Manual ice shavers aren’t seen as much as they used to be, but they’re still an excellent and travel-friendly option for shaving ice anywhere. With this handy kitchen tool, you can have your summertime treat all-year round without any need to visit a snow cone stand.

In many Central American, South American, and Asian countries, it’s very common to see vendors on beaches and street corners peddling frozen shaved ice treats made with a manual ice shaver. Manual ice shavers play an integral part in making brightly colored, low-priced ice shaved desserts that adults and kids alike love.

In the Philippines, they’re used to make flavored sorbets and halo-halo–a traditional Filipino shave ice. In Mexico, the shavers are known as raspadors, and they’re used to make the Mexican version of shave ice – raspados de hielo.

Low-priced electric ice shavers have become so common that they’re almost always what people will buy for home use nowadays. And for most people, electric ice shavers are a great option. But they do have their drawbacks – for one they require electricity.

Manual ice shaver on the other hand are 100% portable. Stick it in your cooler with a block of ice and some flavored syrup and you can make shave ice right at the beach! How amazing would that be? Try that with an electric ice shaver.

And then there’s the cost. Manual ice shavers are cheap, almost always less than $20. Yes manual ice shavers aren’t typically of the highest quality, but hey, it’s only 20 bucks.

And besides the other benefits, there’s just something alluring about the old time manual ice shaver that modern mechanical shave ice machines just don’t have.

Using A Hand Ice Shaver

What You’ll Need:

• A manual ice shaver
• A large ice mold
• A clean cloth
• A hand glove (optional)
• Water (ideally filtered or purified but tap water will do)

Steps:

1. Freeze water in a large container for at least 24 hours. A plastic bag tied at the top will also do the trick.
2. Once the ice block is ready, let it thaw for around 6 to 10 minutes (this is referred to as ‘tempering’ the ice).
3. Secure the ice in a tight container or place it under a clean cloth to prevent it from sliding. You may want to use a hand glove when handling ice.
4. Position the ice shaver at the top of the ice block while holding the ice in place.
5. Pull–or slide–the ice shaver away from you. Repeat this step until the ice shaver’s compartment is full. If you need more shaved ice, empty the compartment and continue running through the ice in a similar motion. You may find that the blade needs to be adjusted up or down to get the best shaving results.
6. Finally, mold the ice on a bowl and add the ingredients of your choice.

Pros Of Manual Ice Shavers:

Using a manual ice shaver is definitely a great option for shaving ice without the use of a more complicated machine. They’re cheap, don’t require electricity and they’re very simple to use.

The blade can be taken out and sharpened when needed, so they’ll basically last forever as long as you take care of them. Plus, stainless steel versions are available online, so rust shouldn’t be an issue. Make sure to dry them off after use though, just to be safe.

Cons Of Manual Ice Shavers:

It’s hard to complain about something so cheap and efficient, but if there’s one thing that a manual ice shaver can’t give you, it’s that smooth and snow-like ice texture that makes electric ice shavers worth the price. But if you don’t want an electric shaver, this tool is all that you’ll need to keep your DIY snow cones rolling.

Another drawback to manual ice shavers is that you may need to sharpen the blade on new shavers slightly and re-sharpen the blade after it’s been used a number of times.

Lastly, and this is important, you have to learn how to use it! Now, that shouldn’t really be a con – learning something new should be a joy. But if you’re the type of person who wants instant results, this may not be from you. This is a simple tool but there is something of an art to it.

You’ll get better with practice and you can feel good about that.

Manual Ice Shaver Maintenance

It’s important to realize that manual ice shavers come from a different era. They’re from a time where you don’t just buy cheaply made things, not take care of them, and then replace them as soon as they (inevitably) break. They come from a time when you take care of things and maintain them so that they last.

Just like wood hand planes that can last generations if properly taken care of, a manual ice shaver can last a really long time if cared for.

To keep your shaver working as best as possible, sharpen the blade by drawing it repeatedly across a sharpening stone. If you don’t have a sharpening stone, you could also use some fine sandpaper layed on top of flat surface like glass. A grinding wheel is another option, but one that will require more practice.

When sharpening, try to keep the angle of the blade the same as it is from the factory. If the angle is too high or too low, the blade won’t shave properly.

Don’t want to sharpen it yourself? You can alway bring it over to a local hardware store or knife sharpening shop. They aren’t as common as they used to be, but they still do exist and shouldn’t charge much (if anything).

One last thing, make sure you always dry off your ice shaver after you use it. Even though most claim to be made from stainless steel, there’s always the possibility of rust if they are left wet for a while. Putting a light coat of vegetable oil onto them isn’t a bad idea either if they aren’t going to be used for a while.

Our Top Picks For Manual Ice Shavers On Amazon:

1. Campeon Ice Shaver
2. La Mexicana Raspador De Hielo
3. Raspador De Hielo by M.D.S. Cuisine
4. Victoria GAD-026