How to make cotton candy at home. How to make a cotton candy machine How a cotton candy machine works

WHAT IS THE ARTICLE ABOUT?

Where did she come from?

It is believed that cotton candy appeared in the 15th century. The ancient Romans had specially trained people who prepared this delicacy for various holidays. But in this case, this technology is one of the lost ones, since new mentions of cotton candy only date back to the 18th century. In Europe, there were mechanical machines that prepared a delicacy similar to modern cotton candy. But the cooking process was very time consuming.

Cotton candy is a delicacy made from fine fibers of sugar or sugar syrup wound on a thin base. Therefore, cotton candy is so airy and voluminous. Technological process will be discussed below.

Composition and production process

In order to prepare cotton candy, you need the following raw materials:

Sugar
Vinegar
Water
Dyes

The production process begins with the melting of sugar in a special machine. Then water is supplied with a very small concentration of vinegar. Thus, sugar syrup is prepared. Optionally, dyes and preservatives are added to it.

The prepared raw materials are fed to a centrifuge, which spins the syrup and feeds drops of it under pressure through the smallest holes. Flying out, the drops begin to cool and solidify. At this moment, they are wound onto the base in the form of a thin stick, which makes it possible to form long and thin fibers from the hardening syrup. The fibers are wound on each other to the desired volume of the product and the process ends. The product is then packed in a special machine.

Devices and their cost

It is believed that the first device for cooking cotton candy invented in 1987 by William Morrison and John Wharton. They presented to the public an apparatus that prepared a new delicacy in automatic mode. This device consisted of:

A gas burner that melted sugar
Syrup mesh centrifuges
An air compressor that distributed the fibers to the warp and formed the cotton candy

The device discussed above was mechanical, but progress did not stand still. Already in 1903, an electric cotton candy machine was invented, and the industry received a big boost in development.

A range of modern devices for cotton candy very wide. Consider the most popular of them.

Name	Description	Price
Gold Medal - Econo Floss	Its height is 40 centimeters and its diameter is 65. It has a small weight - only seventeen kilograms, which makes it great for beginners. In terms of electricity consumption, it is comparable to a kettle and is powered by a conventional 220 volt network. For an hour of work, you can wind up about two hundred portions of 15 grams, and these are medium-sized balls.	35-39 thousand rubles.
Gold Medal - Tornado	The second device is called TORNADO, and is also produced by GOLD MEDAL. It is much more productive and larger than the first model. It is 85 by 60 centimeters, and its height is sixty-five centimeters. The weight is 35 kg. Productivity keeps at the level of 600 portions of the average size (15 grams) an hour. The cost in the Russian market is about 60 thousand rubles.	60 thousand rubles

For street trading, there is also a huge number of domestic devices. They are characterized by a small capacity of 60-80 portions per hour. You can buy them in the region of 10 thousand rubles.

DIY cotton candy

At home, you can cook cotton candy both on the machine and without it. You can buy a special cotton candy machine, which will cost about 1,500 rubles, or make it yourself.

Manufacturing algorithm homemade typewriter for cotton candy:

Prepare metal baby food lids or make similar-sized blanks.
Use a file or sandpaper to remove the protective coating and paint. They should not get into the cotton when used.
In one of the lids, make a large hole for falling asleep sugar, and in the other many small ones for serving the finished syrup.
Connect the covers together with wire or in another way so that there is a space of 5 centimeters between them.
Attach a motor from a mixer or hair dryer to a rigid base, and then to a lid with small holes. Connect the battery to the crown.
Cover the space around the lids with cardboard.
The device is ready! Now you can add sugar and collect the melted syrup from the walls.

There is not always a desire to do homemade products, but there is a desire to cook cotton candy at home. You can try to make it without a typewriter:

Mix sugar and water in a ratio of 3 to 1.
Add 3 drops of 6% vinegar (may need up to 7 drops if cotton won't come out)
Prepare sugar syrup on the stove. Make sure it doesn't burn.
Then you need to cool the syrup to 35 degrees. Make sure it doesn't freeze.
It is necessary to heat and cool the syrup about 6-7 times until it becomes homogeneous and viscous.
After the syrup is ready, you need to create threads from it. To do this, take a lot of thin sticks and wind the syrup between them in different directions until you get the right amount.

Who among us in childhood did not dream that he had his own machine for making cotton candy? If, having matured, you have not decided to connect your life with the art of confectionery, it is possible to fulfill this dream. On sale are 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 cotton candy machine at home

The simplest way to prepare a dessert loved by many 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 big number servings in a 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 a newly purchased car in warm water and dry it thoroughly.

Step #2. We start the device and let it idle 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 portion size). When heated, it will begin to turn into threads of a sweet "cobweb".

Step number 4. We take a straw from a cocktail, a chopstick or any similar object and wind the resulting threads around it. Slowly move the bowl in a circle until we get a portion of the desired volume.

Step number 5. At the end of the work, we wash the device again, dry it and put it away in a place inaccessible to children.

Also, working with the device, be sure to ensure that it:

Didn't overheat. After creating 1-2 portions, turn off the device and let it cool down.
Didn't get dirty. Once too lazy to wash the device after work, we can permanently disable it.
Didn't work unattended. The web created is very light. It is worth gaping, and it will decorate a chandelier, table, carpet and other surfaces that it has time to fly to. But it will be difficult to clean them.

Cotton candy machine for home: Materials needed

If there is neither money nor desire to spend money on a professional device, a home-made one may well help in the manufacture of cotton candy. To assemble it, we need the following materials:

Brand new cardboard box, inside clean and unadorned.
Plastic bottle with a capacity of at least 5 liters.
A lid from a baby food jar or a used CD.
Tools.
A working small motor that can be borrowed from a child's toy or a small household appliance.
Charging from a phone with a power of 12 to 20 volts.

Let's start assembling :

Step #1. Thoroughly rinse and dry the bottle and cap/CD. We get rid of any elements (paints, labels, etc.) that can get into the cotton during cooking.

Step #2. We take a bottle cap, cut holes in it, in which we then fix the motor with glue. We pull the nipple gum onto the rotor, and we already cover it with a lid from a can of baby food. Finished construction as follows:

Step #3. Connecting Charger with a motor, we pass the wires through a bottle, the cap of which is carefully twisted.

Step number 4. We put the resulting design in a box, and install it near the outlet. Our cotton candy machine is ready.

Cooking a sweet, airy dessert :

Step #1. We mix sugar with water in a ratio of three to one (on the basis that about 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar are required per serving). 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 / frying 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 acquires a golden hue and thickens thoroughly.

Step number 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 done correctly, the first strands of "cobwebs" will appear immediately.

It remains only to wait until a portion of the size we need is formed and enjoy a dessert prepared by one's own hands. Agree, it couldn't be easier.

Pros and cons of cotton candy equipment. Is it worth the bother?

Planning to buy a cotton candy maker but not sure if it is worth the money? Consider the pros and cons of the device to make it easier for you to choose. So, when making a purchase decision, pay attention to the following indicators:

Price. The cost of professional units is calculated in 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 car only a couple of times, and then just push it to the far shelf.
Performance. For those who, on the contrary, want to operate the cotton candy machine on an ongoing basis, when choosing, emphasis should be placed on its specifications. Will the model you like perform the volume of operations that are required of it? Or will it become unusable after 5-10 cycles? Reviews and a description of the device parameters will help you figure it out.
Demand. Find out if your friends need a similar dessert at all? If most of the invitees are those who closely follow the figure or are indifferent to sweets, then making cotton candy on a device specially purchased for this purpose, you will simply transfer food and money to the wind.

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 be cotton wool on its own, without your participation. Therefore, if in doubt whether it is worth bothering with the purchase, purchase the simplest model for a couple of thousand rubles. in the secondary market. So you will not lose much if interest in cooking disappears after the first two or three servings, and you will be able to clearly formulate your requirements for the device.

How to make cotton candy on the 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 that is sold during holidays and festivities, we take dry loose sugar or isomalt. A refined or damp product will not work here.
Whether you use a professional cotton candy machine or a homemade cotton candy machine, spider webs and drops of syrup can fly around the room. Therefore, before starting the device, nearby surfaces: the floor, chairs, the sink, it does not hurt to cover it with a newspaper or a protective film.
Be extremely careful when pouring hot syrup. It is worth gaping, and you are guaranteed a burn. Therefore, it is better to remove children from the kitchen for the duration of cooking.
To prevent the mixture from spoiling during cooking (does not sugar, does not burn, does not thicken), stir it constantly and scrape it off the sides of the pot / pan.

If you still have questions, check out 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.

For a fairly small cotton candy maker, you will need a few essential components. First of all, you need a base - metal or wood. The entire structure of the machine will be fixed to it. The base, or body, along the edges should have holes into which nails are hammered or cylinders are welded.

You will need an engine. Its power determines the size of all other parts of the apparatus, since the more powerful the engine, the more. You can use the engine from the tape recorder or washing machine.

Necessary for sugar, heated during cooking, a fairly roomy bowl. Since it will heat up, the material must be safe and not melt from high temperatures.

The last element required is the power supply. It can be anything - or a 220V network.

This design reflects the principle of manufacture and can be modified and improved in any desired way.

Assembly process

The basis of a simple apparatus for making cotton wool will be a board. Carnations are driven in to secure the engine, but you can also attach the engine with wire.

A simple tape motor with several holes and a small shaft is taken into the engine. A bowl is fixed on the shaft, and with the help of holes, the engine is attached to the base.

The bowl is the most complex element in the device for the production of cotton candy. Plugs can be used small size- from beer or ketchup. Cans of Pepsi, beer and other drinks can be used, provided that they are evenly cut. Any items are processed with sandpaper to remove all paint.

After that, a hole is made in the middle and many small holes are punched around the perimeter. In the second plug, a small hole is made in the middle and 4 more along the perimeter.

Using a wire, both parts are connected together. The upper part has a large hole in the middle, and the lower part has many small holes around the perimeter. The finished bowl is fixed on the engine. Now, in order to make the first portion of cotton candy, you only need to power the engine with an old charger.

To do this, cut off the plug from the charger (therefore, it doesn’t matter what type the charger has) and strip the wires at the end. Connect to the engine, observing the polarity, plug into the network. If the bowl moves without falling off, everything is done correctly.

Manufacturing process

You need sugar and a source of heat. Sugar is poured into a bowl and heated to a fluid state. Then the device turns on and you can collect thin threads of cotton candy with a stick.

With high humidity, a good product will not work. In this case, you can develop a design with a cover.

You can’t make a lot of cotton wool with such an apparatus, but it will be enough to please the children on Sundays.

Cotton candy (or candy) is cool, but quite expensive. And it looks completely crazy to buy a machine for cotton candy, just to occasionally indulge in this delicacy. This DIY project comes together very quickly from an intact pot and what may be lying around in your bins idle.

The main part of the cotton candy maker is a container with sugar and holes, which will heat up and rotate, and the threads of melted sugar will fly out into these holes. This container will be inside the pan so that the sugar threads do not scatter throughout the kitchen.

Step 1: Required Materials

To make a cotton candy maker at home, you will need:

Turbo lighter - These lighters burn with a blue flame, the temperature of their fire is much higher than that of conventional gas lighters, and they do not produce soot. You need such a lighter with a fixed switch.
Small electric motor (8 V is possible).
Battery for the engine (I used a pp3 battery - krone).
Battery connector.
Tin can - I used a bean can. Of course, a fish can would have been better, but then cotton candy would have turned out with a fishy smell.
To install the engine in a mini cotton candy machine - caps from a bottle of milk.
Deep pot or clean bucket - the pot shown in the first photo was not big enough and I ended up replacing it with a larger one.
Long stick, longer than the width of the pot. I used a guide from an old dishwasher.
Threaded rod for the stem (about 15 cm. I used a 10 cm stud, it should be longer than the height of the can.
Small nut, bolt and washer. I took a steel bolt, it is perfectly screwed into a soft brass tube.

Consumables:

Sugar
bamboo skewers
Fast acting epoxy
cling film

Tools:

Drill with a set of drills (including 1 mm and less)
Soldering Station
Files
Tin scissors or can opener

Step 2: Stabilize the Lighter

The lighter that I used in the typewriter was very unstable. And due to the fact that it was filled from the bottom, I could not just put it on epoxy.

In order to make a stand for a lighter, you need to wrap it in a couple of layers of cling film. Then mix up the fast-acting epoxy, and fill the bottle cap with it, insert the lighter into the epoxy. After a few minutes, remove the lighter and remove the cling film from it. you have a removable base for a lighter.

Step 3: Install the motor on the rail

The engine is connected to the pan with a threaded stud; for this, a hole for the engine shaft is drilled on one side of the stud. Such a hole is very convenient to drill with a desktop drilling machine but I managed manually. Check if it fits drilled hole to the motor shaft.

On the other side of the stud, drill a hole slightly smaller than the diameter of the bolt you prepared. Fix the motor shaft in the hole with superglue.

Now you need to attach the motor to the rail. There was a hole in my guide from the dishwasher, which only had to be slightly expanded with a needle file. Drill two holes on the sides for the motor mounting screws.

Step 4: Prepare the can

This jar will heat up and melt the sugar, which means that it must be filled with sugar, fixed over the flame and quickly rotate around its own axis so that the melted sugar scatters around the jar.

First, cut a hole in the lid. I used tin scissors and a needle file. In order for the sugar not to fall out over the edge, I left a small edge. Practice has shown that it is not necessary, which means that the lid can be cut out with an opener.

In any case, the edge of the cut must be processed with a needle file so as not to cut yourself. Then you need to drill holes in the wall of the can along the bottom. I used a 1 mm drill for this, and sugar crystals fly out into the holes. Therefore, it is desirable to use the drill even less. I drilled holes about 1cm apart.

Step 5: Install the jar

Now screw the mounting screw into the drilled hole in the end of the threaded stud. If you have a tap for tapping the right size of internal threads, that's just fine, but if not, then it's okay - brass is a soft enough metal, you can just screw the screw into the hole.

Drill a hole in the bottom of the jar and insert a stud with a motor into this hole. Screw on the nut to secure the jar to the stud, so it will spin with the motor stud.

The jar, mounted on the shaft, must be located at a sufficient distance above the flame of the lighter, when installed on a pan.

Step 6: Making Cotton Candy

The cotton candy machine is ready, now turn on the lighter, pour a couple of spoons of sugar into the jar and turn on the electric motor. Place the lighter under the edge of the can. As the jar heats up, the sugar will begin to melt and fly through the holes in the jar into the pan. Once you have a few strands of sugar, collect them on a bamboo skewer.

Cotton candy is quite a tasty delicacy, but the apparatus for its manufacture is very expensive and therefore it is not advisable to purchase it for home use.

However, almost everyone can make a homemade cotton candy machine at home. This will require a simple pan and some accessories that are sure to be found in every pantry. Making a home device will not take much time, and it will cost mere pennies. With a little work, you can make cotton candy from plain sugar at any time and in any quantity.

For the successful operation of the device, you will need a container that will be filled with sugar. This container will be subjected to heat, while the sugar will melt and rotate. As the container rotates, thin strands of melted sugar will be ejected through the openings of the container. The container must be placed inside a large pot to contain the ejected filaments.

First you need to pick up everything you need to make the device. This includes accessories and tools.
From the tools prepare:
- Drill and some drills. Be sure to have a thin (no more than one millimeter) drill.
- Soldering iron.
- A set of files.
- Scissors for metal and a can opener.

Device accessories:
- Jet-lighter. Such lighters are characterized by a blue flame and produce heat that exceeds the temperature of conventional lighters. At the same time, no soot is released during combustion. The lighter should be able to burn on its own, this is due to the fact that finding a hand with a lighter in a pan with flying sugar threads is somewhat inconvenient.
- DC electric motor powered by low voltage (for example, nine volts).
- The power source of the electric motor, can be a simple battery.
- A small tin can, preferably tall, from canned vegetables.
- Small cover for lighter installation, milk cover can be used.
- Large pot or bucket.
- A relatively long stick, longer than the width of the pan. Any wooden plank or metal rod will do.
- A rod or tube about fifteen centimeters long.
- Small size bolt, nut and washer.

After completing the configuration, we proceed directly to the manufacture:
1) We fix the lighter.

We prepare the stand for the lighter. It is necessary to wrap the lighter with cling film in at least two layers. Then mix some epoxy glue, pour it into the milk cap and place the lighter in the cap. After the glue has hardened, it is necessary to remove the lighter and clean it from the film. Removable lighter stand is ready.

2) Installation of the engine and rod.

The engine is connected to the tin can with a short rod or tube. At the ends of the rod, one hole must be drilled. One hole is designed to connect to the motor shaft, so the appropriate drill is selected. After drilling, insert the shaft into the hole and secure it with a drop of superglue. A set screw can also be used to fix the shaft in the hole, but this will require drilling another hole and threading, although it will allow you to remove the motor if necessary. Think for yourself what you like best.

After that, we drill a second hole for attaching the can. The jar will be bolted, so the drill must match its diameter.

Finally, we attach the engine to the transverse bar. This is quite simple to do, drill two holes in the center of the bar and fix 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 unwind it, while sugar threads will fly out of the holes in its sides.

You should start by cutting a hole along the top edge of the jar. Using a can opener, completely remove the top lid of the jar and file the edges with a file to remove any burrs. This will protect against wounds in the process of making cotton candy.

After that, it is necessary to drill a series of holes on the sides of the can, at its lower edge. The holes should be as small as possible in diameter, even with holes that are one millimeter in diameter, some sugar grains pass through them without having time to melt. Therefore, use the smallest diameter drill you can find. Drill holes at a height of about one centimeter from the bottom seam of the can.

4) Bank fastening

Drill a hole in the jar to attach it to the rod. Secure the jar with a bolt and nut. In principle, the jar can simply be soldered to a metal rod or nailed if the plank is wooden. But the option of fastening 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 jar, mounted on a rod, is conveniently located above the source of fire inside the bucket or pan.

Cooking cotton candy

Installation is ready. Let's start making cotton candy. Light the lighter, put some sugar in a tin can, and start the engine.
Set the lighter inside the pan. Once the jar is sufficiently warmed up, the sugar will begin to melt and scatter through the holes in the sides of the jar in the form of cotton candy. After the formation of a certain amount of cotton wool, collect it with a bamboo stick.