# Advice for making snowy snow cones at home?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-for-making-snowy-snow-cones-at-home/592125>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [August 9, 2011, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-for-making-snowy-snow-cones-at-home/592125 "2011-08-09T20:49:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-for-making-snowy-snow-cones-at-home/592125/1 "2011-08-09T20:49:34Z")

</div>

We recently got a small snow cone machine from Target. It works okay, but the ice pieces are a little too big and it’s like eating crushed ice. I’d really like to have the ice be tiny pieces so that it’s more of a soft, snowy texture.

Any advice for making really great snow cones at home? Do you have a snow cone machine that works really well? Any techniques for making the ice crush up better? Please help! We’re dying in this heat.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-for-making-snowy-snow-cones-at-home/592125/2 "2011-08-09T20:58:51Z")

</div>

Try Chinatown or Japantown or a Korean grocery store (are there Korean Towns? If so, try there too).

What you want is shaved ice, not crushed ice. The device should have you freeze cylinders of ice (like a hockey puck shape) and the machine spins the puck of ice over a very sharp blade. Makes very yummy shaved ice.

Google says “Hawaiian Shaved Ice” will be what you want as well.

Amazon has this:  
[I have no idea if this is good or not, but hey it’s electric!](http://www.amazon.com/Hawaiian-Shaved-Ice-Machine-Package/dp/B0011MXFBC)

This one looks even better, no useless extras:  
[Damnit, now I’m going to buy one for myself](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004UBMRKG/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0011MXFBC&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1C51PW223YPDPBB3MNM4)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\
**Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-for-making-snowy-snow-cones-at-home/592125/3 "2011-08-10T11:38:16Z")

</div>

I use a standard blender. First I put in regular ice cubes. Then I put in the liquid to a level just above the cubes. I toggle the “high” level a few times. Then I hold the “high” level until everything is mixing completely. The result is similar to a Wendy’s Frostie yet slightly more icy like a snow cone. You can increase the snow cone effect by placing it in the freezer for just a few minutes.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\
**Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-for-making-snowy-snow-cones-at-home/592125/4 "2011-08-10T12:01:47Z")

</div>

Blender is what we use too. It’s always done a good job.