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Margaritaville DM0500 Bahamas Review

This model is a 450-watt, dual motor, wonder of modern drink engineering. The two motors are hardened to take the abuse of crushing and shaving ice on a day in day out basis. Most kitchen blenders would burn out under the strain. You have one motor designed to shave the ice into the pitcher. The second motor takes over and blends the drink to frozen goodness.  The two phase system is what really separates the Jimmy Buffet Margarita Makers from the rest and why it makes the best frozen drinks.

Overview

The DM0500 is the entry level machine in the Margaritaville line up.  It has all the basics you need, plus a few nice features for from and functionality.  If you have never seen one of these machines before, it not only looks good, but is quite easy to use.

On top of the machine is the ice reservoir.  This model is capable of holding enough ice to make one full 36 ounce pitcher of drinks.  When you turn the machine on, the ice releases from the reservoir into the first section where the ice is shaved and then deposited in the blender.  Then the second phase kicks in to blend your drinks smooth.

One of the nice features it has is a ice runoff collector.  If you fill up the reservoir with ice and don’t blend right away, any ice melt will drip away and be caught in a container at the back of the machine.  This keeps your drinks from getting watered down.  The catch bin is easy to remove and empty.

The Bahamas Control Panel

The Margaritaville DM0500 has a simple and easy to use control panel consisting of an on/off button, power indicator light, Shave and Blend mode start button, compass rose status light, and a blend only/shave only toggle switch.  See the diagram below for a quick look and explanation of the functions.

Blending Modes

The Bahamas margarita maker is straight forward to operate.  Once ice and your drink ingredients have been loaded you simply hit the Shave and Blend start button and the machine does the rest.  It will shave all of the ice into the blender, then start blending all on it’s own.  When finished it will stop itself after the predetermined time.  All you need to do is pour and serve.

If you are not happy with the consistency, maybe you added to much drink mix or not enough, and you want to make a thicker or thinner drink – that is where the blend only/shave only toggle switch comes in.

If you want a thicker drink for instance you can add more ice to the reservoir and hit the shave mode.  Then toggle to the blend setting and hold till you are satisfied.

The next time around you can adjust how much drink mix to add so that you get the right consistency on your first try.  This may take a little trial and experimentation till you get it just right, but it will be fun practicing.

Easy Clean Up – Dishwasher Safe

The Bahamas DM0500 breaks down into smaller pieces for easy cleanup.  The blender jar and parts that touch the drinks are dishwasher safe for the top rack.  The ice reservoir and associated parts are only exposed to ice and water so just need to cleaned with some warm soapy water and allowed to dry.  Check the manual for exact instructions, but cleanup is a breeze.

Can It Only Make Margaritas?

No, it can make almost any type of frozen drink.  Pina Coladas, Daiquiris, and other favorites come out just as well in this machine.  You can also use it to make smoothies.

It does come with one recommended margarita recipe in the manual, but there are many more margarita recipes out there that will have you trying all sorts of different concoctions.  If you want some suggestions, check out the 101 Margaritas book.

The Verdict

Get ready to feel like you are being whisked away to a tropical beach or the islands.  It makes a great frozen cocktail and is well worth the cost for anyone who is serious about their margaritas.

These machines are also great for any party, and really add something extra to your pool parties or gatherings. But the true benefit is that it is made for creating the perfect drink. It has plenty of customized features and also great manual controls so that you add more shaved ice or blend your drink to you perfect consistency. Plus it channels off the extra water from melting ice so you can avoid watered down drink. These guys have thought of everything.

Buy Margaritaville DM0500 Bahamas Frozen Concoction Maker

If you want to buy the Margaritaville DM500 at the best price online then I suggest Amazon.  They have discounts and I’ve found it hard to beat them on price.  They are much lower cost than buying direct.  You can Click HERE to check prices and compare.

This is not the cheapest frozen drink maker, from Margaritaville, but probably the most popular.   It makes 36-ounce pitchers of your favorite drink with relative ease.  It is tough, made to withstand the pressures and forces applied by crushing and shaving ice on a regular basis.  This unit is also much sturdier than your common kitchen blender.  Oh…and did I mention it makes amazing frozen drinks?

I’ve found the best prices for the DM1000 to be on Amazon.  Click to Check Prices.

Margaritaville DM1000 Key West Review

There are a lot of great features on this Margaritaville machine from Jimmy Buffet that really set it apart from even the top of the line kitchen blender.  When it comes to making frozen cocktails, no body does it better than Margaritaville.  In this review of the DM1000 Key West frozen concoction maker, we’ll take a look at those features and functionality and see why this is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars at most online retailers.

Overview

The DM1000 is the second in the series of Margarita makers and has proven to be the most popular.  It is great for parties or just lounging around on a lazy weekend day sipping cocktails.  It is very easy to use, looks good, and is also fun to watch.

It has an ice reservoir on the top of the machine that holds enough ice to make two full 36-Ounce pitchers.  That is double the capacity of the DM0500.  When you start the machine the ice is fed from the reservoir through the ice shaving blades depositing the shaved ice into the blender.  At this point the blender takes over and blends your drinks to the perfect consistency.

All you need to do is add ice and drink mix then hit the switch, the machine does the rest.  It allows you to automatically combine the right blend of ice and mix to get just the right drink.  This is the feature that the cheaper brands don’t have and really means the difference between restaurant quality margaritas and a watered down drink.

Since the Key West has the capacity to hold more ice than you can use in a single pitcher, the ice runoff collector is a really nice feature.  As the ice melts any excess water is siphoned away and collected in a container on the back of the machine.  This helps keep you from getting watered down drinks.

The Margaritaville Key West Control Panel

The control panel is another area where the DM1000 has some added features.  The controls themselves are straight forward and easy to use.  You’ll find a power on/off switch, shave ‘n blend toggle switch, shark fin power and status lights, blend only/shave only toggle switch, and a number of drink selector switch.

Blending Modes – Making Drinks

The Key West margarita machine makes it easy to operate and allows you the flexibility to control how many drinks you want to make at a time.  You have your choice between 1, 2, and 3 (full pitcher) levels.

The pitcher has easy to read markings on the side so you know just how much liquid (drink mix and alcohol) to added for the number of drinks you are making.  From there you select the same number of drinks from the control panel, add ice, and hit the Shave ‘n Blend button.  The machine takes over and shuts off when completed.

You may find that your drink is not quite to the consistency you like, maybe either too thick or two thin.  Not to worry, Margaritaville has thought of that to.  If it came out too thick, press the ‘blend only’ button till it reaches the consistency you want or if needed add a little more mix first.   If you drink is too thin, make sure there is ice in the reservoir and hit ‘shave only’.  This will shave more ice into the pitcher.  Then press ‘blend only’ till you drink is smooth.

Dishwasher Safe – Easy Cleaning

If you have made margaritas before you know things can get a little sticky.  That’s why the easy clean up on the Margaritaville machine is so nice.  You really only need to cleans the parts that come in contact with the drinks, like the blender jar.  These parts are dishwasher safe when put in the top rack.  The rest can be cleaned with warm soapy water.  Read the manual for full cleaning instructions.

The Verdict

Should you buy the Margaritaville Key West Frozen concoction maker?  In my opinion it is a great purchase.  And the motors are made to last.  It gives you a lot of great features and the added capacity of the ice reservoir is a nice touch when entertaining.  You may even want to get a second pitcher so that you can always have another round ready to go.

If you want to make the best restaurant quality frozen drinks at home than this is the machine that you need.  It delivers top quality, consistent drinks all the time.

Buy The Margaritaville DM1000 Frozen Concoction Maker

If you are ready to make the purchase or just want to read some more customer reviews, I recommend you visit Amazon.com.  I’ve found they have the best prices online and last I checked they were selling it for over $100 off!  To Check Prices on Amazon – CLICK HERE.

The Margaritaville DM2000 Frozen Concoction Maker has be quite a hit with people.  So people love it because they can make great tasting frozen drinks for parties, then healthy smoothies, and they even use the the ice shave mode alone to make snow cones for the kids.  It really is a versatile machine.  However if you are planning on using this to replace your kitchen blender you will want to consider how much counter space you have available, as this is not a small item.  With the built in ice reservoir and shaving unit it does take up a fair bit of room.

Margaritaville DM2000 Review

This product has a lot of great reviews online.  You can head over to Amazon by clicking the link below to read some of them for yourself.  They are highly rated in the 4 and 5 star categories which means that most people loved their purchase and would recomend their friends buy them as well.

Margaritaville DM2000 Best Price

If you are looking to buy the Margaritaville DM2000 Fiji for sale at a discount price then follow our links to Amazon.  The are offering some amazing deals right at the moment and they have good inventory so shipping is usually quite fast.  They are also well known for their great customer service and standing behind their sales.  Getting a Margaritaville DM2000 cheap is as simple as clicking the link below.

This margarita machine is so fast and so good it is downright amazing.  These guys knew what they were doing when they put this together.  It has one large ice reservoir on top, and three pitchers on the bottom.  Each blending jar is 24-ounces which means you get 72-ounces worth of drinks per cycle.  You can really keep the margarita glasses full if you are having a party.

Margaritaville DM3000 Tahiti

Is this the best margarita machine you will ever see?  We think so.  It has a large ice reservoir on top of the machine that feeds the rotating ice chute that will be sure to entertain your guests.  It is so simple to use.  You place the ice in the unit, add your drink mix and alcohol to the pitchers and click start.  You will have three pitchers of drinks under a minute.  The amazing thing is that it can make a whole host of drinks, including margaritas, daiquiris, coladas, mudslides, mojitos, and smoothies.

It also has plenty of great personalization features.  You can thicken or thin your drinks depending on your personal tastes.  There are controls at each of the blending stations, so you can have three pitchers of margaritas all different ways.

Margaritaville DM3000 Tahiti Video

Here it is in action – pretty amazing.

There are a lot of choices when selecting a frozen drink maker for your home.  Some of them border on the cheap and flimsy, like an all purpose blender to the more fancy ones like the Margaritaville line of products from Jimmy Buffet.  A lot of consideration has to go into what type of frozen concoctions you plan on making and how often.

Before we get too far into that, let’s talk about what a frozen drink machine is not.  It is not a blender that makes frozen drinks.  A blender is made to do a lot of different things.  They are great for making shakes and smoothies, however they are not the best for margaritas and daiquiris.

Although they are able to crush ice, it doesn’t usually give you the best result.  The ice cubes shoot up away from the blade and often leave you with big chunks, instead of that smooth slushie feeling you get from a commercial grade machine, or one that is purpose built for home use.

Plus, if you make frozen cocktails on a regular basis, your ordinary cheap blender is not built to handle it.   Believe me, all that ice breaking is hard on the parts, and you can easily burn out a blender’s motor.  The best frozen drink machines on the other hand?  That is all they are made to do, and they do it well – even the less expensive ones.  They give you the quality in your drinks you want, and they are built to last.

Getting back to helping you choose the right frozen drink machine.  There are many top quality items out there.  They are going to cost more than your kitchen blender, but they are worth the money if you are going to use them a lot or entertain.

You can find models that have a single pitcher, which can make a single serving of margarita’s or whatever, at a time.  There are also larger models, like the popular Margaritaville frozen drink makers that can have up to three pitchers.  These are great for having at parties.  You can have a pitcher of daiquiris, margaritas, and pina coladas going at the same time.  Just add more ice, a little more drink mix, some alcohol, and you are in business for another round.

One of the issues you might find with some of these bigger models is the space on your kitchen counter, or cupboards if you don’t want to have them out all the time.  The three pitcher model is big.  And although blenders can make frozen drinks, frozen drink makers can’t blend.  So you will need to have a spot for both of these items.  If you have a larger kitchen, it’s not a problem.  However, if you are like a lot of people there is already to much stuff cluttering the counter top.  If this is a case, a smaller single pitcher model might be in order for your home.

So where can you buy a frozen drink machine cheap?  Well I always head online to do my shopping.  You can usually find a wider selection of brands and models from the online retailers.  Plus it saves me from having to drive around from store to store.  I also find the pricing tends to be better and you might even locate some at a great discount.  Plus, unless you have to have it right away, the convenience of shopping from home and having it delivered to your house is outstanding.

There are many options to choose from, and doing some good research online is the first step.  Make sure the product is made of high quality, good construction, and preferably a well known name brand is best.  As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for.  When all that is said and done, you may well be the happy owner of a new frozen drink machine for your home.

You can make both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks in these blenders, depending on your intended audience.  Either way the cocktails come out tasting just as sweet.  They will be the hit of any home or pool party.

They work similar to a regular blender, but with added benefits.  They are also quite easy to use and clean. Most of these items work the same way.

• Fill the ice reservoir with ice.
• Select what type of drink you are looking to make, followed by the number of drinks
• Add your ingredients to the pitcher
• Turn the machine on and watch your drinks fill the pitcher

They are very simple and easy to use.  Part of what makes these drink makers so popular.

Now when you are looking for one of these for your home, it is important to look for the best possible features and price range.  A good machine will cost you between $200 and $400, and these are usually the best blenders for frozen drinks.

You will get strong, sturdy construction that will last out making a lot of pitchers of margaritas.  It is important because not all frozen drink  blenders are alike.  Crushing ice can put stress on the mechanical parts and you want the best frozen drink blender that can stand up to the punishment.

There are also selections of features that are nice to have over your regular table top blender.  Some of the best machines, like the Margaritaville Blender, come with a variety of functions and settings.  For instance having separate settings depending on what type of drink you are making is very nice.  If you are making a margarita vs. a daiquiri the blender will be have in a slightly different way.  This helps take a lot of guess work out of what you are doing, and provides for a proper frozen drink.

Another nice benefit of a frozen drink blender is added functionality that allows you to shave some additional ice into your drink mix.  You will also find the ability to press the blend button for an additional period of time quite the benefit.  You will be able to really get the drinks to the consistency that you want.

No matter what type of frozen drink you want to make, margarita, daiquiri, pina colada, or any type of smoothie.  A frozen drinks blender will become your favorite item in your kitchen.

Margaritaville Frozen Concoction Makers

Margaritaville makes the best frozen drink machines hands down.  They are well built, look good, and are easy to use.  Their most popular models are the DM0500, DM1000, and DM2000.  They also make a DM3000 which is a model that makes three pitchers of margaritas at a time.

You won’t be disappointed with any of their models, your toughest question will be choosing the one you like best.

The Basics Of Frozen Drink Machines

There are two main kinds, commercial and home appliances.  The commercial units are aimed at bars, restaurants, party rentals, and stores that sell large quantities of margaritas, daquiries, slushies, or other frozen cocktails.  The home frozen drink machines are aimed at…well the home kitchen.  They are not you typical kitchen blender, and are built exclusively to make frozen drinks at home.  They won’t whip up a smoothie for you, but they will make a heck of a frozen margarita.

Best Home Frozen Drink Machines – Things To Look For

First thing – ditch the idea of buying a kitchen blender and using it for frozen drinks.  They are not good at crushing ice which makes the consistency of your drinks wrong.  They also have cheap motors that have a tendency to burn out after trying to make too many pitchers of margaritas.  Go with a frozen drink maker – that is what they are designed to do.

The nice part of these machines is the ease of use.  You add the ice, mix, alcohol, set it and you are done.  Most of the good machines have settings that allow you to change the consistency of your frozen drink so that you can get it just right, whether you are making margaritas, daiquiris, mudslides, pina coladas, or whatever your frozen cocktail of choice is.

There are a few brands out there, but really only one stands out.  The Jimmy Buffet Frozen Concoction Maker or Margaritaville Frozen Drink Maker products is it.  There are several different models to choose from depending on the number of bells and whistles you are looking for.  They are really the innovator in this market and produce a high quality good product.

The best place to find them is online.  You can price them out at several retailers and will usually find a great deal – some even offer free shipping.

Best Commercial Frozen Drink Machines – What To Look For

If you are running a bar or restaurant, then you need a heavy duty machine that will take the wear and tear of running 365 days a year.  You also want a machine that can produce large quantities are drinks in a short order, and in large quantities – say 3 gallons plus at a time.  Having multiple types of frozen cocktails on offer at the same time may also be a requirement.

For sturdiness you will want to look for a machine that has stainless steel construction.  Some prefer the whole machine to be made of this material, while other like to have the clear plastic hoppers.   The units made out of all stainless steel are usually most durable.