces from the blade. Freeze water in the molds if you have the time to do so.
I use distilled water rather than water straight from the tap, as I don’t want to taste anything from my tap water in my shaved ice.
If you do not have time to freeze a block of ice, you can absolutely use ice cubes. In fact, for my son’s graduation party, we knew we would use way more ice than the simple blocks could create, so we purchased bags of ice.
That said, we’ve used both blocks of ice and regular ice cubes, and we can 100% verify that using the blocks of ice makes for a lighter and fluffier frozen treat. I now have blocks of ice in my freezer stored in baggies to make it easier.
Regardless of whether you freeze blocks of ice in the molds to release into the circular container or regular ice cubes, let the ice sit out for 5-7 minutes to soften a bit. This creates the classic snow cone texture.
How much ice do I need to make shaved ice?
The answer depends on what size cup or cone you plan to fill and whether you use blocks of ice or ice cubes.
Snow cone cups tend to come in sizes ranging from 6 ounces up to 20 ounces. The amount you need will also vary on how high you stack the cone and how tightly you pack it.
For each 6 ounce cone, assume you’ll need approximately 3-4 ounces of ice cubes or 5-6 ounces of an ice block. Yes, those smaller ice bits from a block mean less air between the flakes of ice once you shave it.
For each 20 ounce cup, you’ll need approximately a pound of an ice block or 8 to 10 ounces of ice cubes. The larger cups have a larger ratio of shaved ice in the cup to over the cup.
Plan for extra, however, and know that you can always freeze any leftovers.
How long do the included Hawaiian shaved ice syrup last?
The bottles of snow cone syrup last one to two years, and they don’t necessarily go bad at that point. It’s more that – like spices – the flavors aren’t as good anymore, so you’re better off using them within that period.
How do I store snow cone syrup?
The good news is that you do not need to refrigerate snow cone syrup.
In fact, so long as you store it at room temperature in a place without direct sunlight – think about your pantry – you’re good to go. They don’t need much special care other than removing the pourers and replacing the caps.
Be sure to wash out the included pourers well before storing them.
How many snow cones can I make with my syrup?
For the 6 ounce cups that come with this party pack, you need about 1.5 ounces of syrup for each of your frozen treats. With 3 one pint bottles of syrup included, that easily lets you make 25 or slightly more shaved ice cups.
If you use a different type of cup that has more shaved ice outside, it, you will need a bit more syrup to appropriately coat the ice. This gives you a good idea to start when trying to figure out how many pounds of ice to purchase, however.
Can I buy more shaved ice syrup?
Absolutely you can! Hawaiian Shaved Ice has a wide range of over 90 flavors to choose from in sizes ranging from pints to galloons, depending on how often you plan to use your machine.
The flavors range from the classics like banana and blueberry and watermelon to fun flavors like fuzzy navel and wedding cake. There are even some truly unique one like silver fox (a creamy almond vanilla flavor) to fuzzy navel (orange and peach).
I appreciate that there are also dye-free shaved ice syrups in clear blue raspberry, clear cherry, and pina colada for those who cannot have food dyes or parents who worry about stains.
And if you don’t want to buy snow cone syrup, you can make a homemade version of snow cone syrup instead – it’s pretty fun and easy!
What is the difference between snow cone syrup and shaved ice syrup?
Absolutely nothing. They are the same thing.
Shaved ice often has sweetened condensed milk poured over it, but in terms of the actual syrups used to flavor the two frozen treats, they are identical.
How do I clean my electric shave ice machine?
The good news is that this is super easy to clean, and there aren’t that many pieces to clean. After all, you are simply putting clean ice into the ice shaver machine!
The sticky syrups only go onto the actual shaved ice after you put it into a cup or cone, so they never go near your machine.
You don’t generally have to clean your machine for home use. If you ever do, be sure to unplug it first and follow safety precautions, especially with that sharp adjustable blade.
Wipe down the outside of your machine with a soft damp cloth as needed. Do not ever submerse your machine or use soap with it.
If you use distilled water that doesn’t have many minerals in it – e.g., avoid my very hard tap water – you won’t get much buildup on your machine, if any.
If you do start to see some buildup, make a 50/50 white vinegar and water mix in a spray bottle and spray down your ice shaver machine. Carefully wipe it down with a clean cloth being sure to avoid the blade, and let your machine air dry.
Between uses, remove the top from the remainder of the machine, wipe it down carefully and let it air dry. That’s it!
Ready? Grab your own Hawaiian Shaved Ice machine!
I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
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