Purchased as a gift for our 5 year old granddaughter. She loves cotton candy and getting to make it with friends and family. We were happy to be able to purchase a quality unit at a fraction of the price of a commercial one. Just wish it came in black or stainless—but pink makes our little princess happy! Although the lid you can purchase separately is super expensive in my opinion, I would recommend making the investment; otherwise, you’ll have sugar all over everything. It really helps contain the candy as you swirl it on the cone. Machine clean up is quick and easy. Instructions were in English but were not well written at all. Unit with the lid on is rather large so storage should be considered when purchasing. It comes with a nice storage drawer for the cord, scoop, etc. Takes about 2 min. warm up before you can dump the sugar into the center of the unit. Have to turn off unit within 15 minutes though to prevent candy from burning, but you will still have plenty of time to make several batches before letting the unit cool down a bit. Recommend for family gatherings and kids parties. The young and young at heart will love the tasty treats this machine produces!