The 7 Best Margarita Machines of 2023

The margarita is a simple cocktail—tequila, fresh lime juice, and orange liqueur—which is delightful when served on the rocks or even up but becomes a fun, vacation-worthy drink when blended into a smooth frozen slush. While a regular blender will do the trick, a dedicated margarita maker will turn out truly restaurant-quality frozen drinks with minimal effort.

Best of all, these machines take the work out of margarita making: just pour in the ingredients, press go, and salt your glasses while you wait for the blending to reach its crescendo. We researched specific margarita machines and blenders to find those that turn out the smoothest consistency, are made of quality materials, are easy to clean, and have a generous warranty.

The Rundown

Best Overall:

Margaritaville Key West Frozen Concoction Maker at Amazon

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Best for Groups:

Margaritaville Tahiti Frozen Drink Machine at Amazon

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Most Versatile:

Ninja Mega Kitchen System at Amazon

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Best Blender:

Oster 6812 16-speed Blender at Amazon

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Best Easy to Use:

Nostalgia 64-Ounce Margarita and Slush Maker at Amazon

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Best Commercial:

Margarita Girl Margarita Machine at Amazon

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Best Budget:

Nostalgia Taco Tuesday Electric Lime Juicer & Margarita Kit at Amazon

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Margaritaville-key-west-frozen-concoction-maker

Amazon

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Pros

Designed for margaritas
Easy customization
Smooth ice, no large chunks
Large capacity

Cons

Parts can be difficult to clean
Plastic blender
Limited usability

In addition to singing an ode to margaritas, Jimmy Buffet is behind one of the best margarita makers on the market. Unlike your standard kitchen blender, this Margaritaville machine turns out premium shaved ice designed specifically for blended cocktails—with no chunks or big ice cubes.

Atop the machine sits an extra-large ice reservoir that holds enough ice for two-and-a-half pitchers of frozen drinks (at three standard-sized drinks per pitcher). Press go, and the ice blends into a 36-ounce pitcher that runs at 450 watts. Four pre-programmed drink settings (shave, blend, and manual blend and shave options) also allow for easy ice customization.

Material: Stainless steel, plastic | Dimensions: 14 x 9 x 19 inches | Capacity: 36 ounces

Price at the time of publish: $400

Margaritaville-tahiti-frozen-drink-machine

Amazon

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Pros

Large capacity
Varied usability
Glass blending jars
Easy to clean

Cons

Expensive
Large footprint in kitchen
Difficult to get replacement parts

Great for crowds, this 72-ounce Margaritaville machine has a massive central blender that pours into three 24-ounce independent blending stations. Make larger batches of one recipe or hold different recipes in each. It also has two different settings for each blending station: "shave only" and "blend only."

With 700 watts of combined blending and shaving powers, this unit can whip up various frozen drinks: margaritas, daiquiris, piña coladas, mudslides, frozen mojitos, and smoothies. The rotating ice chute on top of the machine also adds some nice flair. All blending jars are dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup.

Material: Glass, stainless steel | Dimensions: 120 x 20.1 x 20.1 inches | Capacity: 72 ounces

Price at the time of publish: $846

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Pros

Variety of cooking/cocktail uses
Powerful wattage
Affordable for multi-use
Dishwasher-safe parts

Cons

Difficult to clean
Limited warranty
Extraneous parts

This all-in-one Ninja blender is easy to use for a range of different cooking and cocktailing applications. A selection of added tools—including a 1,500-watt base, an eight-cup food processing bowl, a pitcher, and a 30-recipe guide—let you blend margaritas, chop salsas, evenly mix pasta dough, and much more. There are also four dedicated blending speeds for seamless customization.

A roomy pitcher holds 72 ounces, and the 2-plus horsepower motor provides great crushing power to quickly pulverize ingredients into a smooth consistency. All parts are dishwasher-safe and BPA-free. If you’re looking for a margarita maker that boasts multiple uses, this is an affordable and powerful option.

Material: Plastic | Dimensions: 9.5 x 8.25 x 17.75 inches | Capacity: 72 ounces

Price at the time of publish: $200

Related: The Best Margarita Mixes

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Pros

Measurement marks on cap
Reverse direction blades
Shatter-proof glass
Dishwasher safe

Cons

Smaller capacity
Difficult to disassemble/clean
Precision blending challenging

Though technically not a margarita maker, this Oster blender is an excellent, budget-friendly option with a preset for making frozen drinks. The generously sized pitcher holds five cups at a time, while the 2-ounce filler cap features measurement markings for easy mixing.

Margaritas aside, the powerful 700-watt machine has a range of presets to take the brainwork out of chopping, blending, and pulverizing. The dual-direction blades are designed to reverse directions while blending, ensuring that slushies, smoothies, and sauces won’t jam the unit. Even more, the shatter-proof Boroclass glass and stainless-steel pieces are dishwasher safe.

Material: Glass, stainless steel | Dimensions: 8.55 x 14 x 10.25 inches | Capacity: 40 ounces

Price at the time of publish: $60

Nostalgia-msb64-64-ounce-margarita-and-slush-maker

Walmart

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Pros

Easy to clean
Cord storage
Uncomplicated to use
Detachable cup rest

Cons

Limited warranty
Plastic parts may break down quickly
Consistency may vary

Nostalgia’s margarita maker is a no-frills, low-effort machine—perfect for parties where drinks are flowing. Simply fill the half-gallon chamber with ice cubes, add your liquor and drink mix, pop the lid on, and press go. Just turn the spout, and it will dispense your beverage of choice with ease.

With a powerful motor that crushes through ice cubes, this machine churns out frozen cocktails with no large chunks. The blending chamber also detaches from the base to make cleanup a breeze. A detachable cup rest holds your glass under the spout and catches any drips and drops.

Material: Plastic, stainless steel | Dimensions: 9 x 8 x 18 inches | Capacity: 64 ounces

Price at the time of publish: $70

Related: The Best Ice Makers

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Pros

Durable, high-impact parts
Two-year warranty
Consistent temperature

Cons

Large for regular kitchen
Time-consuming to batch out

Ideal for making lots of drinks, this commercial machine from Margarita Girl holds a generous 50 cups of margaritas. Made with high-impact plastic and stainless-steel panels, this durable unit is designed to withstand years of use. A 0.25-horsepower air-cooled compressor (which runs far quieter than most commercial machines) keeps the temperature consistent without the risk of freezing up.

The machine works with both packaged drink mixes and original concoctions. Plus, its two-year warranty is backed by service centers around the U.S.

Material: High-impact plastic and stainless steel | Dimensions: 15 x 13.5 x 32 inches | Capacity: 50 cups

Price at the time of publish: $1,399

Nostalgia-taco-tuesday-electric-lime-juicer--margarita-kit

Amazon

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Pros

Lightweight
Two-in-one juicer
Doubles as serving pitcher
Pulp-control filter

Cons

Smaller capacity
Plastic parts
Limited usage

Taco Tuesday’s two-in-one juicer and margarita kit can whip up margaritas, daiquiris, slushies, frosé, and a host of other blended drinks—all at a reasonable price point. The 32-ounce unit includes everything you need for happy hour: a blender, a lime juicer, a serving pitcher, a salt and sugar rimmer, and four 8-ounce margarita glasses.

You can also adjust the amount of pulp added with the pulp control filter (pick from large, small, and no pulp). Even more, pitcher measurement markings make it easy to mix your cocktail right in the vessel. When the drinks are ready, the blending vessel easily becomes a serving pitcher—pop out the juicer, add the lid, and dispense your frothy beverages into margarita glasses.

Material: Plastic | Dimensions: 15 x 13.5 x 32 inches | Capacity: 32 ounces

Price at the time of publish: $25

Related: The Best Ice Cube Trays

Final Verdict

For easy customization, the smoothest ice, and Jimmy Buffet cachet, go with the Margaritaville Key West Frozen Concoction Maker (and don't forget to search for your lost shaker of salt). For the home mixologist looking for an easy-to-use and quick-to-clean machine at an appealing price point, the Nostalgia MSB64 64-Ounce Margarita and Slush Maker is a great option.

What to Look For in a Margarita Machine

An ideal margarita machine will produce a smooth, consistent blended marg with no ice chunks; will be easy to clean; will be made of high-quality parts, potentially including shatter-proof glass; and will come with a warranty.

FAQs

What's a good frozen margarita recipe?

Check the instructions that come with your particular machine to see if they make any specific recommendations. However, for a simple recipe that works in any kitchen blender, simply place 2 ounces tequila, 0.75 ounces orange liqueur (triple sec or Cointreau), and 1 ounce of fresh-squeezed lime juice into your blender, then top with 1 cup of ice. Blend until the mixture is smooth and frothy, and pour it into a salted margarita glass, and garnish with a lime wheel.

What kind of tequila should you use in a frozen margarita?

No need to break out the expensive reposados or añejos—a humble blanco will shine brightly in your frozen margarita. You may want to opt for a higher-proof blanco so that the taste of the spirit comes through in the cold, icy preparation. Check out our roundup of The Best Tequilas for Margaritas for more ideas.

What other frozen cocktails are there besides margaritas?

"If you like piña coladas"... then those are a good option. Frozen daiquiris are a gorgeous minimalist treat, and you can further elevate your rum cocktail game by getting into frozen mai tais or the many other complex drinks in the tiki oeuvre. (And don't forget the dessert cocktails: You're not truly living if you don't use your margarita machine to sheepishly whip up a frozen mudslide at least once a year.)

Why Trust Liquor.com?

This roundup was edited by Jesse Porter, whose Cadillac margarita recipe is typically quite well-received by his friends, but he's gotten very little traction on his Lincoln margarita recipe.

Kate Dingwall is an experienced spirits writer and glassware collector. She has been writing about the bar and spirits world for five years, including extensive coverage of glassware. She owns a concerning amount of glassware, from art deco Karl Palda decanters to 1800s-era crystal coupes, and she’s happy to wax poetic about all of them.

Read Next: The Best Tequilas

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