Side by Side Comparison of: Margaritaville

Really like this! Takes a little bit to figure out the lids and how to line them up but after a few minutes of figuring it out, ITS AWESOME! Shaves the ice completely. Well worth it to have for that to make coffee drinks!!

Am I a bartender? No. Do people now refer to me as barkeep? Yes. Whether you're throwing a party or you just want to relax with a refreshing mixed margarita, this product is for you. It has 450 watts dual motor that shaves ice for the perfect consistency of any mixed drink. The container can make 36 oz., but if you accidently get too much tequila in, don't worry. It can carry a little bit more. It measures approximately 14-2/5 by 8-2/7 by 18 inches. The machine itself is very intuitive and comes with easy to understand instructions and recipes. The shot glass makes it very easy to control portions for that perfect mix. I've used it many times and not a single component has even slowed. So it is very sturdy and should last a very long time. The thing I love most about this is it can be used for anything. You can easily google any mixed drink recipe and tweak it very little to work. My roommate is particularly fond of strawberry daiquiris. There are two settings for the shaved ice mix. I suggest you play around with mix settings and recipes to get that perfect drink to your tastes. I was even able to make smoothies for the kids. It's so easy to use this machine for whatever you want it to be. The cleanup is very simple and it's dishwasher safe. In fact if you simply rinse it after each use it looks new again. I gave this five stars for the following reasons. First, it works exactly as the manufacturer advertised, which is the most important aspect. Second, it is very easy to use. The machine itself makes sense and the instructions are very easy to follow. Third, it produces a consistent product. It will give you exact same results every time. Fourth, the high grade materials make it durable and easy to clean. Fifth, it has an aesthetically pleasing design. It is has a sleek and elegant design that looks nice in a kitchen. The only fault I've been able to find is that the power cord is a little short so it will need to be placed close to a power socket. This isn't much of a problem as most kitchens have multiple wall sockets. Also it has a convenient storage area for the cord so you can store it wherever it looks best in your kitchen or bar area. If you get this product and I highly recommend you do I hope you have as much fun as I have had. It is certainly a higher value product than the actual price.

This machine is incredible. While there are other models that have some more fancy bells and whistles, this machine has served our needs for over two years. In the summer, this gets used everyday. Everyday. In the winter we use it at least 3 or more times a week. Since we use this thing more than we use even our coffee-makers, I bought a second pitcher about one year ago.One reason we love this machine is because while we are calorie-conscious folks, we still like to have tasty things to drink. This machine lets us create adult drinks using crystal-light type drink mixes. There are so many low-cal flavors available and while it took us awhile to learn the right proportions to produce the perfect low-cal "froco", it was worth the trouble. We've found that that amount of drink mix you'll need for good flavor is the amount you would use to make a 2 qt regular drink. The amount of alcohol varies depending on how saucy you want it but we've found that you'll need to add at least 2 oz of alcohol otherwise the consistency is a bit off (the liquid tends to separate alot from the ice). Use water to bring the liquid level up to the 16 oz mark and hit the center button! Of course, you can modify this to suit your preference (ie. less water for a more icy drink).Tip: Follow the instruction manual -- it says to let the ice sit out for 10-20 minutes before your make your drink. This may seem counterintuitive, but definitely results in a better froco.Enjoy!UPDATE: 6/4/2014 - In an unfortunate turn of events, our machine stopped working a few days ago (just a couple of days after posting this review!). The blender section still works, but the ice shaving motor is no longer functional. Very disappointing since the 1-year warranty has expired but we are considering buying a replacement soon.

So great I got one for my cousin! I'd like to get one for each of my neighbors.We like snow cones so much I started buying just ice shavers to see if we would get enough use out of them. We used them all winter and it felt like having summer in a glass. Soon I decided I like the "slushy" consistency over shaved ice, so we began adding milk to the snow cones (called a ice cap, I believe) and it was divine. So I decided to have my husband get me this for my birthday in April and I LOVE it! I use it all the time! I love that it uses ice out of the freezer and makes less noise that the othe ice shavers (no it's not quiet but you are shaving and blending ice). I cannot believe how awesome and fine it gets when using the automatic cycle over manual. I don't know why but it's so smooth and better that drinks on vacation. A little rum in the mix for "adult" slushies goes a long way for amazing texture and flavor. I buy my flavorings direct from hawaiianice.com there are small ones for sale on amazon but do yourself a favor and get the gallon size of piña colada, key lime , and maybe strawberry daquari. Get the $2 pumps, it will be worth it. I bought about 20 flavones and two pumps of key lime, 1 pump of piña colada with about a shot of milk and a shot of coconut rum is he new neighborhood favorite. There's a reason there's a song about lime and coconut! I have used with my protein powder to make healthy iced drinks and you can use to make iced coffee. I haven't tried frozen cokes yet but I don't see why not, esp with a little rum. It is fast and easy to use and clean. I usually just rinse with water unless I used protein powder. I love the ice drain at the back. I expected a glass pitcher but the heavy duty plastic is much lighter for taking it to friends houses. You may want the carry bag so you can take the party with you. My daughter is already planning on selling slushies out of our driveway. Great for pool or boat (as long as you have power) or just for mommy time when the kids are napping. Looks great on the counter which is good cause it's quite big to put away. I did not buy the version with batteries because I read reviews of battery failure. His corded model has fulfilled my very high expectations and I'm always thinking of new things to put I'm there cause I love using it so much!

I bought Margaritaville for my husband for Father's Day. We didn't use it right away but when since we started we do often. The "blender" is much taller that I expected. You definitely can't fit it under your kitchen cabinets. It looks very fancy. I even mix juices with ice with it for my children to make slushed. The whole family can enjoy it. Since I didn't read all directions at first it tool me a whole to get a hang of it. The Margarita recipe included with Margaritaville isn't the best at all.

With my american express credit card "reward", I bought this -- It is nothing that I need and I can't justify it at all -- my wife and I enjoy frozen margarita's but not to the extent that we need a machine to make one on demand. That said, I bought this after thinking about it for the last few years -- I'm glad I waited - it is worth the wait - and I probably wouldn't have bought it if it wasn't for the reward money - But this is a great machine.Set up is a breeze, and it comes with a pirate map to guide you to your first drink. I still have the pirate map close to the machine, but I have not referred to it since the set up -- this is really easy to operate.I use much less ice and much less alcohol than either the setup manual recommends or what other people have recommended.Here is what I do for 2 drinks - I think this is close to restaurant quality.1 shot (the unit comes with a shot glass - dont lose it) of expensive tequila. I use 1800 silver reserve or select.1 shot cointreau.1 shot organic lime juice1 shot black currant juice -- this is optional -- but if you do it - get the unsweetend stuff from whole foodsagave nectar -- whole foods have this -- I'm not sure how much I put in -- I just squeeze the bottle - probably 3 tablespoons.fill the ice try but only about half capacity -- I fill it until the cavity is full and then a little more.This cost a lot of money -- so do it with class -- best quality all around. Don't go the lime aid way.

Bought this for my wife for her birthday. I was planning on going with something cheaper, but after I read all the good reviews on this machine I decided to get this one. This margarita maker is worth every penny! It's so simple to use and the fact that you can manually mix it more or add more shaved ice to make it exactly the way you want it is fantastic. We found that after a normal cycle, it leaves some small chunks of ice. Blend for 3 more seconds, and boom, it's perfect.The only minor issues are, like others have said, if you are making these for more than 3 total people, be prepared to be making more and more constantly because they will get drank quickly. Also, have a lot of ice on hand because this also runs out very quickly.But these issues happen because this machine is so great.

Just be careful because people are so eager to takeover making margaritas, they don't realize the ice goes in the top (ice dispenser) while the liquids go in the pitcher and then they're blended together. I made pitchers for 100 people and could keep up due to the ease of this machine. A hit all around! PS: have spare pitchers handy to pre fill for large parties!

I would recommend this machine to anyone who enjoys frozen beverages. We have only used this machine for alcoholic drinks but I read that is makes great smoothies as well. We've had ours for a few years now and it still works like a charm and trust me, it gets used! We break it out for every party, every vacation and sometimes, just because. My only warning would be that the drinks are so good and go down so well, that that you might want to keep it boxed up on work nights because it can be dangerous! Definitely worth the money.

As this aesthetically pleasing machine sits upon our counter it's shiny chrome accents call like a beacon for me to go to Margaritaville without having to leave home. The texture of the ice, the ease of use are impressive. It is great for parties or individual use.

This machine is fun and easy to use. So far we have made margaritas and mimosas for the adults and slushys for the kids. They have all been enjoyed. Easy to clean too. The ice lid is tricky to get lined up but I still rate it 5 stars.

We were directed to this product by some friends we met on holiday. It is exactly what we were looking for and looks the business.I expected the chrome sections to be metal but they are in fact plastic - which I suspect is better in the long run, just surprised me.There are criticisms that:- doesn't adjust for different drink sizes - True if you want to use the automatic mix button, but you can manually use the toggle switch to create any size you want. The automatic setting is perfect for 2/3 servings.- thickness of the mix - this has not been a problem for us, but it is easy to thicken or thin the mix with the toggle switch. Yes, an adjustment for this would be great but hardly an issue.-it's heavy - yes but it is a well made piece of equipment and feels right to me-plastic gearing - this is more sturdy than any of the bad reviews had led me to suspect. Also, I can only see this being a problem in the event that the jar is not firmly seated before you start the machine. I haven't noticed any problems.We are very happy that we purchased this product and look forward to using it going forward.

Overall good machine. Just insure the base is tightened after cleaning. I lost an entire batch the first time I made because the base wasn't screwed on all the way. Really appreciate the back reservoir to catch melting ice remnants.

I got this because we like to make smoothies. I through some frozen fruit in the bottom with some juice, a little ice on the top and just press "start".It does all the work for you. It shaves the ice very nicely and leaves no chunks. It's very easy to clean, takes less than 5 minutes by hand. And I have just taken the pitcher apart and thrown it in the top shelf of the dishwasher a few times. Any ice left over that melts will drain out the back. There's an easily removable catcher there in the back to pour out the water.I believe it's worth the money if you like smoothies or frozen drinks.

the ice shaving feature works very well. these reviews that say the opposite about the shaving function maybe had faulty parts or didn't use it correctly. as with anything frozen that you would want to blend, its best to let it soften up for 10 to 20 mins first. i only gave this 4 stars because of the price and the blender. the actual blender is mediocre, about the same as any other $50-$100 blender - i think majority of the cost is for the ice shaving capability. this frozen drink maker is great for smoothies and alcoholic drinks. so far i have yet to find a blender that can do it all for a cheap price but this is a good start.

I searched high and low. The other reviews were spot on. I gave four stars. It is really close, but I did not like how the silver cover goes up and down to remove the blender portion. I also cut my finger while disassembling the unit. I did see clearly the warning, but still cut my finger. Be careful! Very sharp!

My wife and I really like this machine. She asked me to make her a marg at 9:00am one morning! The drinks are just the right consistency. For a margarita we use a can of frozen limeade concentrate, 8~10 ounces tequila and 2~3 ounces of triple sec. Perfect every time. It also doubles as a snow cone maker for the kids, just use the manual ice shave feature. We find that we are now using ice faster than our ice maker can make it so we are now buying 15lb bags at a time.Couple of small nit picks. The ice holder seems to be pitched very slightly forward so water puddles forward. We have to remember to tip the machine back to drain it into the water tank else it drips on the floor when moved.Also, When cleaning it on the first day I sliced a finger tip off very nicely on the shaver razor. Nothing wrong with the design I just wasn't being careful enough. Be very careful when cleaning the ice shaving area. Take your time when removing the ice 'spinner', it can suddenly release (which is how I cut my finger tip off).The cord storage compartment is too small to really stuff the cord back in. One you get it out the first time you probably won't use it again.Don't see a real reason to buy the larger models except maybe the larger ice bin the have. As for the selectable drink count feature you can still make 1 or 2 cup batches with this model using the manual mode (a little trial and error needed).

I ordered this item because I trust Amazon.com to deliver what they promise. I was not disappointed. I read all the reviews on it, both pro and con. The instructions were very clear and it was easy to set up. Some said the ice chute didn't seem very sturdy, but I believe there will be no problem over time with this product holding up. I was pleased with the quality of construction and the ease of making the first round of drinks. It also works well in making non-alcoholic drinks like slushies. My only con is that if you don't use a wide mouth Margarita glass, the pitcher allows some spillover around the sides of the pour spout. Be very careful when you pour. The unit is easy to clean up when ready to put away. Unused ice just melts down into container at the rear of the machine. Just remove it and pour down the drain. No drink mix ever gets into the ice chamber. Rinse out the the pitcher in the sink and let dry. Great machine.

Great

Love our margarita maker! How simple to use... Everything id meadured out for you. Makes terrific virgin drinks too for those under age! No more running out to the convenience store for a slushy drink! Now we make them at home. A bit too big to be a fixture on the kitchen counter but i have not found the right storage place yet. Ice is smooth!

It makes very icy slushy drinks. Big improvement over blended drinks which are more watery. One down side. I have only had this machine a few weeks and it emits a burning smell when it shaves ice. I'm hoping that it is just extra oil in a joint that will burn off, and not that the motor has an issue.

Love it! The texture of ice is spot on, its quick and easy you can make a Margarita when partiers stop by. I am thrilled with my Concoction maker.

My father has been looking for years for a way to make good homemade frozen coffee drinks. We finally went all out and got him the Margaritaville Frozen concoction maker which he loves.

Let me start off by saying that I bought this for my wife as an anniversary present. We love doing happy hour at the house and this really does the trick. She loves it! The only down side is when you use the preset mix button on the machine it doesn't quite make the frozen margaritas as icy as we like them. No problem though! Just use the shave function and put as much ice in there as you want.Its really a perfect machine. Its super easy to use and clean up is a cinch. We are looking forward to making all kinds of frozen drinks in this baby. It beats any blender out there for making slush still drinks!

The product shipped on time was impressed, very clean was impressed, however can't get the red light to stop blinking have tried trouble shooting with the company and nothing works. Disappointed 😔

broken right out of the box. the motor that turns the ice shaver doesn't work and thte fault lite is constantly on, even after doing all of the troubleshooting steps from their web site.there are no clear instructions on how to install the ice tray onto the drink maker, and it's a hassle to get locked in.iF it's not slotted correctly so thst it's installed 180 degrees from the front of the machine, the fault light will stay on and the ice shaver will never engage. the instructions do not reflect this at all.

I just received my machine first I have to say I'm impressed it looks and feels high quality, however went to use it and the no brained measuring cup didn't come :( DISAPPOINTED when ur told something is included u expect it to come! Wished it wasn't a pain i'd return it

Nice for making a few drinks at once. I use it to make smoothies. The downfall is that the run time is way too short, so you have to stand there and the hold the button until your drink is thoroughly mixed.

Nifty product but very pricey! Ordered it for the wife who will probably only use it a few times a year.

You have to experiment a lot to get the drinks to come out the way you like them, but eventually you can have fun with it.

The machine is harder to use than I thought.

Wonderful machine! A woman must have designed it !!!!! Really great love it

Used the product for about a year. It does make the perfect consistency shaved ice for margaritas. Unfortunately you have to take apart all of the gaskets and blades to clean it frequently. We cleaned it and experienced mold (no joke) starting to grow in between the blender and gaskets underneath. Never had any issues with blenders before, maybe this one is a bad design....

did not work correctly- 2 units tried

I was very disappointed with this margarita maker. I feel I have a blender that does a better job. The blender did not cost $130 plus dollars and it can make a much smoother drink. The reasons why I am disappointed is that you have to let the ice sit out for 10 or 15 minutes before you can use it. If you don't wait, the blender doesn't blend it because it freezes up and you have to use a spoon to get it to continue to work. The drinks we have made have not been a smooth consistency. For the cost of this machine we were not impressed.

I am very particular about my blenders and the consistency in which they are able to blend ice. I thought that because the Margartiaville blender was specifically for blending ice that it would do a far better job than it actually did. There was still large chunks of ice even after blending it more than once. While it is a pretty good blender, I am not sure if I would pay the listed price if I had known beforehand. Overall, okay blender, but I think you could find a cheaper one that does a better job.

After spending nearly $200 on a blender, I am very dissappointed in my Margaritaville. The "shoot" doesn't allow you to add ingredients while blending, but the worst part is the shoot only raises up about 3/4" which makes the blender very difficult to get in and out because it is such a tight fit. The drinks come out so smooth, but it is hard to enjoy after going through such a hassle to make it.

everything is good except for the ice shaver,the ice cubes have to be very small or they don't shave well.

So much work to make an Margarita, it is not worth it. The size of the ice has to be very consistent or the machine does not break, and all the cleaning afterwards, I prefer to do my drinks on ice it saves a lot time!

I love this mixer

Did not blend as stated. Ice was not blended smoothly.

Unit was dead on arrival.

Product arrived used when it was purchased new. Disappointed.

Lower Coupler stripped and wouldn't turn blade to blend, called for repairs they don;t carry part anymore, this means un-repairable, will be tossing out to the dumps today, don;t waste your money. Thanks for nothing Jimmy Buffet

this product was a big disappointment, and I have returned it. It couldn't make 1 drink at a time and it was a littlecomplicated to operate.

The only feature about this blender that works well is the ice shaver. Blend feature only works if you have liquids. If you have fruit or yogurt it doesn't work. It's also much bigger than I expected and barely fit on my countertop. I bought it to make smoothies and this model had excellent reviews, but I wasn't happy at all. My Kitchenaid blender works much better and it chops ice and blends frozen fruit too.

I bought it for over $200 almost two years ago at Costco and hardly ever used it. It came with a nice carry bag and ran well the few times that I used it. In all the time I had it I probably used it between 10 and 15 times - not that often. I went to use it recently and it started to shave the ice and then stopped, the ready light started blinking red and it will not do anything now, not shave ice, not blend, nothing. I just got off the phone with Margaritaville people and all they can say is that it is out of warranty and that it is an internal issue, and nothing I'm doing wrong. They will not give me a discount on a new one, only a $25 salt tray... how pitiful. They want me to get the equivalent of mine for $199.... If this is what I can expect after so few uses of the machine, what can I expect if I use a new one more often...I think it's time to look for another drink blender... I am very disappointed as it works well when it actually works but woe to you if you get one with a defect.

I loved it when it was working! I've had this product for about 5 months then all the sudden the part that crushes the ice quit working. So now I basically have a way over priced blender!

This thing worked great for all of 3 months and today this thing started smoking and didn't complete the cycle properly. It appears it burnt the circuit board behind the controls. I don't think I can get it repaired and will not spend good money after bad for another one. Good luck to all that have purchased this thing as I think you will need it.

Making some drinks and the sparks started flying then smoke and what a complete mess. Not to mention the liquor that was wasted.Need I say more.

Found a bigger and better one at Costco this one was returned it's the JV level maker