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We are big fans of authentic Hawaiian Shave Ice, having been to the islands a number of times. I was pleasantly surprised to see that we could get a home machine this inexpensively that does quite a good job. Sure, the shave ice in Hawaii is made with large expensive machines and so it's better and more consistent, but what comes out of this little machine is quite good and far better than sno-cone ice. Use the molds that come with the machine, keep extra ice "discs" on-hand in plastic bags in the freezer, and let the ice sit out for 5 minutes before shaving. When shaving, try tilting the top towards you to press the ice into the blade, and it shaves quite efficiently. Don't push down too hard - just enough to get it going. Tap the bowl while you shave to settle the ice, then lightly compact and shape with a large spoon. Poke the ice all around with a skewer to give the syrup a path to the bottom. Then apply syrups. But here's the real key: don't use premade syrups. Read the label - there's little or no fruit even in them. Instead, make your own, which is surprisingly easy to do, and will make the result taste 100x better, just like in Hawaii. All you do is put 3/4 cup of water, 3/4 cup of sugar, and 3/4 cup of chopped fruit into a saucepan, bring to boil, simmer for 5 min, turn off heat and let come to room temp, then pour through a strainer. Squeeze a lemon into the mixture before simmering if you want a bit more tart (helps preserve it too). Keep in fridge for up to two weeks. All the top Hawaii shave ice stands use homemade syrups, and they make all the difference.