ICEE Just Got A Major Upgrade To Its Cotton Candy

Did you know that ICEE did cotton candy? ‘Cos up until now, it’s kinda been a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it sort of thing. The slushie brand is way better-known for churning out Peeps and Ghostbusters-themed flavors (alongside its standard options, of course) than putting spun sugar on a stick and handing it to you, but it’s had cotton candy in its product line for a while, in bucket and make-it-yourself form. 

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Now, though, it’s taking a step into the future, quite literally. ICEE has just teamed up with a global confectionery robotics company – yeah, really – to catapult its cotton candy line into the world of automation. Let’s discuss.

Robot Cotton Candy: A Brave New World(?)

Yesterday, it was announced that ICEE had teamed up with Sweet Robo, a “global innovator in robotic food-service automation,” per its press release, to launch the new ICEE Cotton Candy Machine in partnership with Santa Cruz Fun Foods. This cotton candy machine, which was first seen at the Sweet & Snacks Expo in Las Vegas in May, “transforms ICEE’s iconic flavors into freshly spun cotton candy through a fully automated robotic experience.” There will be two versions of the machine: A Cotton Candy Vending Machine and a Cotton Candy Mini Pro. The former’s designed for malls, movie theaters, and the like, while the latter’s a countertop model designed for convenience stores and smaller retail outlets. 

The idea, essentially, is that no one has to stir the cotton candy onto a stick anymore: Instead, the machine will do it. Each machine will be able to offer four to six flavors, and 100 of them have already been scheduled for shipping out, with more, undoubtedly, to follow. 

An Automated World

ICEE and Sweet Robo’s cotton candy machine release feels verrrry timely this week, considering that just a few days ago, we were talking about driverless food delivery in Austin, Texas. It feels like every week, we see a press release from a company promising more automation and an increased streamlining of our ability to enjoy their food. Crucially, automated cotton candy machines have been around for a minute, so this isn’t a brand-new idea – but ICEE’s definitely one of the highest-profile brand names to put out their own version. 

So, what are we gonna see next? Robots that scoop popcorn? Cyborgs that scoop ice cream and hand it to you? Honestly, we’re not far off either being everywhere. Is this the future we were promised?