When I was a kid, my dad owned a beverage flavoring company. They had an industrial grade slushie machine. He would bring the machine home whenever we had parties. He would also bring home an entire jug of the flavoring syrup that they made at the factory. It was a pretty great thing to have access to in sunny southern California.
When i worked at a DQ the boss would throw holiday parties at her house and she would bring a Misty machine from the store to make margaritas / daiquiris.
This is a product that unchecks all the boxes on something I'd buy: expensive, fussy, difficult, loud/annoying, and the end product is just not worth it.
We made these when we were kids using frozen soda or fruit juice. We'd freeze a beverage in a shallow tray, break it into pieces, put the pieces in a blender and pulverize it on high speed. We always got perfect results.
@@danilincks5809its not too far fetched, this is essentially how slush machines work, theres a cylinder that freezes cold, and it spins to make the slush. difference is commercial machines have their cylinder act like a freezer where as this version is much more tedious and needs to you keep adding ice and salt. the ice cube and blender method works better though imo
The summer I moved to the dessert, I went and bought a blender, a canister of already sweetened kool aid powder and a bag of ice... Everyone loved me that day! 😁🤣 But the next day I was making them again and my auntie starts pulling out fruit... And while they tasted great, after about 30 mins to an hour, everyone was taking turns in the bathroom. 🤦🏿♀😅 I accidently made the best tasting laxative we've ever had! 💩😮😂🤷🏿♀
@@danilincks5809I feel like complicating it makes it better though bc I've tried a similar technique and it's no war near as good as the actual machines this machine doesn't seem to do that tho
My stepmom bought me one of these last Christmas cus she knows how much i love slushies(im 27 but still love them sooo much), u can use cola or other sugery beverages(no diet or artificial sweeter drinks tho)ive been using it more to make frozen margaritas at parties at my friends houses since. Mine wasnt as loud as urs is tho also a trick i learned to help make the slushie more consistent is to stop it every 5 min or so and scrape the frozen build up that accumulates on the container. Had it for 1 year now and still running strong! But anyway good review as always and cant wait for the next video!
An actual Icee or Slurpee uses carbonated water and syrup. That can make a big difference in the texture and taste. The water makes them more airy and slushie.
@@robynhayward The pressure from the carbonation is what propels the slush out of the machine. It also affects the flavor, which is probably why the homemade Icee tastes bad with their syrup.
@@koekje00005 I have put soft drinks like Dr Pepper in an ice cream machine. As with sorbet, it comes out tasting less sweet than if unfrozen. I don't think it's only because of the airiness; cold stuff just tastes less sweet.
Back in the 90’s my Dad worked for the Icee company and he would service the machines and deliver the materials to gas stations and Walmart. What this replica doesn’t provide is the carbonation necessary to have a real Icee. Back then Icee was exclusively using syrup from the Coca Cola company but in recent years I’ve noticed Pepsi flavors included.
I just make koolade ICEES. I freeze double sugared koolaid in cubes and then start a blender of cold kooolaid adding a few cubes at a time until it is ICEE consistency. Super cheap, easy to make, and there are a bunch of flavors of koolaid or store brand drink mixes.
I use the Nostalgia snow cone maker. Then in a cup I mix Kool aid packet, little less than a cup sugar & a cup cup & a half of water. Although I have boiled it into a better syrup but too much trouble usually. I actually wore the blade out & can't replace it so was forced to buy a new one. But the new one came with 4 inch round molds & those make a finer consistency than just ice cubes. So I bought an extra 3 molds off Amazon which also came with an extra blade too. I think it'll fit too. I've also made them with Milos lemonade & juice before. You can also freeze it to make flavored ice shavings.
I got this one several years ago, 50€. Same build, different branding. And beside the noise it works like a charm. Never chilled the syrup over night but I always keep the canister in the fridge and I put it into the freezer half an hour before I start. And I never measure. Salt and water always by gut feeling, water and syrup by taste. Run it for 15 minutes, refill ice, salt and water and round about 5 minutes later the noise changes its pitch and I know that the slush is ready. But I wouldn´t recommend bying it for more than the aquivalent of 40 - 60 € in any other currency
My mom bought one of these for my kids last Christmas and my kids were pretty disappointed that you had to wait several hours to chill the syrup mix (and cannister), but they did like the results. We've only done it the one time since it's such a hassle to prep and operate for something that costs a few bucks at the convenience store.
That's awesome and interesting to know what you went through for this and how you went through each step to get the Icee ready. I think this would be awesome for a family gimmick. Enjoyed the video and what you did for us. Thanks.
I bought one. I purchased this machine for my grandchildren's visit I used aftermarket mix. It was ok for keeping the 2 kids entertained but they drank only about 8 oz each. Its not worth the time aggravation, noise or money. If they did like it or if I could take the noise, this machine cant keep up. a road trip to the gas station would be more fun with more flavors and they can mix them and MOST IMPORTANLY make the mess at the store. so I sent this machine home with them. YOU ARE WELCOME SON!, I'm enjoying being a bad grandpa.
As a child in the 70s my family would regularly make homemade use cream with an electric ice cream churn. This machine is exactly the same except that the ice cream went on the inside canister and it was surrounded with the ice and rock salt on the outside of it. We did regularly have to top off the ice and rock salt.
And that is why it takes so long to make the Icee and the fact that it's watery--the slush is constantly exposed to room temperature on the outside. If it was set up like a conventional ice cream maker, the slush would freeze faster.
Thank you for dealing with this so we don't have to. At $130, it's just waaay too complicated, and I'm the only one in my family with enough patience to go through this. Even I would only try twice before it ended up on the basement shelves. It was well worth 7 minutes of my time to know I need to avoid this product.
I'd argue for $130 its way too simple, it's a single motor, a 3 way switch, a metal container for ice, and a pitcher. There's nothing more complex than a $30 ice cream maker.
The sound of that thing reminds me of a chocolate waterfall machine I bought. As the straining motor noise can portend, this thing is designed to burn out...like my chocolate waterfall did. If you really want a slushy drink at home that badly, you're better off putting the $130 toward a good, beefy blender (like a VitaMix Jr.) or a low-end compressor ice cream machine. The former will require you freezing your flavored water into chunks or cubes, but this will be less work compared to all the ice/salt crap. The latter will allow you to just pour the ingredients in and flip a switch. The blender and the ice cream maker are both starting around $200 now. Great video.
I work in the warehouse that distributes these. We get allot of returns on them. The packaging is fragile so they get smashed during shipment, the parts are cheap plastic so we get returns on damaged broken parts and people who just don't like them. They are allot of work to make an icee. Allot of people use these with alcohol to make frozen strawberry daquis and things. One of its more fun uses. Don't necessarily HAVE to use their syrup.
i had been looking for a small slushie maker for home use since at least almost 30 years ago when i enjoyed my first frozen strawberry margerita. but all i found were the big ones for restaurants and bars. and this small one is obviously also not satisfying..... so i ended up with an ice cream maker some years ago. one that has an integrated freezing system, so it doesn't need any pre-cooling or preparation. just mix the ingredients, put it into the machine and let it run 50-60 minutes. those machines typically hold 1.5 litres which makes c. 5 servings. they do not cost much more than this slushie maker and it delivers the best frozen strawberry margeritas i've ever had! :)
Personally i like my Nastalgia snow cone maker. You can dump in ice cubes or freeze the circle molds of which i was able to buy extra of on amazon. Then i just mix koolaid packet, sugar & a cup & a half of water to make a syrup to your strength. You can also heat the syrup to boiling & cool it but i don't really bother. Best syrup ever. Or you can just use lemonade or juice. Makes
Ice, watermelon, and a nutribullet. That's all I need to make a watermelon slushie. It takes about 3 seconds to finely slice everything to the proper viscosity. If I want a different flavor, I buy the syrup and use it instead of the fruit.
When I was a kid in the early 70s the only place that had ICEES was K-Mart. They used to have a really good cafeteria like Woolworth's did. I can still taste those K-Mart submarine sandwiches. About this same time they started building 7-11 stores and they took over with the Slurpee.
When I was a kid, I had an icee maker type of thing that was hand-cranked, and didnt require any freezing or anything like that. just some ice, coarse salt, and water in the central canister, then you poured in whatever you wanted to slush up. and since you could control the speed at which you spun the liquid, I remember getting an icee out in like, 15 minutes. was very messy though, a lot of parts needed to be washed afterwards.
Here in the UK we have Slush Puppie, which they do machines like the one you reviewed. It sounds like you have to add a lot of salt. The consistency was not like our Slush Puppies, as ours are basically more slushy and thicker. But a great review.
I believe now "In the US anyways" Both ICEE and Slush Puppy are actually under the same corporate umbrella. The parent company is J&J Snack Foods; The same people who manufacture Super Pretzels and Dippin Dots.
@@larrylaffer3246I work for a contract caterer who have worked close with Slush Puppie for 5 years and and I can confirm they are owed by the same business. But here in the UK it is treated like its own business rather than a part of j j foods
I actually ended up buying an ice machine for about 130 dollars last summer when i thought our ice maker in our fridge went kaput! It was about 130 bucks, i could have gotten a smaller 1 and cheaper 1. Also, this 1 is pretty loud. Now the bonus to it. It makes snow cones! My grandsons put them in a cup or a bowl and use koolaid type powder, fruit syrups we use for coffee, or when we have fresh fruit, i run it thru the ninja thing and make it into a syrup. I AM able to carry on a conversation while it is running BUT it won't freeze if my bedroom is over 90 degrees. I had to buy an air conditioner for my bedroom lol
If I ever need/want an Icee, I’ll slip around the corner to my local Target and get one there! Thank you so much for saving so many people from making a very big mistake! Love your videos!!!
There's also a "nostalgia" branded one on Amazon for 50 bucks. Same exact mechanism. So you're paying 80 bucks for Icee branding, and believe me, it's overpriced at a third the price. Used it exactly once, thought it'd be good for a margarita party (luckily we tested it beforehand) and all that work for, maybe, two servings. Blender is a much better option.
When I was a teen I just bought a whole bunch of those little juice boxes, threw them in the freezer for like 45 mins until they became slushy, cut the juice boxes open with scissors and grabbed a spoon. Loved it!
The jump from $130 to their low end of $350 is a bit steep but sure. Granted you do get a ton more versatility but it's not like $10 or $20 to make that jump.
@@LazyeyeGreg I agree with your sentiment, but if someone is going to blow $130 on what is essentially a cheaply made ice cream maker, surely they will be able to save up for a vitamix, which is going to last a very long time and serve the role of several different appliances. People who have to be careful with money aren’t blowing it on the icee maker in the first place is what I’m saying.
I would wonder how long it would take to pay off for itself, assuming you drink a slushie at every meal, in comparison to buying an identical slushie at a gas station. But based on the price of the syrup alone, that would be $3.33 per what, a full serving? Maybe we can generously say it would be the equivalent of a large, but even then... is it possible that it would never pay for itself? Even considering the gas cost of driving to a gas station and back, if the time to prep is about the same or more?
I use a hand blender in a large beer mug. Use crushed ice. Fill half with ice then ad some filtered Water then some water flavor and blend to consistently.
I've made passable Slushies with the "Cuisinart ICE-21 1.5 Quart Ice Cream Maker". The insulated "bowl" is pre-frozen, so there's no adding salt or tedious tending. It's also not terribly expensive and does make legit ice-cream.
I know the gas stations aren’t doing all this work constantly, so what do their machines have that this one doesn’t? I’d guess a freezer and water hookup, right? Maybe Icee could release a scaled down version of that machine for home use….. and not use a motor that’s too weak and sounds like it’s about to die.
Had a few slushie mugs in the 70s, huge, double chambered, we would freeze those up, pour soda like coke or slice and in a few minutes it would freeze and we would break it into slush with a spoon. Even if you left them overnight, they still tasted great chisling the ice on a hot day. Just like getting a big metal bucket of rock hard black licorice that you had to hammer out with a little metal hammer at Christmas time.
I remember hearing about it on the radio all the time (60s I think) and they called it only the "coldest drink in town"......they never said it was called an Icee. We stopped at a small store the guy didn't know what I wanted....just pointed at the cooler and said they are pretty cold.....lol I do remember seeing them later at KMart then everyone started selling them. Good times..... cheers :)
I remember the ICEE machines at KMart in the 80's at the snack bar, and I don't know if was just my location, but man where they way too sweet for my taste.
I don't know about that machine but I just dumped a scoop of peach sherbert in NOS energy drink. Somehow the NOS supercharged the peach flavor. Amazing.
If they made this machine a bit bigger, replaced the ice-salt contraption with a Peltier element or something from desktop ice maker, and replaced the small cheap brushed motor with a much more beefier and silent motor, I would actually consider getting one, but by then it would be better to just get an used slushie machine and apply the decals myself.
I love ICEE at the movie theater, but not sure I want to get one all the time haha and definitely not make my own... plus the 7-11 slurpees are so cheap
I just bought one and it works fine I tend to ignore the directions and do things my way and it works for me I didn't go through all the steps and the icees came out fine I even like the Cherry flavor
Hey James, on a similar subject to this video: Do you know any good brands/place to buy popsicle syrup? I've been wanting to get some to make home-made popsicles but everywhere I look I just see shaved ice syrup or DIY recipes that just use fruit or ice cream etc. Can you freeze any shaved ice syrup you've tried and make actual popsicles with it? Idk if it's the same thing or not and I can't find any helpful answers online...
Had a similar one, except it wasn't an icee. Returned it because it only worked with high sugar content drinks, diet sodas always came out flat. Located in the manual (under very small fine print) a short sentence saying "sugar drinks only" My compresser ice cream unit makes them much more faster.
Best way to make a version of this is to make the slushy base, freeze it solid, then blend the mixture. Depending on the blender or the sugar content in the mix, the blend should be a good texture. Only downside is maybe too frozen. You can fix this by saving some of the mix before freezing so you can use it for the final product.
My kids had the non motorized version of this. That seems about the only difference really. Was messy and did not make much for all the trouble and mess during and after for something that wasn't close to the real thing. We did not use the syrup base. We used sodas. Even if we did have the syrup I doubt you can get good results as yoh can see in the video. But the trouble and mess remains the same. You would get better results by using a blender, cold beverage of your choice plus some frozen into ice cubes. Then blend them together. The better your blender the better results in smoothness. Believe me, it is easier and less messy than dealing with the icee machine. Sure young kids may think it's cool...once or twice then it's never pulled out again.
I was so excited and now I’m so disappointed- so I’m really glad I saw this particular episode. Thank you for doing what you do, I like your site very much!
tip for thoes who have, 1-the water you add pre salt it untill the salt stops dissolving( make a large batch as tou will be ropping it up) 2-stick that water in freezer until its super super cold, 3- you can use dry ice but sumtimes it "bubbles"(use at own risk) and 4' i use fruit juice just no pulp or seeds apple is nice,
Im honestly shocked it didnt jam up lol, I got a rebranded one of this in the UK for slush puppy and it just kept seizing up because the motor wasnt strong enough. It wasnt $130 though lol, was only £40 or $60ish? It was the same model though, just different stickers.
Looks like it was $100 for the "ICEE" name, and $30 for materials. I don't know, the fact that you have to constantly watch it to add a ice, salt, and water makes it pretty inconvenient especially when you have to listen to that noise.
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This is why we watch your reviews and not 30-second videos on amazon. Thank you.
30 seconds should never be considered as valid, regardless of where.
nothing that short can convey the quality of a product.
I'd say most of us skip through the video to find the part we want to see.
Yep I was thinking the same thing.
300th like.
Put Coca Cola in it.
When I was a kid, my dad owned a beverage flavoring company. They had an industrial grade slushie machine. He would bring the machine home whenever we had parties. He would also bring home an entire jug of the flavoring syrup that they made at the factory. It was a pretty great thing to have access to in sunny southern California.
My dad worked at the nuclear power plant and brought home radioactive rods, needless to say we all have extra limbs in our family.
That's a wonderful memory. I bet everyone wanted to come to your parties.
@@MercenaryBlackWaterz😂
How's that diabetes working out for ya? JK I'm just jealous I lived in socal growing up but I only had a ms pac man arcade no slush machine
When i worked at a DQ the boss would throw holiday parties at her house and she would bring a Misty machine from the store to make margaritas / daiquiris.
This is a product that unchecks all the boxes on something I'd buy: expensive, fussy, difficult, loud/annoying, and the end product is just not worth it.
$130 doesn’t seem all that much for a slushy machine. How much is a blender?
sounds like a wife ba zing !
@@AFpaleoCon30$ for cheap one
@@AFpaleoCon A nice Ninja blender sells for around $100 and it can do a ton more than this Icee maker can.
@@Brooks0511 Ahhhhh I see what you did there 🤣🤣
We made these when we were kids using frozen soda or fruit juice. We'd freeze a beverage in a shallow tray, break it into pieces, put the pieces in a blender and pulverize it on high speed. We always got perfect results.
Perfect! Just like an icee should be! Using a machine like this one sounds idiotic to me. Why do people need to complicate things?
@@danilincks5809its not too far fetched, this is essentially how slush machines work, theres a cylinder that freezes cold, and it spins to make the slush. difference is commercial machines have their cylinder act like a freezer where as this version is much more tedious and needs to you keep adding ice and salt.
the ice cube and blender method works better though imo
The summer I moved to the dessert, I went and bought a blender, a canister of already sweetened kool aid powder and a bag of ice... Everyone loved me that day! 😁🤣
But the next day I was making them again and my auntie starts pulling out fruit... And while they tasted great, after about 30 mins to an hour, everyone was taking turns in the bathroom. 🤦🏿♀😅 I accidently made the best tasting laxative we've ever had! 💩😮😂🤷🏿♀
@@danilincks5809I feel like complicating it makes it better though bc I've tried a similar technique and it's no war near as good as the actual machines this machine doesn't seem to do that tho
My stepmom bought me one of these last Christmas cus she knows how much i love slushies(im 27 but still love them sooo much), u can use cola or other sugery beverages(no diet or artificial sweeter drinks tho)ive been using it more to make frozen margaritas at parties at my friends houses since. Mine wasnt as loud as urs is tho also a trick i learned to help make the slushie more consistent is to stop it every 5 min or so and scrape the frozen build up that accumulates on the container. Had it for 1 year now and still running strong! But anyway good review as always and cant wait for the next video!
An actual Icee or Slurpee uses carbonated water and syrup. That can make a big difference in the texture and taste. The water makes them more airy and slushie.
Oh, THATS what makes them airy???? I might have to experiment with this lol
@@robynhayward The pressure from the carbonation is what propels the slush out of the machine. It also affects the flavor, which is probably why the homemade Icee tastes bad with their syrup.
And so much simpler to walk in to 7-11 and buy one
@@Jeffrey_Lew ever tried just pouring fanta or something in a slushie machine?
@@koekje00005 I have put soft drinks like Dr Pepper in an ice cream machine. As with sorbet, it comes out tasting less sweet than if unfrozen. I don't think it's only because of the airiness; cold stuff just tastes less sweet.
Back in the 90’s my Dad worked for the Icee company and he would service the machines and deliver the materials to gas stations and Walmart. What this replica doesn’t provide is the carbonation necessary to have a real Icee. Back then Icee was exclusively using syrup from the Coca Cola company but in recent years I’ve noticed Pepsi flavors included.
I just make koolade ICEES. I freeze double sugared koolaid in cubes and then start a blender of cold kooolaid adding a few cubes at a time until it is ICEE consistency. Super cheap, easy to make, and there are a bunch of flavors of koolaid or store brand drink mixes.
Good idea!👍🏻😊
U had me at double sugared kollaide u could have said almost anything next and I was in
The extra sugar helps the texture a lot!@@scotts1668
I use the Nostalgia snow cone maker.
Then in a cup I mix Kool aid packet, little less than a cup sugar & a cup cup & a half of water.
Although I have boiled it into a better syrup but too much trouble usually.
I actually wore the blade out & can't replace it so was forced to buy a new one. But the new one came with 4 inch round molds & those make a finer consistency than just ice cubes. So I bought an extra 3 molds off Amazon which also came with an extra blade too. I think it'll fit too.
I've also made them with Milos lemonade & juice before. You can also freeze it to make flavored ice shavings.
I got this one several years ago, 50€. Same build, different branding. And beside the noise it works like a charm. Never chilled the syrup over night but I always keep the canister in the fridge and I put it into the freezer half an hour before I start. And I never measure. Salt and water always by gut feeling, water and syrup by taste. Run it for 15 minutes, refill ice, salt and water and round about 5 minutes later the noise changes its pitch and I know that the slush is ready.
But I wouldn´t recommend bying it for more than the aquivalent of 40 - 60 € in any other currency
My mom bought one of these for my kids last Christmas and my kids were pretty disappointed that you had to wait several hours to chill the syrup mix (and cannister), but they did like the results. We've only done it the one time since it's such a hassle to prep and operate for something that costs a few bucks at the convenience store.
It looks epic
The biggest issue I'd have with it is that it's not carbonated like a real ICEE. That's what sets them apart from an ordinary slushee.
They were carbonated?
ICEEs are carbonated? Hmmmm, didn't know that.
Didn't know that
Would that be why it also expands when dispensed?
@@J-1410I've known for a very long time that they were carbonated but I never put 2+2 together as to why it expands out the top. I feel dumb now
That's awesome and interesting to know what you went through for this and how you went through each step to get the Icee ready. I think this would be awesome for a family gimmick. Enjoyed the video and what you did for us. Thanks.
Looks like it might make a decent margarita
I bought one. I purchased this machine for my grandchildren's visit I used aftermarket mix. It was ok for keeping the 2 kids entertained but they drank only about 8 oz each. Its not worth the time aggravation, noise or money. If they did like it or if I could take the noise, this machine cant keep up. a road trip to the gas station would be more fun with more flavors and they can mix them and MOST IMPORTANLY make the mess at the store. so I sent this machine home with them. YOU ARE WELCOME SON!, I'm enjoying being a bad grandpa.
As a child in the 70s my family would regularly make homemade use cream with an electric ice cream churn. This machine is exactly the same except that the ice cream went on the inside canister and it was surrounded with the ice and rock salt on the outside of it. We did regularly have to top off the ice and rock salt.
That is what this machine reminded me of as well
And that is why it takes so long to make the Icee and the fact that it's watery--the slush is constantly exposed to room temperature on the outside. If it was set up like a conventional ice cream maker, the slush would freeze faster.
I wouldn't buy this even if I could afford it. Always appreciate you sharing your thoughts on these products. Be Well💕😻
Thank you for dealing with this so we don't have to. At $130, it's just waaay too complicated, and I'm the only one in my family with enough patience to go through this. Even I would only try twice before it ended up on the basement shelves. It was well worth 7 minutes of my time to know I need to avoid this product.
I'd argue for $130 its way too simple, it's a single motor, a 3 way switch, a metal container for ice, and a pitcher. There's nothing more complex than a $30 ice cream maker.
@MyBrothersMario - Fair. I guess I expect it to be technically more complex, but way more simple to use.
Kitchen blender, ice, vodka and syrup! Probably takes 2 minutes!
I love how you used the ice from your recent ice maker review. It's like a multiverse of reviews.
You can get icee brand pouches that you freeze and squish up with your hands. They taste good and the texture is alright for a fraction of the effort
Yep Dollar Tree
Never seen them
I had the Snoopy Sno-cone maker as a kid. It probably cost 10 bucks and was way better than this.
The sound of that thing reminds me of a chocolate waterfall machine I bought. As the straining motor noise can portend, this thing is designed to burn out...like my chocolate waterfall did. If you really want a slushy drink at home that badly, you're better off putting the $130 toward a good, beefy blender (like a VitaMix Jr.) or a low-end compressor ice cream machine. The former will require you freezing your flavored water into chunks or cubes, but this will be less work compared to all the ice/salt crap. The latter will allow you to just pour the ingredients in and flip a switch. The blender and the ice cream maker are both starting around $200 now. Great video.
Plus, the slushie machine is only really good for making slushies (or other frozen beverages) , a blender is useful for a LOT more things than that.
I have a Hamilton Beach blender that I got for free but it costs $40. It makes great smoothies with some ice and frozen fruit
Don't eat the yellow snow, James😂
I work in the warehouse that distributes these. We get allot of returns on them. The packaging is fragile so they get smashed during shipment, the parts are cheap plastic so we get returns on damaged broken parts and people who just don't like them. They are allot of work to make an icee. Allot of people use these with alcohol to make frozen strawberry daquis and things. One of its more fun uses. Don't necessarily HAVE to use their syrup.
I always watch your videos. Saves me money while entertaining me lol Thanks again Freakin' Reviews!!!
i had been looking for a small slushie maker for home use since at least almost 30 years ago when i enjoyed my first frozen strawberry margerita. but all i found were the big ones for restaurants and bars. and this small one is obviously also not satisfying..... so i ended up with an ice cream maker some years ago. one that has an integrated freezing system, so it doesn't need any pre-cooling or preparation. just mix the ingredients, put it into the machine and let it run 50-60 minutes. those machines typically hold 1.5 litres which makes c. 5 servings. they do not cost much more than this slushie maker and it delivers the best frozen strawberry margeritas i've ever had! :)
alot of work for 1 slushie batch, and 130 bucks. for that kinda money i expect it to be less complicated lmao. great video!
I didn’t realize they were so expensive. I got mine at TJ max a year ago for $40… still not really worth it lol.
@@garo5284 like, I'm sure they're betting on it being "for the process" but the process is annoying lol, you're paying 130 for a chore basicly lmao
Personally i like my Nastalgia snow cone maker. You can dump in ice cubes or freeze the circle molds of which i was able to buy extra of on amazon.
Then i just mix koolaid packet, sugar & a cup & a half of water to make a syrup to your strength.
You can also heat the syrup to boiling & cool it but i don't really bother.
Best syrup ever. Or you can just use lemonade or juice.
Makes
Looks like what was frozen to the barrel would've been the best part lol looks like icee has a lot of work to do to perfect this machine.
Thx so much for your honest reviews..very informative!
Ice, watermelon, and a nutribullet. That's all I need to make a watermelon slushie. It takes about 3 seconds to finely slice everything to the proper viscosity.
If I want a different flavor, I buy the syrup and use it instead of the fruit.
That's a great idea!
Exactly!!! Almost any fruit works!!
The ratings for this are fairly low everywhere. I wanted it until I looked around. Im so glad you chose to review this!
When I was a kid in the early 70s the only place that had ICEES was K-Mart. They used to have a really good cafeteria like Woolworth's did. I can still taste those K-Mart submarine sandwiches. About this same time they started building 7-11 stores and they took over with the Slurpee.
Our Walmart Subway sells Icee never bought one. :)
I remember those K-Mart sandwiches. I could taste them for about a week afterwards.
I used to love going to K-Mart. Got a pretzel and icee
When I was a kid, I had an icee maker type of thing that was hand-cranked, and didnt require any freezing or anything like that. just some ice, coarse salt, and water in the central canister, then you poured in whatever you wanted to slush up. and since you could control the speed at which you spun the liquid, I remember getting an icee out in like, 15 minutes. was very messy though, a lot of parts needed to be washed afterwards.
Same. Actually I still have it 😅 my kids love it
I'd like to see him do a pasta machine and a bread machine
**googles pasta machine** 🤔
Philips makes one and Techmoan made a fantastic video about that. If you search Techmoan pasta maker on YT it'll be the first result
Reminds me of the Margaritaville blenders all my neighbors were getting years ago. Looks like this makes a proper slushy
Here in the UK we have Slush Puppie, which they do machines like the one you reviewed. It sounds like you have to add a lot of salt. The consistency was not like our Slush Puppies, as ours are basically more slushy and thicker. But a great review.
Slush puppies use to be a lot more common in the states... but we still have them in some places... slush puppies are great like a snow cone in a cup
Slush Puppies were common in the U.S. in K-Mart but all the K-Marts closed. I preferred Slush Puppies to Icees.
I believe now "In the US anyways" Both ICEE and Slush Puppy are actually under the same corporate umbrella. The parent company is J&J Snack Foods; The same people who manufacture Super Pretzels and Dippin Dots.
@@larrylaffer3246I work for a contract caterer who have worked close with Slush Puppie for 5 years and and I can confirm they are owed by the same business. But here in the UK it is treated like its own business rather than a part of j j foods
@@FunnyHaHa420 All K-Marts I've been too had ICEE prominently. Slush Puppies seemed liked a regional brand.
I actually ended up buying an ice machine for about 130 dollars last summer when i thought our ice maker in our fridge went kaput! It was about 130 bucks, i could have gotten a smaller 1 and cheaper 1. Also, this 1 is pretty loud.
Now the bonus to it. It makes snow cones! My grandsons put them in a cup or a bowl and use koolaid type powder, fruit syrups we use for coffee, or when we have fresh fruit, i run it thru the ninja thing and make it into a syrup.
I AM able to carry on a conversation while it is running BUT it won't freeze if my bedroom is over 90 degrees. I had to buy an air conditioner for my bedroom lol
Sounds like a cement mixer. 😂😂😂 great review for a crazy product. 😅😅😅
If I ever need/want an Icee, I’ll slip around the corner to my local Target and get one there! Thank you so much for saving so many people from making a very big mistake! Love your videos!!!
There's also a "nostalgia" branded one on Amazon for 50 bucks. Same exact mechanism. So you're paying 80 bucks for Icee branding, and believe me, it's overpriced at a third the price. Used it exactly once, thought it'd be good for a margarita party (luckily we tested it beforehand) and all that work for, maybe, two servings. Blender is a much better option.
When I was a teen I just bought a whole bunch of those little juice boxes, threw them in the freezer for like 45 mins until they became slushy, cut the juice boxes open with scissors and grabbed a spoon. Loved it!
Forget this thing. Vitamix baby. Quicker, quieter and easier to use.
The jump from $130 to their low end of $350 is a bit steep but sure. Granted you do get a ton more versatility but it's not like $10 or $20 to make that jump.
@@LazyeyeGreg I agree with your sentiment, but if someone is going to blow $130 on what is essentially a cheaply made ice cream maker, surely they will be able to save up for a vitamix, which is going to last a very long time and serve the role of several different appliances. People who have to be careful with money aren’t blowing it on the icee maker in the first place is what I’m saying.
@@MermaidMakesyup, you're so right, I've had my vitamix for 12 years now, and it's still going strong.
It was way more expensive, and way more worth it.❤❤❤
Man im glad i watched this- bc i love icees & probably would have bought- thanx
When I was a kid I had a little Icee machine that you put salt and ice in and then some soda to make an Icee. Excited to see how this one works!
My kids had a play icee machine that worked better than this one.
Well that's the greatest thing that I've ever seen. I'm going to go out and buy one tonight.
This is why I watch your videos, I love how you do true product reviews with info that actually matters.
I would wonder how long it would take to pay off for itself, assuming you drink a slushie at every meal, in comparison to buying an identical slushie at a gas station. But based on the price of the syrup alone, that would be $3.33 per what, a full serving? Maybe we can generously say it would be the equivalent of a large, but even then... is it possible that it would never pay for itself? Even considering the gas cost of driving to a gas station and back, if the time to prep is about the same or more?
Thank you for always giving us your honest review so we don't spent our money on something crappy ♥️
I got this for 18,000 tickets at Dave and busters (arcade) is was roughly 5 hours of game playing to get it.
James must love living the life of luxury when eating slushies with silverware in a glass mug
I use a hand blender in a large beer mug. Use crushed ice. Fill half with ice then ad some filtered
Water then some water flavor and blend to consistently.
It’s easier and cheaper to just go to the store and buy an icee! 😂🤣
I think I'll just continue to get mine at the gas station. I think in the long run it'll save a lot of time. Thank you for the review though.
There are models for between 1 to 2 thousand dollars that have a refrigeration unit that work a lot better
For 10 to 20x the price it better work better
@@alexramos7708buy once cry once
Dang James, sorry that was such a pain! I feel bad now lol. Hopefully I wasn't the only one who did suggest it!
I've made passable Slushies with the "Cuisinart ICE-21 1.5 Quart Ice Cream Maker". The insulated "bowl" is pre-frozen, so there's no adding salt or tedious tending. It's also not terribly expensive and does make legit ice-cream.
I know the gas stations aren’t doing all this work constantly, so what do their machines have that this one doesn’t? I’d guess a freezer and water hookup, right? Maybe Icee could release a scaled down version of that machine for home use….. and not use a motor that’s too weak and sounds like it’s about to die.
Whats wrong with the taste?
Had a few slushie mugs in the 70s, huge, double chambered, we would freeze those up, pour soda like coke or slice and in a few minutes it would freeze and we would break it into slush with a spoon. Even if you left them overnight, they still tasted great chisling the ice on a hot day. Just like getting a big metal bucket of rock hard black licorice that you had to hammer out with a little metal hammer at Christmas time.
I buyed it and it was only 80$(:
Thanks for the detailed coverage.
Honesty is a great policy.
Cheers!
That's just way too much work for so little results.
Thanks for saving me money! 😂
I remember being able to get an Icee from the actual machine when my mother would take us kids shopping at Kmart.
I remember hearing about it on the radio all the time (60s I think) and they called it only the "coldest drink in town"......they never said it was called an Icee. We stopped at a small store the guy didn't know what I wanted....just pointed at the cooler and said they are pretty cold.....lol I do remember seeing them later at KMart then everyone started selling them. Good times..... cheers :)
I remember the ICEE machines at KMart in the 80's at the snack bar, and I don't know if was just my location, but man where they way too sweet for my taste.
Thank you!!!Thank you!!! I think I will stick with the slushy cup. Easier and less noise.
I don't know about that machine but I just dumped a scoop of peach sherbert in NOS energy drink. Somehow the NOS supercharged the peach flavor. Amazing.
If they made this machine a bit bigger, replaced the ice-salt contraption with a Peltier element or something from desktop ice maker, and replaced the small cheap brushed motor with a much more beefier and silent motor, I would actually consider getting one, but by then it would be better to just get an used slushie machine and apply the decals myself.
I think I'll just continue to go to the store and buy one when I get a craving.
Thanks for the video, it’s another hard no here. Appreciate the effort you put in
I love ICEE at the movie theater, but not sure I want to get one all the time haha and definitely not make my own... plus the 7-11 slurpees are so cheap
Thanks for saving me some money man
You must test the cooling belt Sparkle Tornado. Semes awesome.
I just bought one and it works fine I tend to ignore the directions and do things my way and it works for me I didn't go through all the steps and the icees came out fine I even like the Cherry flavor
That noise would drive me nuts
Hey James, on a similar subject to this video: Do you know any good brands/place to buy popsicle syrup? I've been wanting to get some to make home-made popsicles but everywhere I look I just see shaved ice syrup or DIY recipes that just use fruit or ice cream etc. Can you freeze any shaved ice syrup you've tried and make actual popsicles with it? Idk if it's the same thing or not and I can't find any helpful answers online...
We always just used Kool-Aid when I was a kid.
@@lji_btrfly Hmmm I didn't think to try that. I'll have to try and see how well it works.
I'd chuck that thing into the wall if I had to hear it running for more than 5 minutes
Had a similar one, except it wasn't an icee. Returned it because it only worked with high sugar content drinks, diet sodas always came out flat. Located in the manual (under very small fine print) a short sentence saying "sugar drinks only" My compresser ice cream unit makes them much more faster.
For that price, I would have expected it to at least have a peltier/thermoelectric cooling element..
Best way to make a version of this is to make the slushy base, freeze it solid, then blend the mixture. Depending on the blender or the sugar content in the mix, the blend should be a good texture. Only downside is maybe too frozen. You can fix this by saving some of the mix before freezing so you can use it for the final product.
Freeze it into ice cubes. That way the blender won't be frozen solid and air getting in between the cubes helps it melt a little bit.
Was about to buy one in buc-ees😅 thanks for the review.
My kids had the non motorized version of this. That seems about the only difference really. Was messy and did not make much for all the trouble and mess during and after for something that wasn't close to the real thing. We did not use the syrup base. We used sodas. Even if we did have the syrup I doubt you can get good results as yoh can see in the video. But the trouble and mess remains the same.
You would get better results by using a blender, cold beverage of your choice plus some frozen into ice cubes. Then blend them together. The better your blender the better results in smoothness. Believe me, it is easier and less messy than dealing with the icee machine. Sure young kids may think it's cool...once or twice then it's never pulled out again.
Thank you! I will keep my blender. Works faster and better!
I was so excited and now I’m so disappointed- so I’m really glad I saw this particular episode. Thank you for doing what you do, I like your site very much!
Never has just buying an ICEE looked more appealing
Bless your heart, thinking of our viewing enjoyment and not subjecting us to that damn banshee
This channel save me tons of fortune, thanks!
I love your brutal honesty- thanks for the dodge on buying this item.
jeez thanks for making this video almost bought one of these would have been super mad about doing all this!
I'll just stop by my local Speedway or 7/11 lol..
You, sir, just got a new follower. Really like your videos
Is there a shaved ice maker you recommend?
tip for thoes who have, 1-the water you add pre salt it untill the salt stops dissolving( make a large batch as tou will be ropping it up) 2-stick that water in freezer until its super super cold, 3- you can use dry ice but sumtimes it "bubbles"(use at own risk) and 4' i use fruit juice just no pulp or seeds apple is nice,
Hi 👋 James, you should review the new Ninja SLUSHi.
It looks really cool and makes multiple things.
Got mine at D&B. Niece made me get it. This is going to be an adventure.
Im honestly shocked it didnt jam up lol, I got a rebranded one of this in the UK for slush puppy and it just kept seizing up because the motor wasnt strong enough. It wasnt $130 though lol, was only £40 or $60ish? It was the same model though, just different stickers.
Slush puppies and ICEE are owned by the same company
Looks like it was $100 for the "ICEE" name, and $30 for materials. I don't know, the fact that you have to constantly watch it to add a ice, salt, and water makes it pretty inconvenient especially when you have to listen to that noise.
What kind of lights are you using on your shelving in the back?
I got one of these today in the UK. It was 59 quid. It looks like the same machine, just branded different (slush puppie)
I’ve been seeing an air fryer / griidle / grill at Costco, would love to see a review of it
How does it compare to those frozen squishy cups? Better texture, more volume?