Margaritaville Bahamas Frozen Concoction Maker - Slushy & Frozen Drink Machine with No-Brainer Mixer for Margaritas, Daiquiris, Smoothies - Perfect for Pool Parties, Beach Gatherings & Summer BBQs

A lot cheaper than I could find anywhere else! We love it!Everything about this is simple and easy. Keep your ice maker full because the fun will never end.When this first came out a few years ago, I had a part-time job in the Housewares department of a large retail store. And I thought it was kind of ridiculous, to be honest! But once I started looking into them and saw how much people seem to like them, I decided I needed to buy one, and I have changed my mind! I've only had it a few weeks and so far I have made frozen Margaritas, frozen Blue Hawaiians, and a Frozen Woo Woo in this thing. Next I'm trying a frozen Citronella Cooler, and I want to try frozen smoothies in it, also. What can I say, I'm sick of winter, and I'm practicing for a summer cocktail party! LOL!I love the way it makes the ice the consistency of slush instead of tiny pieces of ice chunks like it did when I tried to make frozen drinks in a blender. I have not bothered using the No Brainer Mixing jar - I just measure out the ingredients and put them directly in the pitcher but I might try that out when I have more people to serve and want to make larger quantities. I purchased the cover as well because I don't have a big kitchen and will need to store it somewhere between uses. All in all, the product seems sturdy and works great, though I have to agree with what others have said about it making 3 drinks a little more reliably than it makes 1 drink. The ice seems like it doesn't quite get shaved as well, but maybe I just need more practice. ;-)Aesthetically, I would have preferred for the pitcher lid to be the same color as the base. It's more of a greenish chartreuse color (it's got too much yellow in it) than it is a shade of lime green. That's a pretty minor point, but it's really the only criticism I can come up with. Love it so far, and recommend it to anyone who entertains or just enjoys frozen drinks.Product arrived damaged. We have spent several days trying to contact the manufacturer to get a part replaced, but cannot get through to anyone. Packaging appeared damaged and then re-taped for shipment. Will not use this company or seller again.This has been a very popular item we have used on numerous occasions this summer. It is super easy to use and blends well. The only drawback is the ice is so well blended that it melts fast, so you better get your drink on fast. Kids have loved using it for frozen punch and lemonade. This frozen concoction will help you hang on!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.I was hesitant to order this machine because many times the "brand" name is all hype but I believed the high reviews. This machine is very easy to use, the first batch was perfect, and variations were easy to make (watermelon, strawberry, mango margaritas). You can make a lot of drinks in a short time too, and it's a blast to watch it "automatically" turn the ice shaver and blender on and off. When I wanted to clean, dry and put it away, I read the directions to disassemble it completely and found all of the parts to be very well designed and built. A real quality machine, wish everything was this well thought out. Some negatives, not that it affects my rating - it's big, I wouldn't leave it on the counter between uses but we have room to store it away. Also the "no brainer mixer" is very smart but one of the ingredients calls for "margaritaville mix". I just use half lemon juice and half simple syrup or you can adjust here if you like it sweeter or not.This machine was recommended by our son and he was right, makes amazing margaritas. His recipe, one can of frozen limeade, half the can of reposado be tequila, one shot of triple sec and a squirt of agave nectar. So good.