Customer Reviews

Cra - Z - Art Super Donut Maker

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

So, the commercials for the product would suggest that it's a blender-like capsule where the kids can put in the mix and water and then dispense into the form tray (kind of an all-in-one unit). This, I assume, was the original intent of the toy. BUT, the instructions require you to mix the powder in a separate bowl till it's lump-free (otherwise it will "clog the unit") THEN, add the mix into the capsule. The capsule's only function is to hold the mix and allow it to flow through the nozzle down into the forms. The mixing "blade" is used only to "push" the mix into the hole. Unfortunately, even this still leaves a significant amount of "batter" in the chamber.

Now the real disaster is cleanup. I swear you will only use this thing once after you've cleaned it. The chamber needs to be removed from the main unit, along with almost ten other pieces and parts. The mixing head "can't be submerged in water" so it needs to be specially cleaned separately. The nozzle contraption of the unit can't be removed (?) so the only way you can clean it according to the instructions is to run water down it after you reinstall the mixing chamber. This is as bizarre as it gets since this the part where all the mix goes down.

After the "doughnuts" are cooked, instead of a perfectly smooth-edged product, you get a rough, crumbly cake-like thing. There is NO WAY anybody including a master pastry chef could decorate these crumbly things. I told my spouse that they must have spent more time on Adobe Photoshop decorating the doughnuts then in the kitchen when you look at the product package.

The reality of the product is that it is a cheap bunch of plastic that serves no real purpose. The only part of the kit that has any use is the doughnut mix. The doughnuts don't come out of their forms cleanly at all (if at all) and a silicone tray would have been so much more useful. Trust me, once you use this product you'll soon realize that the only part you'll use again will be the molds unless you're blessed with infinite patience.

Look, I am glad that all these budding gourmet chefs are out there at 7 and 8 years old. But I don't have one. I have a typical 7 year old that just wanted some sweet treats.

Bought by the grandparents, I had no hand in picking this one out. I am well versed in the "just add water" type of cooking and had little to no expectations on flavor. I find it a little amusing that anyone would expect great taste from a packet of cake mix that you microwave.

Yes, the premise of the toy is ridiculous. EZ Bake oven anyone? But it was fun for my daughter. The directions were easy for her to follow. The measuring spoon was very helpful in having her follow a recipe (with one and a half small or large spoons, etc).

Clean up isn't fun. The desire for my child to want to 'do it all by herself' while asking me for help every few seconds wasn't fun either. But again, the toy wasn't made for my age group (37, if you are curious). If I can honestly complain about anything, it would be the difficulty of getting the donuts out of the tray once their cooked.

If anything, this toy and its ridiculously decorated photo on the package should allow you to give your child a lesson in marketing and expectations. But the toy itself is enjoyable for what it is.

My 7 year received this for Christmas and I wish I had the gift receipt!!! First, the dough mix is thick and ssssslllllloooooowwwww coming out of the chamber. We ended up pushing it through with a butter knife. Then it was cook time. Not a doughnut at all. Instead we got mushy, rough, spit ball like, white things. Decorate, Yeah Right!!! If you can get them out the plastic holder EAT RIGHT AWAY they turn into white bricks. I did get bonding time with her but she was disappointed. She loves to cook and was excited about this gift. I'm happy she was understanding and seen my hard work in trying to get it to work. I so wish I had the receipt!! DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS PLASTIC JUNK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I bought this for my daughter for christmas last year..

It's essentially A) Pour cake mix into top, B) watch mix ooze out places it shouldn't be, C) watch mix drip all over the plate instead of in the donut-shaped holes, D) put in oven.

They are not neat enough to decorate, and I'm fairly sure the examples in the picture are plastic. There's no way it will come out like that.

This year, I'm going with a donut maker that looks more like a waffle iron. (I found it on Thinkgeek, but I'm sure there's one here.)

DOn't bother with this one.

I agree with the other reviews regarding this product - It is a complete waste of money! We tried it this evening, however, I'll be returning it tomorrow... The apparatus is virtually useless; all that is really needed is the mix, mold, bowl, and spoon - nothing else. Once "cooked" however, the "donuts" tasted like wet bread - absolutely disgusting!

I truly cannot imagine anyone who does not work for this company recommending this product. You can't really bake in the microwave so the "doughnuts" tasted terrible. I am pretty forgiving of desserts, but I couldn't even take more than one bite. (I must concede, though, the kids thought they tasted fine). There is no need for the whole apparatus to make them. All you would need is the mix, a bowl, a spoon and the molds. Unlike several other reviewers, we didn't have a problem with the machine working the way it was intended and clean up wasn't too bad. But, really, just bake real foods with the kids and let them use a real mixing bowl, not this little toy plastic bowl. The bonding time is the same, and you end up with good food rather than this garbage. This is a complete waste of money.

I got this for my child for Christmas in 2010. Oh, the donuts in the picture look so perfect. What a crock. They don't come out like that at all. It is very messy and hard to use. The thing on the top that you put the mix in is huge and the mix only fills it like 1/8th full. Well, it needs the weight of the mix to force it down the hole to fill the donut tray. So, there was a lot of scrapping and trying to shove it into the hole by me. Meanwhile, I'm in the way so my child can't work it. So, when I put a lot of mix in, it is super messy because when you get one donut hole filled, you have to move the tray really quick to do the next. There is a lever to stop the mix from coming out, but there is still mix below the lever so that still comes out and gets on the tray and your hands between donut molds. The donuts come out more like cake texture than spring-y donut texture. In fact, after using up the mix that came with the kit, I used cake mix the next time. It is much cheaper and the donuts came out the same. We have had it for over a year now and used it maybe 3 times. I would recommend you try something different. It just was not the hit I expected it to be with my child and it was a whole lot of work on my part.

My daughter bought this with her own money and we set out to make doughnuts as a Mother/Daughter activity. It was frustrating...the dough doesn't go down easily into the holes and the directions are not clear. The directions don't say to put a little bit of the mixture in each hole, so we got one doughnut. Now we are out of packets and don't know where to get them and we only used it once!

Don't waste your money on this "toy". We attempted to use it one time and I put it in the donation bin (even that was cruel).
Unless you have the desire to clean every piece of this junky toy and completely be part of every minute of making it work, don't waste your money. Your kid has to be pretty independent to figure it out and even then, will leave the mess. The process of mixing the donut mixture then putting it into a machine to glop out into the baking pans is a complete waste of time and mix. AWFUL toy! I wrote the company and NEVER received any comment back.

I ordered this product for my daughters (ages 7 and 9). Complete disappointment. First off, they dont taste anything like donuts..maybe more like cupcakes. It makes a complete mess when coming out of the spout and doesnt stop when you need it too. The pull mechanism for the spatula blade on this machine is tough. My daughter plays softball and has a good arm and even she had troubly pulling it. I had to yank it a few times to get it to move just once, doesnt move on every pull or the cord gets stuck. She got so frustrated it brought her to tears. They did not have fun with this product at all. WASTE OF MONEY.