Margaritaville DM1000 Frozen Concoction Maker

I clearly remember making fun of the Margaritaville Frozen concoction maker when I first saw it advertised in the Front Gate directory. ("Who will buy a $ 300 blender on steroids!? Hah-hah-hah ...") Imagine my horror when my wife announced that she wanted for her birthday. It seems as if "it" should "I".

The vast majority of positive reviews on Amazon calmed my fears a bit and I ordered one. As usual, Amazon delivered quickly and it was unpacked and setup in minutes.

Exactly true to its claims, it actually makes perfect consistency margaritas and any other frozen drinks you can imagine. I think I like it more than my wife. It has a "power tool" vibe that guys appreciate. Spinning blades and high speed. What can go wrong?

There are a few things / tips to be aware of:

1) It is BIG. It just barely clears the front of our kitchen cabinets and is too high to go under them. Pretty heavy lifting on a high shelf as well.

2) It makes a more consistent work to make a "full" pitcher than just a drink. Having a lot of ice in the funnel works best, put a glass filled with ice becomes too watery if you use the automatic cycle. To compensate for a single drink I keep manually "shave off" switch for ~ 4-5 seconds before the automatic mixing cycle. Works well.

3) The shaved ice melts faster than cubes when it hits the glass, so I've gone to glaze pitcher to keep the glass cool (or at least fill it with cold water for a few seconds) before adding the liquid ingredients. Unlike plastic jugs of commercial drink makers, glass (thick glass on it) can transfer a lot of heat. Popping it straight out of a hot dishwasher at the booth will give you a mighty power margarita.

4) Although the "dishwasher" the cover of our pitch was a funny mottled brown / green color after a cycle in the wash. Not sure if it was the heat or detergent or anything, but after that it was a little crazy, and generally "weird". A call to 800 customer service number yielded a free replacement, which we just now easing.

All in all, it works as advertised and is a real crowd pleaser at parties. A good gizmo.