Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex 68507 Ice Shaver

At first I was skeptical about purchasing this ice shaver. Unlike many others available, this one didn't have a ton of reviews. Usually, I like to let others test a product out before I buy one. What changed my mind for this product was the high review the 'Hamilton Beach Tasty Treats Ice Shaver' received. I did some research and found that this one is the updated model. A bit more research and I found that the updated model hadn't changed too much from the previous. From that, I deduced that this machine would perform at least as well as the previous model. While still skeptical, I decided to treat myself and purchase it. As soon as I received it, I opened it and tested it. I've come up with a list of pros and cons:PROS:> Easy to take apart> Exceptionally easy to clean> Drive mechanism is seperated from parts that need to be cleaned> Pretty quick> Stir arm mixes whatever is in the receiving container> Simple, attractive design> Not terribly loud...I've heard a lot worse that took twice as long to shave as much ice as this one does> Works on more than just ice cubes...I loaded it with some frozen strawberries and I was pleasantly surprised> If you aren't using the mixing arm, you can put pretty much any container that will fit to collect the ice...a cooled ceramic or metal bowl worked great for me> Consistent and predictable (motor didn't sound at all fatigued with a full load of cubes (some of these machines sound like they struggle to shave the ice))CONS:> The mechanism to change between slushie and snow cone seems like it is a little underengineered (could be a bit more solid)> Does not consistently shave ice with just one ice cube left (not an issue...afterall, it's just one ice cube...who cares?!?)> Receiving container "rattles" a bit more than I expected it to (again, not an issue. during testing, i put a small towel around the base in case there was an overflow or other issue and this solved the rattling (just a note: the towel was not necessary as the shaved ice is deposited exactly where it should be))Bottom line: 5 Stars! If you want an inexpensive, simple, well designed, and high quality ice shaver, this is the one for you. Perfect for iced coffees, snow cones, margeritas, and more. It's not a large unit, but it works quickly enough where you could easily make enough ice for a group of people in a a few minutes. It's very easy to clean and quite versatile. Definitely worth the money!

At first I was very undecided whether to go with this or the Snowman, then I read some good reviews about the Rival ice shaver too so it was very confusing. I decided this looked more versatile than the Snowman and it had better reviews than the Rival.I'm glad I went with this one. As another reviewer said, it looks like a proper kitchen appliance, not a toy like some of the others. I got some ice cubes out of my fridge and gave it a go and it worked liked a treat. It was fast, efficient and we made two HUGE smoothies in no time at all. I was expecting it to jam and take a while but it didn't. It has two settings, snocone and slushie.Another thing I like about this machine is that you can use regular ice, you don't have to use any containers that come specially with it, so you don't have to run out of ice to use, or lose the containers and have to replace them. I used ice from my ice trays, they're relatively small, haven't tried using the larger cubes.All in all I'm very pleased with my Icy Treats machine.

The machine is very noisy. It grinds the ice slowly, way too slowly. The cup in the bottom which I thought would be nice, is super hard to put on and take out. It doesn't have a pour spout so it makes a mess when you try to pour the ice into a cup. I guess the idea is that you would mix the flavor in with the ice while you are shaving it, because it has the stirring paddle, but when do kids ever all eat the same flavor snow cone? I wanted an upgrade over what I had and I sure wish I had bought the other one that was available instead of this one. I would much prefer one where you can put your own cup beneath it and have the shaved ice come out right into the cup. (the other one had that). So sorry I bought this. The sad thing is I bought it in April for an Easter gift but didn't use it until now. So I doubt I can even return it. Amazon is great, but this product is the worst.

Edit:Purchased April 2012 - Ice shaver 1 came out of the box defective. Ice shaver 2 arrived a week later (Amazon sent a replacement)June 30th, 2012 9:55PM - A loud crunch and the death of machine 2.----- Some of the parts are not very strong. It's a machine that crushes ice. It needs some reinforcements added. ------True story: I am now a statistic of the truly "not smart" people. Obviously when it comes to handling products that have big warnings listed on them regarding a sharp blade *shiver* 5 small stitches later I decided it was so stupid and yet to amusing not to share.Moral of the story: If there is a large piece of ice stuck toward the bottom that won't shave down, don't use your finger to try to get it out.:)I purchased this because my Target bought Hamilton Beach Ice Shaver kicked the bucket. Since we are a few weeks from ice shaver season I headed to my old faithful Amazon.com. I purchased it and it arrived 2 days later. Unfortunately it didn't work right and the ice took too long to shave. My kids and I are old pro's with the ice shaver and I quickly recognized the problem. The "screw" wasn't pushing the container with the ice inside of it down far enough. It took the machine a really long time to finish one container full of ice. I finally decided I would do some dishes while I waited.After the first day I made the obvious decision to return it. Amazon sent me another Ice Shaver within 2 days and I sent my defective one back. It was an easy process and I am happy with the one that arrived today... even though it did bite my finger.It's a very inexpensive product and it works well above it's price.Helpful note: Make sure to keep the original box and also the Amazon box it came in until you are sure the shaver works as it should. It makes it a lot easier to return when you don't have the hunt down a replacement box.

This little item is great at making slushies, haven’t tried an ice cone yet. It’s easy to use, doesn’t take too much effort to clean and makes a perfect slushy every single time. I have had it only for a week and have used it every single day since I bought it. So far I have no complaints. More than its money’s worth.

Fue un encargo para un regalo

Using the pellet style ice cubes from ice machines works much better than the large cubes from trays. The large cubes jam up and wont shave properly. The small ones shave up in a few minutes. Not a bad little machine. Loud af.

Parece juguete , poco hielo y mucho ruido

Works as advertised: Shaves ice to one of two consistencies (Slushies or snow cone).Mostly plastic, feels cheap...but it is, so that's to be expected. It's hard to imagine the plastic components can handle the beating that hard ice will inflict...but I trust the engineers know what they're doing.Comes apart and cleans very easy. I found it easier to achieve my desired consistency than the two more expensive margarita machines that I bought and returned (Margaritaville Bahamas and Taco Tuesday 56-oz Margarita & Slush maker)It does take quite a bit longer to shave the ice than the aforementioned machines, and I won't lie, it sounds like it's going to break apart when operation...but that's just the nature of shaving ice I suppose.My only real complaints is that I wish the container had a spout. It can be tricky to pour into a glass.For the price (assuming you don't pay too much for it), it's hard to complain, hence the 5 stars. I'm not sure if amazon allows mentioning prices in reviews...but i'll say I paid under $50 for it and for that price it's a no brainer. It does exactly as advertised. My kids love the slushies and I can't wait to try margaritas/daiquiris.