Trial: Nostalgia Frozen Beverage Maker

How it works

You add whatever liquid drink mix you like to the jug, slide it into the machine and turn to lock. Then load ice cubes into the ice-shaving chamber on the top of the machine.

Turn the selector dial to snow (coarse) or slush (fine), put the lid on and twist until it locks. This starts the machine, shaving ice into the liquid and mixing as it goes.

There are indicator lines on the jug, so you know how much liquid to put in and when to stop the machine as the icy mix reaches its maximum.

It can make five 220ml drinks in about two minutes, or two 200ml drinks in just under a minute.

Pros and cons

The good

• It does what it’s claimed to do: In particular, it makes a good slushy (slush setting).
• It’s very simple to use: Add liquid, add ice, then start.
• It’s a good-looking unit: From a quick glance, it could be mistaken for a fine Italian espresso machine.
• We think it’s fairly priced: It’s $49 at The Warehouse. There’s a very similar unit at Kmart for around the same price, too.

The drawbacks

• It won’t handle heavy use: The 15W motor needs to rest for one minute after each two-minute ice-shaving session. The slushy machine is flimsier than it looks because its exterior and jug are both made from plastic. And it only has a one-year warranty.
• The ice-shaving blade can cut fingers: The blade is covered by the lid when the machine is running. But there’s a risk of cutting yourself if you’re not careful during cleaning or if removing unused ice cubes with fingers. The machine shouldn’t be used by children without close adult supervision.
• It’s quite bulky for a single-purpose machine: Being 19.25 x 23.5 x 30.5cm (WxDxH), it’ll take up a decent amount of space on your bench or in your cupboard when not in use.
• You need to prepare lots of ice in advance: Forty-two medium ice cubes are needed to make a full jug. A couple of 21-cube (3 x 7) trays are ideal, but they take up a fair bit of space in the freezer. And larger ice cubes won’t fit in the machine.

The verdict

If you’ve got plenty of bench space, a decent-sized freezer and only want to make a handful of drinks at a time, the Nostalgia Frozen Beverage Maker might be for you.

Kids will probably love it, so it could be a fun Christmas gift for the family to enjoy icy-cool drinks on hot summer days.

But the novelty might not last as the seasons cool. And being a ‘one-trick pony’, the machine could end up relegated to the back of your cupboard after only a short time.