Hamilton Beach 68050 Icy Treats Ice Shaver, White
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Hamilton Beach 68050 Icy Treats Ice Shaver, White
Customer Review: Hamilton Beach should include a free ice tray
Summary: 1 Stars
I think I waited almost five years to buy this, to prevent myself from submitting to an "impulse buying" psychology, and to see what other people thought of it. I noticed that, in addition to Amazon, it was sold at several brick-and-mortar retail outlets (Bed Bath and Beyond, Target, and Macy's), so I concluded it must be okay to purchase for a relative.
According to the manual, you should just be able to dump in several ice cubes into the hopper and allow a whole batch to be produced all at once. Unfortunately, we bought ice cube trays separately that don't seem to produce the kind of ice that the machine likes. We had to feed in an ice cube and manually orient it so that the blade would slice against it, and then let the machine chew it up; then we would feed in the next ice cube, orient it, and let the machine chew on it, etc, etc, which meant that it took forever to make a single serving.
There's a simple solution: Hamilton Beach should include at least one ice cube tray, so that we consumers know EXACTLY what kind of ice cubes work for this machine. The tray would probably cost just pennies in bulk for Hamilton Beach. The company should also sell the ice cube trays separately for consumers who want to make a huge batch.
Until Hamilton Beach can make an ice cube tray available, I have to give this product one star.
Customer Review: Works great if you read the manual
Summary: 5 Stars
I know it seems like a simple product, but the people who complain that it takes 10+ minutes to make a bowl just aren't using it right. Make sure the you twist the knob in the middle of the hopper to lock the chutes in place -- otherwise, there isn't enough downward pressure, and the cubes will just skim over the blade.
I've had at least 4 ice shavers before this one, and this is the best. Requiring a special cylinder of ice is a pain because you have to have the molds prepared ahead of time, and the molds eventually crack. I've used Rival ice cube versions, but the normal one spits ice pieces everywhere, and the deluxe one does a little better, but it still overflows because the shavings collect in the middle and don't spread out. Also, the lid warped in the dishwasher, so it was tough to turn on/off.
The Icy Treats Maker has none of those problems. I can make lots of shavings, and it's really quiet. I haven't decided which size shavings I like better (slushy v. snow cone). The only problem I have is jamming of ice in the chutes. My ice maker makes long, curved "cubes" that don't flow down the chutes all the time. Regular rectangular cubes work much better, but I can either break my cubes in half or shake the machine when I hear it stop making noise.
Customer Review: Great for the price
Summary: 4 Stars
After the first time I used a commercial portable shaved ice machine, I've always thought about getting one for the family. I did quite a bit of research into the different home models around and decided to give this one a try. I've had it for just under a month and used it about 2-3 times for my 2 daughters. I've got to say for what I spent on it, it does the job, and am very satisfied with it. Considering the commercial versions costs in the hundreds of dollars, for <$40, it shaves ice fairly quickly and evenly. In about 2-3 minutes I was able to make slushed ice for 2 kids and a little left over for me.
Only two concerns, one is the plastic parts around the gears, those will probably wear over time or constant use, and I may have to adjust the blade as my kids didn't think the shaved ice was really thin enough, but I think I should be able to unscrew the blade so that I can make it slice smaller pieces.
Btw, I used refrigerator ice that is somewhat half-moon shaped, and they worked well. I even tried crushing the ice first but that didn't seem to work as well, as the way the ice helps to push down on the other ice, having crushed ice inside just makes it more messy, leaving the ice as it comes out of the freezer seems to work a lot better.
Customer Review: Works awesome...and great price!
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this after a co-worker dropped a couple of hundred dollars on a margarita maker and I knew I wanted something...but not at those prices!
So, went to Amazon.com and found this for under $30 with free shipping. Read the reviews and I was sold. Ordered and got it a few days later.
Out of the box, rinsed and on the counter. In a few minutes, we were enjoying sno-cones! My 7 y/o son is hooked! It may be a little loud, but it is shaving ice! The sno-cone setting is perfect for those icey treats.
Used the slushie setting with the stirring arm and pre-made margarita mix and it made great drinks. If you are looking for slushies like those from the local convenient store, you may be a tad disappointed since the slushie ice on this machine is a little courser. But, those commerical slushe machines infuse A LOT of air into the mix, making it more frothy..when you make slushies at home, it's all ice and your ingredients - so they last longer, stay colder and aren't filed with unknown chemicals.
I highly recommend this machine to anyone looking for a sensible alternative to those expensive drink makers. Plus, it's the size of coffee maker and stores easily in your cabinets when you're not using it.
Customer Review: Good, not great
Summary: 3 Stars
I've always wanted a slushie machine of my own, especially since it can be hard to find good sugar-free flavors, so I was excited to get one of these. While it does work well in some ways, I was disappointed in others.
On the plus side, it's relatively easy to use. Put ice in the top, put flavoring (if you want) in the bowl, turn the bowl (which brings the mixing paddle into the right position), and you're good to go. Twist the blue plastic cover to turn on or off. It makes noise, of course, but far less than I was expecting. Comes apart easily for cleaning. Works pretty quickly, too. And it's a lot better than using a manual crank.
On the down side, the ice is a lot more coarse than I was expecting, even in slushie mode (which seems about the right texture for snow cones). And the mixing paddle doesn't seem to do very much. It spins slowly and doesn't do anything to bring the liquid from the bottom of the bowl into contact with the upper layers of ice. So as a slushie machine, it definitely leaves something to be desired.
I suspect, however, that it will work out very well for making iced coffee and other such drinks.