The 8 Best Margarita Machines
Updated by · How we research
Ice-free slush tanks or shave-and-blend machines? We compared eight margarita makers by batch size, ice, sugar and alcohol limits. The Ninja SLUSHi FS351 leads. When users buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
The first frozen margarita machine was a soft-serve dispenser rigged up in a Dallas restaurant in 1971, and it now belongs to the Smithsonian. Home versions still follow one of two ideas: freeze a sweetened mix in a chilled tank, or shave ice and blend it to order. Pick the wrong one and you either wait an hour or haul ice all night.
Editor's Notes
November 1, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Editors:
Our pick for most homes is the Ninja SLUSHi FS351, and it isn't an ice shaver at all. It freezes a ready-made mix in a refrigerated tank, the way a bar's slush machine does, so nothing gets watered down. The Margaritaville Key West stays close behind for a pitcher right now from a bag of ice.
This page is back after a short absence, rebuilt from scratch. The Margaritaville Tahiti and Margaritaville Bali stay. We dropped the Signature edition, which overlaps the Key West, the Keurig Drinkworks Home Bar and both Margarita Girl units, which have left the market, the Bartesian Premium, a pod cocktail maker that doesn't freeze anything, and two blenders and a food processor that were never margarita machines.
Slush machines are new enough that the evidence is thin: one magazine's review and a month-long diary of Ninja's first model, a lab taste test we could read only in summary, the makers' sugar and fill guidance, owner reports on how strong a drink each one will freeze, and a recall check of every brand.
Earlier notes
November 28, 2020, by Brett Dvoretz:
Few drinks are more iconic of tropical locations than the famed margarita. And, if you want to make one the way it is supposed to be served, either on the rocks or in a smooth, slushie-like consistency, then you should turn to one of the machines on this list, rather than that blender you have sitting on your kitchen counter.
When it comes to home use and making the frozen variety, few companies make machines that can stand up to those from Margaritaville. This probably shouldn't come as a surprise since the whole company is based around the tropical lifestyle ubiquitous with these frosty beverages. We've included three options from them, but the Margaritaville Tahiti DM3000 is our favorite due to its attractive design and the ability to make three frozen beverages simultaneously. It also features a handy pull-out recipe board in case your cocktail knowledge isn't quite up to par. We must admit though, that the Margaritaville Bali DM3500 is a bit more visually intriguing thanks to its spiral display on the front that the beverage passes through as it's being dispensed.
For the on-the-rocks variety, we still have the Bartesian Premium, which we previously recommended for its convenience and ease of use. However, we like the Keurig Drinkworks Home Bar, a new addition, even more, as it takes those features a step further. While the Bartesian Premium requires you to fill reservoirs with your alcohol of choice, the pods for the Keurig Drinkworks Home Bar already come with the alcohol inside of them. Of course, some may find that to be a downside if they have a preferred liquor they enjoy. If you only plan on making margaritas on the rocks, and you want full control over the ingredients you use, and the ratios, you can always turn to the trusty old cocktail shaker.
November 12, 2019, by Brett Dvoretz:
Margaritas are fantastic when made right, but a poorly made one just isn't worth the trouble. We've all been in the situation where we tried to make a frozen beverage with a regular home blender, only to find our cup is filled with a mixture of liquid and large chunks of ice, rather than a smooth slushie-like drink. Well, with one of these margarita machines you'll never have to deal with that again.
Here's a bit about what is new on the list this year. The SharkNinja QB1000 was eliminated because it is essentially the same as the Ninja Master Prep QB900B and we couldn't see any reason to keep them both on the list. We also got rid of the Bibo Barmaid System because most people didn't find it worth the money, considering that it didn't even mix the drinks for you, and many also seemed to not enjoy the flavor of the cocktail pouches. It was replaced with the Bartesian Premium, which does actually fully mix the beverages for you, so all you have to do is add ice. There is also more cocktail varieties available from for this brand and people seem to enjoy the taste of them better than the Bibo's, which isn't a surprise considering they contain real juices, extracts, and bitters.
We also felt the need to remove the Nostalgia HSB590 due to complaints of it breaking after just a few uses and being overly loud. Speaking of being loud, if that is what is holding you back from getting a margarita machine, we have a few models that solve that issue. If you want something that also doubles as a home blender, you can get the Hamilton Beach Quiet Shield 58870. While not exactly silent, it is quieter than most ice blending machines. The other option is to go with a slushie maker like the Margarita Girl XC212, Margarita Girl XC16, and Bravo Italia BG212, since they freeze your beverage mix, rather than chopping up ice cubes.
Of course, some may find these models to be a bit of an eyesore for smaller events or everyday use, in which case we recommend the slightly louder, but significantly more attractive Margaritaville Tahiti DM3000, Margaritaville Jimmy Buffet Signature Edition, or Margaritaville Bali DM3500.
Special Honors
SaniServ Model 707 Bars, food trucks and big events need more than a home machine can give. SaniServ, an Indiana maker of frozen beverage equipment, still builds the Model 707, a countertop slush machine with a 20-quart hopper that its spec sheet rates at about eight gallons an hour. It is sold through restaurant-supply dealers and costs many times what a home machine does. saniserv.com
Slush Tank Or Ice Shaver: Pick The Right Kind
If you want a single round on a whim, or stronger drinks, get a shave-and-blend machine.
A slush machine, like the Ninja SLUSHi or the Iceman by Chefman, works like the original: Mariano Martinez built the first frozen margarita machine in 1971 from a soft-serve machine, so his bar could stop blending drinks by the pitcher. You pour in a finished, sweetened drink, a compressor chills the tank, and an auger keeps it moving until it turns to slush. Nothing gets diluted, and the machine holds the drink frozen for hours. The catch is time: a batch takes about 15 minutes to an hour, so you start it before guests arrive. A Delish review of the first Ninja model found a cranberry cocktail froze in about 15 minutes, with a smooth texture and only a low hum.
A shave-and-blend machine, like the Margaritaville Key West, Bali or Tahiti, starts from ice. It shaves the ice from a hopper into a jar of tequila and mix, then blends. A pitcher is ready in a few minutes, any time, but it is louder, it needs a steady supply of ice, and the drink slowly thins as the ice melts. The cheapest machines, like the Nostalgia, simply blend ice cubes in a big jug, which gives a coarser slush.
If you host often and like to set things up ahead, a slush machine is the better fit. If you want a single round on a whim, or stronger drinks, get a shave-and-blend machine.
Sugar, Alcohol And Why A Mix Won't Freeze
Slush machines depend on sugar. Sugar keeps the ice crystals small, so the drink turns to slush instead of a block, and too little leaves you with a frozen lump. The working range for soft-serve style margarita machines is a sugar level of roughly 12 to 18 degrees Brix, according to the margarita machine entry on Wikipedia: below that it over-freezes, and above it the drink is too sweet to set. Ninja tells owners to add a tablespoon or two of syrup, juice or another sweetener per serving when a recipe falls short, and a month-long Tom's Guide diary found that sugar-free syrup on its own wouldn't freeze.
Alcohol pushes the other way, because it lowers the freezing point. Owner reports put the ceiling for the first Ninja and the Iceman machines near wine strength, around 10 to 12 percent alcohol; a classic margarita is far stronger than that. Ninja's newer machines, including the SLUSHi Twist, are sold as handling higher-alcohol recipes, but the practical rule holds: use about one to one and a half ounces of tequila per serving, top it up with limeade or mix, and add more liquor to the glass if you want it stronger. If a batch won't freeze, add water or mix to dilute it.
Shave-and-blend machines don't have this problem, since the ice does the freezing. That is the main reason to choose one for full-strength margaritas.
Size, Noise, Cleaning And Safety
Slush machines are big and heavy. The standard Ninja is about 17 inches tall and close to 25 pounds, the XL and Twist are heavier still, and the compressor pushes warm air out the sides, so leave room around it and check the gap under your wall cabinets. Like a mini fridge, a slush machine should stay upright when moved. Shave-and-blend machines are lighter but taller with the ice hopper on top, and they are noisy for the minute or so they shave.
Cleaning is simpler than it looks. The Ninja machines have a rinse cycle and parts that go in the dishwasher, the Iceman Slush-Ease MAX tank and auger go on the top rack, and Margaritaville jars and blades are dishwasher safe. Rinse sugary mixes out the same day so they don't set.
We checked every brand on this list against the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's SaferProducts database and found no recalls for these machines; the Ninja recalls on record involve a blender and a pressure cooker. Unplug a machine before reaching near the blade or auger, keep the cord from hanging over the counter edge, and keep alcoholic batches away from kids, since a frozen margarita looks a lot like a slushie.
How we researched this
We compared 24 frozen drink machines, from single-serve blenders to a commercial two-tank slush machine, read the makers' published specs and Ninja's sugar and fill guidance, a magazine's hands-on review, a month-long owner diary and a lab taste test in summary, analyzed owner feedback on texture, alcohol limits and reliability, and checked every brand for recalls with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Frequently asked questions
Is a slushie machine the same as a margarita machine?
Often, yes. Home slush machines like the Ninja SLUSHi are sold for margaritas, and the first margarita machine was a converted soft-serve machine. Ice-shaving machines like the Margaritaville models are also called margarita machines. Both make frozen margaritas; they just start from different ingredients.
Can a slush machine freeze a margarita with tequila in it?
Yes, if the mix isn't too strong and has enough sugar. Keep it to about one to one and a half ounces of tequila per serving. Strong batches stay liquid, and diluting them with water or mix usually fixes it.
Do margarita machines need ice?
Slush machines don't: they freeze the drink with a built-in compressor. Shave-and-blend machines and budget blender-style machines do, and a party can go through several bags.
How long does a margarita machine take?
A shave-and-blend machine makes a pitcher in a few minutes. A slush machine takes about 15 minutes to an hour, depending on how much is in the tank and how cold it started, then holds the drink frozen.
Who invented the frozen margarita machine?
Dallas restaurateur Mariano Martinez, in 1971. He adapted a soft-serve ice cream machine, and the original is now in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
