The 10 Best Commercial Drink Mixers
This wiki has been updated 14 times since it was first published in September of 2016. These commercial mixers are specifically designed to create smoothies, shakes, and other drinks with the perfect mix of a creamy and frothy consistency. They have the power to create everything from ice cream-based desserts to blended daiquiris, and some can even double as egg beaters or batter blenders. We've included single-, double-, and triple-spindle models to meet every business' need. When users buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki. If you'd like to contribute your own research to the Wiki, please get started by reviewing this introductory video.
Editor's Notes
August 07, 2019:
There are a few different routes you can take to a perfectly blended drink. If you're making shakes with ice cream or frozen yogurt, you'll want to look a traditional shake machine that has a long steel shaft extending downwards and typically uses stainless-steel cups for mixing. These come in 1- to 3-drink models, and are even available in wall-mountable configurations to save space. Waring and Hamilton Beach produce some of the best of these ice cream-attacking devices. Waring products, of course, are commonly seen in professional kitchens, and while Hamilton Beach is more known for their home cooking appliances, in this case their commercial-grade devices are actually of excellent quality. Procter Silex also makes an inexpensive yet still quite capable model of their own that isn't exactly as powerful, but still gets the job done.
We've also included a few more traditional blenders, but know that these aren't exactly the same as the typical home blender. Vitamix is no stranger to professional kitchens and drink stands -- they're actually contracted to supply their specially designed, ear-saving Quiet One blender to nearly every Starbucks in the world, and as long as you aren't expecting it to last many years, it's a great choice for everyday use. If you are looking for a long-lasting choice, their Ascent series is worth a look, but do be aware that their impressive 10-year warranty doesn't apply if the unit's used in a professional setting. The Ninja is in the same price range as an average blender, but outperforms many of them, and comes with multiple sizes of blender pitchers. It's not ideal for a milkshake stand, but if you only sell the occasional juice or smoothie, it's worthy of consideration.
Finally, the Margaritaville is in a class of its own when it comes to making frozen drinks without having to clean and wait on those massive, rotating, self-freezing units. If you like margaritas, daiquiris, or other shaved-ice delicacies, that's the one you should go for. It can make multiple pitchers without needing a refill, so it's even capable of adding a tropical feel to a mid-sized bar.