Cotton candy is quite a tasty delicacy, but the apparatus for making it is very expensive and therefore it should be purchased for home use not advisable.
However, almost everyone can make their own homemade cotton candy machine. To do this, you will need a simple saucepan and some accessories that are likely to be found in every pantry. Making a home device will not take much time, but it will cost mere pennies. With a little work, you can make cotton candy from simple sugar at any time and in any quantity.
Cotton candy machine at home
For successful work To use the machine, you will need a container that will be filled with sugar. This container will be heated, causing the sugar to melt and rotate. As you rotate, thin strands of melted sugar will be ejected through the holes in the container. The container must be placed inside a large pan to contain the ejected threads.First you need to select everything you need for. These include components and tools.
Prepare the following tools:
- Drill and several drills. A thin (no more than one millimeter) drill is required.
- Soldering iron.
- Set of files.
- Tin scissors and a can opener.
Components of the cotton candy machine:
- Jet lighter. These lighters are characterized by a blue flame and produce heat that is higher than the temperature of conventional lighters. At the same time, no soot is released during combustion. The lighter must be able to burn on its own, this is due to the fact that placing your hand with a lighter in a pan with flying sugar threads is somewhat inconvenient.
- DC electric motor powered by low voltage (for example, nine volt).
- The power source for the electric motor can be a simple battery.
- A small tin can, preferably a tall one, for canned vegetables.
- Small cap for installing lighter, you can use milk cap.
- Large saucepan or bucket.
- A relatively long stick, longer than the width of the pan. Any will do wooden plank or metal rod.
- A rod or tube about fifteen centimeters long.
- Small bolt, nut and washer.
After completing the configuration, we proceed directly to production:
1) We secure the lighter.
We prepare a stand for the lighter. Need to wrap the lighter cling film at least two layers. Then mix up some epoxy glue, pour it into the milk cap and place the lighter in the cap. After the glue has hardened, you need to remove the lighter and clean it from the film. The removable lighter stand is ready.
2) Installation of the motor and rod.
The motor is connected to the tin can by a short rod or tube. One hole must be drilled at the ends of the rod. One hole is intended for connection to the motor shaft, so the drill is selected accordingly. After drilling, insert the shaft into the hole and secure it with a drop of superglue. You can also use a locking screw to secure the shaft in the hole, but this will require drilling another hole and tapping a thread, although it will provide the ability to remove the motor if necessary. Think for yourself what you like best.
After this, we drill a second hole to attach the tin can. The can will be secured with a bolt, so the drill must match its diameter.
Finally, we attach the engine to cross bar. This is quite simple to do; drill two holes in the center of the bar and secure the engine with two screws.
3) Installation of the can.
The tin can is the container in which the sugar will be melted. To do this, you need to pour sugar into it, hang it over a fire source and spin it, and sugar threads will begin to fly out of the holes in its sides.
You should start by cutting a hole along the top edge of the can. Using a can opener, remove the top lid of the can completely and file the edges to remove any burrs. This will prevent wounds during the cotton candy making process.
After this, you need to drill a series of holes on the sides of the can, at its bottom edge. The holes should be as small in diameter as possible, even with holes one millimeter in diameter, some sugar can pass through them without having time to melt. So use the smallest diameter drill you can find. Drill holes at a height of approximately one centimeter from the bottom seam of the can.
4) Securing the can
Drill a hole in the can to attach it to the rod. Secure the can with a bolt and nut. In principle, the can can simply be soldered to a metal rod or nailed if the plank is wooden. But the mounting option with a bolt and nut is better, as it allows you to remove or replace the can.
Pay special attention to the fact that the can, attached to the rod, is conveniently located above the fire source inside the bucket or pan.
Making cotton candy at home
The installation is ready. Let's start preparing cotton candy. Light a lighter, place some sugar in a can and start the engine.
Place the lighter inside the pan. Once the jar is warm enough, the sugar will begin to melt and fly out of the holes in the sides of the jar in the form of cotton candy. After a certain amount of cotton wool has formed, collect it with a bamboo stick.
One day in my spare time I decided to give the children such a surprise. I searched the entire Internet, but found only vague drawings with a disk on the motor shaft where syrup should be poured. But I was interested in the question (like other people looking for drawings) about adding sugar itself to obtain the final product. After spending one working day with a friend, the device was created from improvised materials.
Type of finished product (not refined)
photo 1
This required:
1. Lamp shade street lighting(any other bowl or stainless steel tank from an old one will do washing machine, but a lamp of this type turned out to have convenient mounting for the motor)
2. The motor from a car windshield wiper is already mounted in the lamp socket holder housing.
photo 2
3. Heating element from an old electric stove.
photo 3
4. The main part is the head for filling raw materials. The optimal working result was determined by trial and error. To do this, two gearboxes from gas cylinders(top caps twisted together)
photo 4
and her drawing
Here is a photo of the head mounted on a bolt
photo 5
The electric heating element is installed on fiberglass or asbestos (which is available, but asbestos is more toxic)
photo 6
The assembly itself consists of installing the head on the motor shaft, between which a heating element is mounted, as close to the top as possible.
photo 7
Who among us as a child did not dream of having his own machine for making cotton candy? If, having grown up, you have not decided to connect your life with confectionery art, it is possible to make this dream come true. Available for sale various models devices: from amateur to professional, from cheap to expensive. And those who know how to work with their hands, according to the instructions, will assemble such a unit from improvised means in 5 minutes. How to do this, and whether it is necessary to do this at all, will be discussed below.
Professional machine for cotton candy at home
The simplest way to prepare this beloved dessert is based on the use of a professional cotton candy machine. You can find such a device both on the Internet and in stores. household appliances, where you have everything you need for your home. Compact, it produces a large number of servings per short time, which will be useful for both the party star and the organizer of children's parties. Anyone can use the unit: no professional skills are required for operation.
To enjoy cotton wool, follow a simple sequence of steps:
Step #1. We wash the recently purchased car in warm water and dry thoroughly.
Step #2. We start the device and let it run in idle mode for about five minutes so that the base has time to fully warm up.
Step #3. Pour two teaspoons or tablespoons of sugar onto a metal disk located in the center of the structure (depending on the required serving size). As it heats up, it will begin to turn into threads of a sweet “cobweb”.
Step #4. We take a cocktail straw, a chopstick or any similar object and wrap the resulting threads around it. Slowly move the bowls in a circle until you get a portion of the desired volume.
Step #5. At the end of the work, rinse the device again, dry it and put it out of the reach of children.
Also, when working with the device, we make sure that it:
- Didn't overheat. After creating 1-2 servings, turn off the device and let it cool.
- Didn't stay dirty. Once we are too lazy to wash the device after work, we can permanently disable it.
- Didn't work unsupervised. The web created is very light. Once you gape, it will decorate the chandelier, table, carpet and other surfaces it manages to reach. But it will be difficult to clean them.
Cotton candy machine for home: Necessary materials
If you have neither the money nor the desire to spend money on a professional device, a homemade one can also help in making cotton candy. To assemble it we will need the following materials:
- New carton, the inside is clean and unadorned.
- Plastic bottle with a capacity of at least 5 liters.
- Jar lid baby food or an old CD.
- Tools.
- A working small motor that can be borrowed from a children's toy or a small household electrical appliance.
- Phone charging with power from 12 to 20 Volts.
Let's start assembling :
Step #1. We thoroughly wash and dry the bottle and cap/CD. We get rid of any elements (paint, labels, etc.) that may get into the cotton wool during cooking.
Step #2. We take a bottle cap, cut holes in it, in which we then fix the motor with glue. We stretch the nipple rubber onto the rotor, and then cover it with a lid from a baby food can. The finished design looks like this:
Step #3. Connecting charger with a motor, we pass the wires through a bottle, the cap of which is carefully screwed on.
Step #4. We place the resulting structure in a box and install it not far from the outlet. Our cotton candy production machine is ready.
Preparing a sweet, airy dessert :
Step #1. Mix sugar and water in a ratio of three to one (assuming that one serving requires about 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar). Mix the solution thoroughly. When it becomes completely homogeneous, add 5 ml of 3% vinegar and mix thoroughly again.
Step #2. Pour the resulting mixture into a saucepan/pan with high walls and, stirring constantly, cook over low heat until thickened.
Step #3. Pour the solution into a ceramic container and let it cool to 30-35 degrees. Then pour it back into the pan and continue heating. Repeat the procedure until the sugar syrup reaches golden hue and will not thicken thoroughly.
Step #4. When everything is ready, turn on the machine and begin to pour the prepared syrup onto it in a thin stream. If all the previous steps were taken correctly, the first threads of the “webs” will appear immediately.
All we have to do is wait until the portion of the size we need is formed and enjoy the dessert made with our own hands. Agree, it couldn’t be simpler.
Pros and cons of cotton candy equipment. Is it worth the bother?
Are you planning to buy a cotton candy maker, but aren't sure if it's worth the money? Let's look at the pros and cons of the device to make your choice easier. So, when making a purchasing decision, pay attention to the following indicators:
- Price. The cost of professional units amounts to tens, or even hundreds of thousands of rubles. Home wave models can be found for 3-10 thousand. However, even this amount will be unreasonably large if you plan to use the machine only a couple of times, and then simply push it onto a distant shelf.
- Performance. Those who, on the contrary, want to operate a cotton candy machine on an ongoing basis, when choosing, should focus on its technical specifications. Will the model you like be able to perform the volume of operations required of it? Or will it become unusable after 5-10 cycles? Reviews and descriptions of device parameters will help you figure it out.
- Demand. Find out if your friends even need such a dessert? If most of the guests are those who closely watch their figure or are indifferent to sweets, then making cotton candy on a machine specially purchased for this purpose will simply waste food and money.
As you can see, everything is obvious. The higher the price of the device, the longer it will serve you. However, even the most sophisticated model will not work on its own, without your participation. Therefore, if you doubt whether it is worth bothering with the purchase, purchase the simplest model for a couple of thousand rubles. on the secondary market. This way, you won’t lose much if your interest in cooking disappears after the first two or three servings, and you’ll be able to more clearly formulate your requirements for the device.
How to make cotton candy using a machine quickly and tasty: everyday tips
Do you want to simplify the cooking process, as well as make it faster and more accurate? These tips will help:
- To make cotton wool taste similar to the one sold during holidays and festivities, we take dry weighed sugar or isomalt. Refined or damp product is not suitable here.
- Regardless of whether you use a professional cotton candy machine or a homemade one, cobwebs and drops of syrup may fly around the room. Therefore, before starting the device, it will not hurt to cover nearby surfaces: the floor, chairs, sink with newspaper or protective film.
- Be extremely careful when pouring hot syrup. Just gape and you are guaranteed to get burned. Therefore, it is better to remove children from the kitchen during the entire cooking time.
- To prevent the mixture from spoiling during cooking (candied, burnt, thickened), stir it constantly and scrape it from the sides of the pan/pan.
If you still have questions, watch the selection of thematic videos below. It will help you figure out how to make cotton candy at home.
More interesting things on our website.
Making cotton candy at home: using a machine and without participation special equipment – detailed description for a beginner. Secrets of regular and colored delicacies.
Content
Several centuries ago, making cotton candy was an expensive pleasure, and only very rich and influential people could afford this sweet delicacy. The reason is a labor-intensive, skill-requiring process. But in the last century everything changed: there was apparatus invented to get a sugar dessert. The cooking process has become simpler, cheaper, and the delicacy more accessible. Today it can be prepared both in a confectionery factory and at home in your own kitchen.
Equipment for cotton candy
Typical equipment for making cotton candy is a special apparatus consisting of:- metal box serving as a base for installing a stainless steel bowl
- bowls for collecting sugar strands
- a protective cap, which is a plastic hemisphere or catching mesh and prevents the spraying of sweet threads outside the bowl
Important. To produce 1 serving (depending on the volume of the product obtained) it takes no more than 30 seconds and about 20 grams of raw materials, which the operator pours into a special container before starting work.
What should cotton candy sticks be like?
To collect the finished product, you also need sticks, on which the tasty threads are actually wound. Typically, several of these sticks for preparing test portions are included with the machine.Cotton candy sticks have certain parameters:
- They must be raw so that the sugar fiber does not stick along its entire length.
- Length is 25 – 35 cm (depending on the expected size of the treat)
- The sticks must be smooth, designed specifically for making cotton wool.
Review of popular machines for making cotton candy
Today, in the domestic market of household and industrial electrical equipment, machines for making cotton candy are represented mainly by manufacturers from Germany, China and Russia.
The products of three brands are in greatest demand among consumers:
- Airhot
- Homeclub
- Gastrorag
Airhot
The Chinese company Airhot has been a reliable supplier of equipment for catering and home kitchens for two decades.Airhot kitchen appliances designed for the production of cotton candy have the following advantages:
- ease of use
- modern design
- manufacturability
Airhot models have important kitchen appliances qualities: robust construction and compactness.
The most popular machine for the production of cotton candy of this brand is AIRHOT CF–1. It fits easily on a standard kitchen shelf. Its height is no more than 50 cm, length, depth - 45 cm. In addition, it is not afraid of damage during heavy use. Its body is made of durable material.
Homeclub
The Homeclub cotton candy machine is quite inexpensive and compact; it comes with:- measuring spoon
- 10 bamboo sticks for winding cotton wool
- Detailed operating instructions
Attention! Cheap models, popular among housewives, have a small bowl and therefore are not suitable for large parties with many guests.But such a device will delight participants in small home celebrations with a small but welcome delicacy.
Gastrorag
Gastrorag cotton candy machines are lightweight and therefore do not cause problems during transportation. It can simply be easily carried in your hands.Attention! The Gastrorag device has high performance: it can prepare a portion in just 12 seconds.The device does not require careful maintenance. It is enough to periodically clean the bowl of any remaining sweet threads. This device is durable and strong.
Making cotton candy using a special machine: step-by-step instructions
To get a sweet cloud of airy, delicate sweet delicacy, it is not enough to purchase a device, study the instructions and strictly follow them. You need to know the nuances of preparation, which are not mentioned in the instructions.
How to make cotton candy is easy to learn by reading step by step instructions preparing delicacies:
- Wash the new device thoroughly using special detergent and hot water.
- Dry all components
- Warm up the device for 10 minutes
- Pour 3 tsp onto the disc. Sahara.
- When the melted product turns into thin threads, they are transferred to a special bamboo stick:
- the stick is lowered vertically into the bowl, in which threads begin to wrap around it due to rotation, forming a fluffy ball
- The fibers remaining on the sides of the container are picked up using a stick
The secret of colored cotton candy
You can get colored cotton candy in several ways:
- By adding food coloring
- Using special sugar syrups to make treats. Several companies are involved in their production. Each syrup has its own taste and color. All syrups are thoroughly tested for safety and the absence of chemical dyes and flavor enhancers, so even children with allergies can consume it without fear.
- Making your own dyes based on natural products:
- Beet juice concentrate can give a color from bright red to blue-violet
- paprika extract gives all shades of yellow, up to red-orange, and also has a persistent antiseptic effect, has a positive effect on digestion
- to receive yellow You can also use turmeric root extract and saffron
- spinach will give a rich green
- purple can be obtained by using black currant, as well as dark grape skins
Lifehack. How to make cotton candy without a machine: video
You can prepare a sugar treat without the use of special equipment. You can see how to get cotton candy without a machine using improvised means by following the link:Today we will tell you how to make a machine for making cotton candy with your own hands.
Now we'll talk like cotton candy. The first thing you need to do is make a cotton candy machine.
To make a homemade cotton candy machine we will need:
- bottle with a volume of 5 liters;
- engine from any;
- scissors;
- jar lid;
- power unit;
- box.
The power should be from 6-12V, anything from . We insert the motor into the bottle cap, securing it with screws. 
The main thing is that the engine holds tightly, for this you can add a couple of drops of glue. At the top, on the rotor, we attach the lid from the jar. 
We connect the power supply, its wire should pass through the bottle and connect to the engine. Now he's ready. 
All that remains is to prepare the desired mixture.
To prepare the mixture we will need:
- metal;
- sugar;
- plate.
First you need to lubricate the lid of the jar with oil. This is necessary so that the mixture does not stick to the lid. Next, pour one tablespoon of sugar into a metal ladle and add water. 
There shouldn’t be a lot of water, just enough to soak in the sugar. Put it on the fire and stir constantly. It is necessary for the water to evaporate and only thick caramel remains. Once the water stops boiling and begins to take on a brownish appearance, the mixture is ready. After preparing the mixture, you need to do everything quickly so that the mixture does not have time to harden. We start the miracle unit and drop a small stream of the mixture onto the lid of the jar. The caramel will fly in different directions and shoot cobwebs.
Author of the article “Do it yourself: a machine for making cotton candy with your own hands” Dima
