Snow cones are a great way to beat the summer heat without a lot of extra calories, and Lanard’s Mr. Snowman Sno-cone Maker is a product parents with a small family may want to try this summer.
Mr. Snowman Sno-cone Maker Basics
The Mr. Snowman Sno-cone Maker by Lanard sells for around $25 at most major retailers and online stores. It is recommend for children ages 4 and up. Mr. Snowman has three parts and a detachable crank handle.
The top is a snowman-shaped plunger that pushes ice against the blades. The middle part holds the ice cubes and the blades. The bottom is a collection cup that gathers the shaved ice. In addition to the Mr. Snowman unit, the set comes with two, 4-ounce (125 mL) cups and two small spoons. A bottle to dispense flavored syrup, juice or soda is included as well, but snow cone syrup is not included.
How to Use the Snow Cone Maker
There is almost no assembly necessary to use Mr. Snowman. Simply place the middle part with the blades on top of the collection cup and place ice cubes in the hole. Attach the crank to the assembly and place the snowman-shaped plunger on top. A little space should be left at the top so the plunger is slightly inserted into the chamber. Overfilling the ice holder can result in the plunger slipping or making it harder to push straight down on the plunger.
While applying pressure to the plunger, turn the crank to spin the blades around and across the ice. The crank only works in one direction but the entire assembly can be rotated to allow both left- and right-handed users to operate the crank. When the plunger is completely depressed, take off the middle and top sections. The shaved ice in the collection cup is enough to fill both of the cups that come with the Mr. Snowman Sno-cone Maker.
Mr. Snowman is Functional and Easy to Use
The Mr. Snowman Sno-Cone Maker is easy to use with almost no assembly. It provides a fast way to create snow cones for young children without a lot of cleanup. It is small enough to store easily. Unlike homemade ice cream makers, Mr. Snowman offers endless flavor opportunities within the same batch.
Mr. Snowman is a safer product for the whole family because the blades are not exposed or removable. Also, there are no wires or batteries, so Mr. Snowman is portable and can be taken outside to make snow cones with less mess.
Hand-Crank Snow Cone Maker is Best for Small Families
Although Mr. Snowman makes snow cones relatively quickly, it is best for entertaining only a couple of children at a time or for a small family with one or two children. The set only comes with two cups and two spoons. Households with more children or without the miniature cups may find siblings and other children squabble over who has more when another child has a larger cup.
The amount of shaved ice that is made in one cranking is fine for one or two children to share but cranking more takes more time. This is fine for a small family or group of children, but Mr. Snowman would not be sufficient to provide shaved ice snow cones for a birthday party treat.
Needs Adult Assistance to Make Shaved Ice
While the crank is easy to turn, the age suggestion of 4 years and older does not mean that children that age can operate the crank in a way that produces shaved ice. The snowman-shaped plunger must be pressed with force to push the ice across the blades, while turning the crank. There is some resistance against the crank when larger ice cubes run across the blades and children may not be able to turn the crank in such cases.
Mr. Snowman comes with no written instructions for cleaning the machine or tips for how to get the most shaved ice from the snow cone maker. (Try starting with crushed ice from a refrigerator door, when available.)
Parents have to resort to trial and error and may become frustrated trying to recreate the rounded snow cones displayed on the box. The box also includes pictures of children using the syrup dispenser to flavor their snow cones, but syrups, juices and other flavorings must be purchased separately.
Lanard’s Mr. Snowman Sno-cone Maker is a nice snow cone maker for small families or small groups of children. It is a functional hand-crank snow cone maker with almost no assembly. It provides shaved ice relatively quickly and offers endless flavor choices in one batch. The Mr. Snowman Sno-cone Maker is better for small families because of the small amount of shaved ice created with each full plunger, the amount of time it takes to create cups of shaved ice, and the number of cups provided in the package. Parents should expect to assist small children in making snow cones with Mr. Snowman.
Genna Cockerham - Genna Cockerham has been writing online since November 2008. She served as Marriage Feature Writer from December 2008 to February ...
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