The Lacking World of Shaved Ice: A Netshark's Guide to Making Perfect Snow Cones

As I watched the video on my screen, I couldn't help but feel a sense of dismay. With only one notable example of shaved ice content on YouTube, it was clear that this topic had been left unexplored for far too long. The creator of the video, Netshark, took it upon themselves to fill this gap and share their expertise on how to make perfect snow cones using an electric ice shaver.

One of the most crucial lessons in making great snow cones is that shaved ice has to be shaved, not crushed or chopped into small pieces. Many people may suggest using a blender or food processor to create the desired effect, but this method falls short. As Netshark so aptly put it, "Your mouth is extremely perceptive" when it comes to detecting the difference between shaved and crushed ice. Shaving ice into thin ribbons is an entirely different experience from crushing it into little pebbles. It's a lesson that may seem simple, but trust me, it makes all the difference.

Another important tip is to use one mass of ice instead of multiple cubes. Netshark recommends freezing a 16-oz deli container full of water and placing it in the shaver. This allows the cutting blade to constantly scrape against one surface, rather than chopping up individual chunks of ice. By doing so, the shaver can shave the entire puck in one smooth motion, resulting in lighter, fluffier snow cones.

Letting the ice temper a little bit before shaving is also crucial for achieving perfect snow cones. Netshark suggests taking the puck out and placing it in the feed chute to allow it to warm up slightly. This may seem counterintuitive, but it has an added benefit: chilling down your equipment so that the freshly shaved snow doesn't immediately meet warm materials as you work. It's a small detail, but one that can make all the difference in the final product.

Using light pressure is also essential for avoiding common mistakes that can ruin your snow cone experience. If you press down too hard, the cheap shaver might bite off more than it can handle and seize up. By applying gentle pressure, you can shave the entire puck in one smooth motion, resulting in lighter, fluffier ice shavings.

Finally, using cold syrups is a game-changer when it comes to making great snow cones. Netshark recommends making their own syrups using equal parts sugar and water, divided between squeeze bottles, and adding a spoonful of 25-cent Kool-Aid powder to create common flavors like grape and cherry. If you're chasing after harder-to-find flavors like Tiger's Blood, you can buy snow cone flavors in powder form from specialty retailers.

The netshark also shared some additional budget advice for making perfect syrups: "Make a quart of simple syrup using equal parts sugar and water, divide it between a couple squeeze bottles, and add a spoonful of 25-cent Kool-Aid powder to make common flavors like grape and cherry." If you're looking for more unique flavors, you can try adding other ingredients like fruit juice or extracts. With these tips and a bit of creativity, you'll be making perfect snow cones in no time.

In conclusion, making great snow cones is an art that requires attention to detail and a few simple tricks. By following Netshark's 6 lessons, you'll be well on your way to creating the perfect snow cone experience every time. Whether you're a seasoned pro or a beginner, these tips will help you take your snow cone game to the next level.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enAt best, maybe 1% of my viewers need to know how to use an electric ice shaver, but when I bought one last  year I was dismayed to see how little shaved ice content existed on YouTube. Really the only hit  is this one from Eater in which unfair comparisons are made between shaved ice and shaved milk,  AND the highest value budget shaver (this one linked in the description) is not even included in the lineup. Like so many other netshaq posts,  this is a video I wish existed when I needed it. And these are my 6 lessons: 1: Shaved ice has to be shaven. Anyone who suggests that you can emulate the experience  in a blender of a food processor is either lying or just a tastelet. Ever had a tooth  filling that was half a millimeter too high? Ever eaten melted and re-frozen ice cream that  was formed of small ice crystals instead of teeny tiny ones? Your mouth is extremely perceptive.  Shaving ice into thin ribbons is not the same as crushing it into little pebbles. 2: Use one mass of ice instead of multiple cubes. I like to freeze a 16-oz deli container  full of water so that the cutting blade is constantly scraping against one surface  instead of chopping up a bunch of chunks.3: Let the ice temper a little bit. Take the  puck out and put it in the feed chute so that it can warm up just a little. This  is what the pros do at commercial establishments, and it has the added benefit of chilling down your  equipment so that the freshly shaven snow doesn’t immediately meet warm materials as you work. 4: Use light pressure. If you press down too hard, this cheap shaver might bite off  more than it can handle and seize up. It’s far more satisfying to shave the whole puck in one  smooth motion, and the light pressure will result in lighter, fluffier ice shavings 5: Use cold syrups. I make my own and keep them in the fridge. If you buy pre-mixed syrups,  they can easily cost more than the entire machine, and they’re mostly water anyway. My budget advice?  Make a quart of simple syrup using equal parts sugar and water, divide it between a couple  squeeze bottles, and add a spoonful of 25-cent Kool-Aid powder to make common flavors like grape  and cherry. If you’re chasing after harder-to-find flavors like Tiger’s Blood, you can buy snow cone  flavors in powder form from specialty retailers (says here it’s illegal to use the terms \"tiger’s blood\" and  \"powder\" in the same sentence without making a charlie sheen reference) I also like to keep a can of  sweetened condensed milk in the fridge, which pairs with any syrup for a creamy snow-top. 6 (and this is a big one): Do not just stick to the Hawaiian style shaved ice. I like to pour  a can of Jumex mango nectar into a container, freeze it, and shave that with fresh mango and  sweetened condensed milk on top. You could take that into more of a mangonada direction by adding  chamoy sauce, tajin, and/or tamarind candy, in an attempt to emulate some iconic mexican raspados. Or, instead of juice, freeze a puck of whole milk. Between the natural sugars and the fats, milk  shaves into an impossibly pillowy texture, and the base of shaved milk can easily steer things into  a korean bingsu direction, particularly if you employ toppings such as sweetened condensed milk,  sliced fruit, mochi, injeolmi, sweet red beans aka pat,  which would turn your bingsu into a patbingsu… The limit truly does not exist. I’ll put a scoop  of vanilla ice cream into a bowl, entomb that in a big mound of shaved whole milk, alternate drizzles  of sweetened condensed milk and chocolate sauce, then top the whole thing with crushed oreos… it’s insane. Honestly I’m not even that big of a dessert person, but when you can throw together a sweet summertime treat this pretty,nostalgic, and delicious in like 2 minutes…. Well let's just say that's why I’ve been growing such an unseasonable summertime  mustache. Nobody’s accepting free snow cones from someone who looks like this. More for me.Trade has paid to be mentioned at the end of this video. Long-Time Shacolytes will remember Trade  as being the first ever brand to do a paid ad on this channel, and since that ad over a year ago,  I’ve personally maintained a paid Trade subscription. I like learning a little bit more  about what I do and don’t like in a coffee bean every month. The prices are fair,  and the coffee comes from small local roasters instead of enormous mega-brands. You can take  an online quiz to get you started, and then order based on your quiz results.  The coffee gets roasted and shipped out within 24 hours of ordering, and you can rate each bag to  hone in on what you do and do not like. If you don’t like your first bag, Trade will send you a different one  for free. Speaking of first bag, viewers of this ad get their first bag for free when they sign up.  Just take the quiz by clicking my link in the description box, and even the shipping is free.  This is about as risk-free as an introductory offer can ever get so give ‘em a try. Until then  you can catch me freezing my cold brew into pucks for some coffee shave ice.\n"