Margaritaville Frozen Concoction MakerThe wife loves frozen cocktails, the kids love slushies and we all like to have a healthy fruit smoothie from time to time.  No big deal I thought.  I will just run down to the local discount store and pick up a cheap blender and have all the bases covered.

Boy was I wrong!  The wife’s margarita was to chunky.  Smoothie night at the house was a disaster, it took a whole lot of scraping, shaking and yelling to get a somewhat decent smoothie from the blender.  Slushies…..  Well that was a complete failure. So I started looking for more information, tips and reviews on a machine that would make all of these great drinks the right way.  I think I found it, the Margaritaville Key West Frozen Concoction Maker.

The Search for the Perfect Frozen Drink Machine

On my quest to find the perfect way to create frozen drinks, smoothies and slushies at home I came up with a list of questions I wanted answered.
Here is the list in no particular order:

  • Why not just use a blender?
  • Couldn’t I just use an ice shaver machine?
  • What about making smoothies and frozen drinks for the kids?
  • Is it easy to use?
  • Will clean up be easy?

It’s not just a blender!

I have used blenders in the past to make frozen concoctions with mixed results. A cheap blender is definitely not going to do the job of getting a good consistency drink. The blender always seems to leave large ice chunks in the drink, and this is not what I am looking for, a quality restaurant style drink should have a smooth consistency.  This is where the Margaritaville Key West Drink Maker excels.  The machine shaves the ice first and deposits it neatly in the the glass blending jar, this eliminates the chunks that a blender alone can leave behind.  Once the ice is shaved the drink is then blended into a smooth and consistent drink that compares in quality to a restaurant or bar style frozen cocktail.

Keep the ice shaver for snow cones!

The kids are always looking for a cool frozen drink on hot summer days and to fill that request we purchased a cheap ice shaving machine.  The ice shaver is OK for shaving ice, but it is not a drink maker.  Once loaded with ice it begins to melt and it goes everywhere including into the shaved ice. Now you could take the shaved ice to the blender and make your drink that way, but again it is going to be a messy and cumbersome process.  The Margaritaville machine overcomes this problem by being a self contained unit.  The ice is shaved directly into the mixing pitcher, no mess!  The drink machine also eliminates the issue of the melting ice getting into your drink, the ice reservoir has a system to channel the water from the melted ice into a easy to empty container that is built right into the machine.

Smoothies, slushies and more…

Not just a margarita maker, the Margaritaville Margarita Maker will make just about any type of frozen drink that you can come up with. If you love smoothies the machine can make them to perfection.  You will be a hit with the kids in the neighborhood when you start churning out perfect slushies.  Just add flavored syrup, blend and serve them up, but be careful, you may find a crowd at your door once the word spreads through the neighborhood.

Could not be any easier to use!

We all know that entertaining can be a great experience, but it can also seem like a job at times.  Making frozen drinks while hosting a get together should be fun and easy and the Margaritaville DM1000 is very easy to use.  Making a frozen drink is as easy as 1-2-3, fill the top with ice, poor the ingredients into the pitcher and hit start, that is it.  The machine has automatic settings based on on the number of 12 oz. drinks you would like to make, and you can make up to three at a time. I would even say that the Margaritaville Frozen Concoction Maker is so easy to use that you could set it up, give your guests a 60 second tutorial on using the machine and turn them loose making drinks.

Who likes a mess?

If you are like most people, you want something that is not only easy to use, but easy to clean.  The Margaritaville machine is fairly easy to clean and maintain. The instruction book contains a great step by step tutorial with diagrams on disassembly and cleaning. The parts that need cleaning can all be removed by following the manual and most can placed in the top rack of the dishwasher. The instruction manual provides a list of parts that can be safely washed in the dishwasher.  Be sure to follow the top rack recommendation, as placing the parts in the bottom can cause damage.

Margaritaville Frozen Concoction Maker Specifications

  • The machine shaves and blends ice, up to 36 ounces at a time
  • Easy to use automatic settings to mix the correct amount of ice with ingredients
  • Manual controls give you the ability to adjust the consistency of your drink
  • Key Lime accent coloring, maritime markings & shark fin indicator lights
  • Durable powder-coated housing, sturdy glass blending jar & stainless steel accent trim
  • Built in cord storage compartment

What about the warranty?

The Margaritaville Key West Frozen Concoction maker comes with a manufacturer 1 year limited warranty.  The warranty details are in the owners manual.

What about price?

The DM 1000 is available on the Margaritaville website for $299.00, marked down from $425.00.   The best price we have found is at Amazon and you should be able to purchase this for less then $210.00.  You may also qualify for free shipping.

Here are some quotes from happy owners:

  • “This blender rocks.”
  • “After years of trying to make margaritas like we would get in the restaurants without success we finally found a way to do it.”
  • “Nice, heavy duty blender! Love the shaved ice.”
  • “I’ve gone through a lot of blenders and I’ve finally found one to make the perfect margarita.”
  • “It has a “power tool” vibe to it that guys appreciate.”
  • “Best Invention of Mankind”
  • “Outstanding drinks is an understatement.”

Where to buy?

You can purchase the margarita machine from Amazon.  They currently have free shipping and after comparing many sites online, Amazon has the best price on this machine.  So for the best deal I would choose Amazon, especially with the free shipping. Click here to get more details.

Want to read more reviews on the Key West Margarita Maker?

The best place to read more reviews by people who have actually purchased and used the product is Amazon.  Click here to read more reviews.