Margaritaville Key West Frozen Concoction Maker Review

We’ve never been big at-home mixed drink makers – preferring to order the fancy drinks at bars and restaurants. That’s because when we entertain, I’m too busy in the kitchen cooking to have to worry about the also making a perfect mixed drink for our guests. Having lived in Florida for 13 years, and now Las Vegas, I’m excited to finally try my hand at making frozen drinks for our hot weather. (Though right now, it’s January and a little cold here in Vegas)

The Margaritaville Key West Frozen Concoction Maker is a big machine, fit for a house that loves to entertain! Fill it with ice (it includes an extra large ice reservoir), add the ingredients into the pitcher and turn the machine on. In just 2 seconds, ice is shaved, and the machine will blend, creating the perfect frozen drink.

We tried 3 different recipes, two from Margaritaville’s website, and one that we’ve created. Here’s what we love about the machine:

• It’s really simple to use. There aren’t too many buttons or settings, just the essentials.

• Adjustable. You can choose 1, 2 or 3 drinks, though 36 ounces (a full pitcher) makes more than 3 drinks – but maybe I need larger glasses. The machine will adjust the amount of ice and how long it blends. You can add more ice, or choose “blend only.”
• Sturdy – It’s not an overly heavy machine, but it stays on the table without moving when shaving or blending. Great quality, well made. The pitcher is made of thick glass, no worry about breaking or cracking glass. It’s solid!

• The power cord stows away! I have too many appliances with dangling, messy and tangled power cords. I love that I can lift the machine and not worry about tripping over the power cord, or getting it tangled when I store it.

• Extra large ice reservoir – spend less time filling with ice. A full ice reservoir will make 3 full pitchers of drinks.
• Drip container for melting ice – melted ice won’t dilute your drink – it all drips into a removable container. Big win.

• Spout for drip-free pours. No need to remove the lid. Just pour. Though if you have sweet, sticky drinks, the pour spout will get stuck a little. Just flip it open.

• Powerful – 450 watts.
• Make drinks just like a fancy bar – the ice is smooth, no crackly, jagged ice. The machine does a great job shaving. We made the Paradise Paloma:
  • 4 1/2 oz. Tequila
  • 7 1/2 oz. Grapefruit Juice
  • 1 1/2 oz. Lime Juice
  • 2 tablespoons Agave Nectar or Simple Syrup

Here are some of the cons of the Margaritaville Key West Frozen Concoction Maker:

• Difficult to store – the machine is tall, which means it won’t fit on many shelves. With the ice reservoir, it’s about 19″ tall. Without the ice, it’s about 15.5″ tall. The only place we can find to store the machine is on a shelf in the garage.
• Difficult to fill/empty ice reservoir- while the top and hopper are removeble, there’s not a way to bring the reservoir to your freezer to fill with ice. You have the bring the ice to the machine. To empty the ice, either wait for all the ice to melt (then remove the water container and pour in sink) or lug the ENTIRE machine to the sink, holding upside down to shake all of the ice out.
• Pricey – Current price on Amazon is $268.00 – but if you entertain a lot in the summer, it may be worth it! Our long and hot summers in Vegas means we’ll be using ours a lot!

We made a recipe for you – we’re calling it the Frozen Café Noir.

Frozen Café Noir Recipe

I looooove mocha and coffee flavored drinks, and one of our all-time favorite drinks is the combination of – Patrón XO Café + Baileys.

Patrón XO Café is Patron silver with coffee essence. Baileys Irish Creme is the perfect companion to give it a creamy, smooth and silky taste.

Top with freshly grated nutmeg (or use ground nutmeg) for a warm, spicy note.

Frozen Café Noir Recipe

(makes 1 drink)

1 ounce espresso or strong coffee (room temperature or cold)
1 1/2 ounces Patrón XO Café
1 ounce Baileys Irish Creme
Ground nutmeg

Add the first three ingredients to Margaritaville machine, set to “1 drink.” Concoct until smooth. Top with a pinch of ground nutmeg.

About Margaritaville Key West Frozen Concoction Maker

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Margaritaville Frozen Concoction Maker Key West Giveaway

Margaritaville Cargo provided a unit for an honest review and one for a giveaway.