Back to Basics Ice Shaver: A Review

We finally dug out a family gift from a few years ago. The gift was a Back to Basics Dual Ice shaver which is really a dual snow cone machine. I have always loved snow cones since I was a kid. My youthful days spent at the community pools involved numerous trips to the concession stand to purchase the thirty cent red white and blue snow cone. Well we received this Back to basics toy as a house warming gift a few years back from a dear relative and we finally decided to try it out. We finally plugged in the machine and put it to the test.

The Back to Basics SIT495LP Dual Ice Shaver retails for about thirty bucks and comes in other models besides this one. This model has such features as dual blades for shaving ice within a compartment covered by a removable plastic lid. All it takes is a few ice cubes to be placed into the container and cover. The machine can then be plugged in and child safety switch turned on. Attached to the ice shaving unit are two removable plastic bottles that can be filled with your favorite snow cone syrup which is not included with the shaver.

The ice shaving process goes very fast as there are dual blades chipping up the ice simultaneously. I prepared four small snow cones (two at a time) on about a tray and a half of ice cubes from my freezer. The ice was entered into the machine up to the "fill" line and I then commenced shaving. The machine is not too noisy and the cups fill up pretty evenly in each cup. I ran a second batch of ice to top off the first run, and then finally added some grape snow cone syrup on top of the shaved ice. The syrup was purchased at Target and is also made by Back to Basics.

The snow cones were well received by the family as we quickly slurped up the tasty icy concoction. I will say the consistency of the ice is very thin and porous as the grape syrup actually is contained in every spoonful retrieved from the cup. You feel like you are really eating fruit flavored snow instead of "ice". The syrup is better absorbed into this snow as compared to a commercially made snow cone in which much of the syrup drains to the bottom of the cone as it brushes off the ice.

I strongly recommend the product as a winning purchase for summertime treats. The options are unlimited as you can add use a host of items as "syrups" other than those sold by Back to Basics. For example, I would use kool-aid, lemonade, and certain juices to top over the shaved ice. I would recommend the straws with spoons attached for easy slush retrieval. Also be prepared to work very fast and serve up your guests very quickly when preparing in a hot kitchen as the shaved ice will turn to water quick.

I look forward to using this machine a lot this year as I have purchased some additional paper cones to contain the dessert. I have also realized the plastic bottles for syrups are really an unnecessary accessory as I usually just pour the syrups or juice from their original containers. Using the ice shaver syrup bottles will only add to the daily washing of dirty dishes. For adults the possibilities for frozen cocktails are endless as this device could produce a really tasty margarita or daiquiri.