And they all come apart, so while most everything is dishwasher-safe you still have to disassemble and reassemble it every time you clean it. There are a lot of parts, not to mention the insanely sharp blades in the ice hopper and the pitcher. I'm forced to keep it on a shelf in plain view, which only adds to the overcrowded vibe of my tiny third-floor apartment kitchen.Ĭleaning is also a bit of a hassle. It’s really not something you’ll want to keep on your counter 24/7 (unless you’ve got a dedicated bar in your home), and it weighs anywhere from 22-24 pounds depending on the model. I have a small kitchen with limited storage space, so my biggest concern was where to keep this beast of a machine.
There's only one ice setting (shaved) and the pitcher can sometimes leak a bit, which is definitely not ideal. Everything has its flawsĪs much as I enjoyed the end result, there are a few quirks and design issues that stop me from saying this is a must-have for frozen drink lovers. And if you maybe added too much or not enough of your booze and mixer, you can add more of whatever you need thanks to a switch that manually shaves more ice or blends your concoction. In under two minutes, you’ve got a pitcher of the perfect margaritas. Once there’s enough ice in the pitcher, the blender starts to combine the liquid with the pile of ice sitting on top. There’s even a little row of shark fins that light up one by one so you know how close you are to your happy hour. It shaves the exact right amount of ice from the hopper and is all on a timer to make sure the results are just right. You choose how many drinks you’re making (one, two, or three 12-ounce servings), turn it on, and then flick a switch. With a regular blender, you generally have to turn it on, wait, and turn it back off again, which means timing is everything to get the right consistency.īut with the Margaritaville, the whole process is automated. So, when you are ready to make your drink, this is where it gets kinda cool and deviates from the traditional blender concept. The automated controls know exactly how long to blend to reach frozen drink nirvana. Making the perfect frozen drinks every time It also comes with a book of recipe ideas to get you started, which is great for deciding the right ratios whether you’re making margs, piña coladas, mudslides (yep, it does those too), or your own concoction. The Margaritaville is designed so you can easily maneuver the pitcher in and out of its place without spilling. To make a batch of cocktails or mocktails in this beast, it's as easy as using a regular blender-maybe even a little easier. I love my Margaritaville, but even I was skeptical about that-and was pretty surprised by the results. And it turns out that the shaved ice approach melts much more slowly than pulverized ice, resulting in a more consistently awesome drinking experience.
#USED MARGARITAVILLE BLENDER PROFESSIONAL#
We even pit my Margaritaville up against a Vitamix, one of our favorite professional blenders to see if there really was a difference. Plus, on the Key West models at least, it can hold enough ice to make three pitchers’ worth of drinks. Rather than pulverizing ice cubes into itty bitty pieces, the top-loader has a long, super sharp blade and a mechanism that churns the ice, shaving it into an almost snow cone-like consistency that collects in the waiting pitcher.
What really sets the Margaritaville apart from your everyday blender is the top-loading ice reservoir. Of course, you can use a blender if another bulky machine doesn't suit your budget or space, but there's no doubt a frozen drink machine makes a fun addition to any celebration.The Margaritaville doesn't treat ice like a regular blender. Once the shaved ice dispenses into the jar, it’s blended with the drink mixture. The most common margarita makers have a compartment for ice and work by shaving it into a jar that the user pre-fills with their desired drink mixture. " The appeal of margarita makers is the ability to blend just before serving to ensure the most homogenous mixture," says Nicole Papantoniou, senior testing editor in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Technologies Lab. You might wonder, though: Can I save the money and use my blender instead? While similar in theory, a margarita machine and a blender do have inherent differences. A creamy, frosty margarita is a particularly welcome component to any backyard barbecue on a scorching hot day, especially while bars are closed. If you typically pop a bottle of rosé or grab an ice-cold brew from the beer fridge come five o'clock but wish you had more options at home, a frozen drink machine might be a nice addition to your home bar.
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