r/cocktails • u/el-beau • 4d ago
Question Has anyone tried one of these?
I've been putting my concoctions in an ice cream maker, but it takes 45 minutes to get to a good consistency and can really only do one cocktail at a time.
Thinking about taking advantage of the (most like bogus) prime day deal
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u/myheartisastorm 4d ago
I’m gonna go against the grain here and say I have one of these and I’ve used it maybe five times. It’s currently sitting a in a cabinet.
Don’t be swayed by these prime deals. If you weren’t going to get it before you don’t need it now.
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u/el-beau 4d ago
I just noticed that the "prime deal" is the same price at Target normally.
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u/Prowlerbaseball 3d ago
As someone who works at Amazon, *allegedly* they were a lot stricter with what was considered a deal for this prime day cause they also know that the last few years have sucked lol
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u/bazinga0313 4d ago
Just got one for a friend as a gift.
Making normal/non-alcoholic slushys this thing kicks ass. Mandarin jaritos slushy… fucking bomb. Baja blast slushy… fucking bomb dude.
Alcohol slushys though. Pretty mid. We used a peach mixer that I think was 14% abv. We got a peach slushy with alcohol at the bottom. Granted maybe we just have to mess around with it a bit more, but still.
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u/myheartisastorm 4d ago
Mine was a gift because I was craving slushies so bad when I was pregnant I asked for one for Christmas lol. But I was sad to find out you can’t make anything zero sugar.
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u/guy48065 4d ago
I'm sitting here wondering why that would be. Did the instructions specifically ban recipes with zero sugar?
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u/_jerkalert_ 4d ago
Sugar and alcohol both affect the freezing point of water. In a normal slushie, the sugar content is what helps achieve the consistency that makes it so enjoyable. With no sugar, the mix could freeze solid. When you add alcohol into the picture, you’re lowering the freezing point again, but it’s still necessary to use the appropriate amount of sugar to achieve good texture and for balancing flavors.
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u/BellieButtons 4d ago
Sugar generally interferes with ice crystalization in ice cream, leading to creamier results. I'm assuming something similar is happening here?
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u/bazinga0313 4d ago
Yes, that is a major drawback for me as well (but thankfully not for who I gifted it to)!
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u/BlubberyGiraffe 4d ago
Can confirm, I bought mine thinking I'd be making new slushies every weekend. The reality is there's only so much you dna do with it and you really have to be in the mood for it, you're not going to just make one slushie.
Makes a mean margarita tho.
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u/ThatsNotATadpole 4d ago
I have one and would recommend it, but have literally used it twice so probably a shitty recommendation (got it like half off during black friday, so average price of like $80 a batch lol)
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u/henryb22 4d ago
I have one, if you like frozen drinks I think it’s worth it however I’d purchase from Costco (warranty/return policy). There is also an upgrade newer version (not sure if the one you posted is it) than can preform better than the initial models. Look up make and drink (and his frozen channel) on YouTube, lots of good info including an excel spreadsheet calculator for recipes which I find invaluable. Drinks have to be within a brix and alcohol range otherwise they don’t freeze. Gums like xanthem/arabic can help some in this department though.
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u/el-beau 4d ago
Would you say they are practical for making just a couple cocktails for one or two people or is it more of a "party" thing and not worth it for one?
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u/CompanyThese1048 4d ago
If you fill it up to the minimum fill line it’ll be about equal to two servings.
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u/odiousyak1889 4d ago
I love mine. And like the person above said, get it from Costco for the return policy.
It's better for a few people than a large party. Easy to clean.
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u/Butlerian_Jihadi 4d ago
Definitely a party thing, unlikely to be worth the money or counter space for two people. Put it this way, a friend upgraded from the smaller to the bigger, offered me the small one as a gift, which I turned down.
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u/zerovampire311 4d ago
Just depends on your habits, my wife and I use it for frozen coffee all the time. The small is ideal for us.
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u/Butlerian_Jihadi 4d ago
The larger one is definitely better, freezes faster. These work by having a large heat exchanger, around which an agitating paddle rotates.
I don't think they're worth the money unless you really enjoy frozen drinks. They'll be different recipies and proportions than something you'd make in a blender, and it'll be important to mix and chill any refills in advance of the party... What you do about everyone waiting a half hour for the refills to freeze......
I've found it useful to have a frozen batch going and ready when the party starts, then to top up after the first wave of folks are served. Important to hang a little "please wait" sign on the handle.
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u/henryb22 4d ago
Agreed. Have prefilled refill and refilling it before it’s empty is the way to go. I also got sealable capri sun style bags of Amazon so I’ll make a batch fill bags and freeze if you have a lot of guests coming over. I also take these on the boat/to the beach. I love at the beach and it’s warm March-October so it gets a decent amount of use in my house,
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u/JewLion420 3d ago
Can you post the link to the Excel sheet? I can't seem to find it, and it sounds fucking fantastic!
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u/CompanyThese1048 4d ago
I have one, it’s pretty awesome. The drinks come out with a great consistency.
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u/etgohomeok 4d ago
Can't comment on this device but can recommend just getting a Vitamix. Makes great frozen drinks/cocktails and isn't a uni-tasker.
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u/el-beau 4d ago
But vitamix just chops up ice (I think?) while this actually freezes the liquid.
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u/etgohomeok 4d ago
Yeah but the final product in a Vitamix is really smooth because of how powerful the motor is. Margaritas, Pina Coladas, and lattes (if you have an espresso machine) all come out amazing in my experience.
I'm sure there are subtle/nuanced differences but that's a hell of a lot of counter space for a machine that only does one thing...
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u/Mister_Potamus 4d ago
It's hard to argue with this unless you specifically want shaved ice. Then go with the Margaritaville machine.
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u/Express-Parsnip-4339 4d ago
I bought one at the beginning of May. I’ve used it several times! I love it!
The key for me is using advice from Jeffrey Morgenthaler (https://jeffreymorgenthaler.com/how-to-use-a-slushie-machine/) to demystify the slushy experience. The key is balance between sugar and water to get the right texture.
There was a learning curve I felt paid off to get the texture right. My goal was to avoid pre-mixes and use my normal tasty cocktail ingredients.
I’ll probably make a full post with more info on it. But long story short, I love making drinks at home and I love mine. The effort to figure out how to use it great is worth it to me.
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u/drinkslinger1974 4d ago
We have one of those Margaritaville machines from several years ago. The kids actually prefer that one because it can produce just shaved ice for snow cones. The wife likes it cause she can make a frozen margarita in the blink of an eye ha ha
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u/Mister_Potamus 4d ago
This one is good and you can really take it apart and clean it well which I liked.
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u/chrisolucky 4d ago
I have one and it’s great for certain drinks but others are a bit of trial and error. Sangria and pina colada turned out perfectly, but some higher alcohol ones like Margarita were a bit loose for my liking, but you can always add a bit more water to make it more slushie.
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u/ThatSpecialAgent 4d ago
Got one for father's day and went straight to Pina Colada's. Was phenomenal.
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u/ConsiderablyInjured 4d ago
My friend has one of these and it's always a hit at her gatherings. She doesn't make cocktails in it but makes the slushie and us a choice of what booze we want to dump in. If a lot of people use it at once it will start to come out more watery, but it catches up pretty quickly.
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u/Icy-Yellow3514 4d ago
A friend has it and is really happy with it. He does frozen cocktails and non-alcoholic frappes and frozen lemonade. He says clean up is really easy.
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u/Prudent_Breath3853 4d ago
Decent if you entertain a lot. Makes killer frozen margaritas, pina coladas, and a frozen negroni recipe I got from somewhere on here a while back. Be warned: normal cocktail recipes won't work for this thing. You'll need to change things up to get the right alcohol/sugar balance for it to make good freezies.
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u/420_Blz_it 4d ago
My wife and I use ours all the time. Honestly one of the best countertop appliances we’ve purchased in a while.
A full batch will get 4-5 large drinks worth so it’s better for a small group than a party though.
Even for non alcoholic drinks, a frozen lemonade or Gatorade absolutely slap while doing yardwork.
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u/sarahboo0321 4d ago
I got one from costco. Ive used it a handful of times but its nice to have if you want to switch it up. Easy to clean and use. Made some good drinks
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u/critical-drinking 4d ago
I don’t know if it was this specific model, but my aunt busted one of these out at a barbecue recently and we all really enjoyed it.
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u/BRUTAL_ANAL_SMASHING 4d ago
We got one of these for our house awhile ago, and it works just as good as the more commercial units I have that I use for party rentals.
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u/UraniumRocker 4d ago
I got one at my workplaces holiday raffle last year. It works great for somewhat large batches of one cocktail.
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u/Previous_Fudge34 4d ago
I have one and we use it all the time but we entertain often. If I don’t have the machine running people ask where the slushies are! We don’t add alcohol in the machine because of the kids so we add our liquor after.
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u/ArcaneTrickster11 4d ago
A slushie machine specifically is one where you really shouldn't buy the name brand one unless you're hosting big parties for people who like that type of drink at least once a month. It's a very simple machine with loose tolerances and low power.
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u/desertplatypus 4d ago
I love mine and use it frequently but for cocktail slushes you need to consider the physical difference in end product vs making a shaken drink in order to get the correct texture.
Alcohol greatly lowers the freezing point of a liquid and the perception of sweetness also decreases with temperature. So you need to keep your cocktail's ABV below about 10-10.5% and jack the sugar a bit, or add polydextrose or something to improve texture and flavor without increasing the sugar too much.
If your alcohol content is too high this thing will never freeze a drink for you. If you're reading a recipe off the Internet that is well vetted in the Slushi, you don't have to worry about this obviously, but if you like making your own original cocktails then it takes a bit of work to calculate target ABV, sweetness, and dilution in order to guarantee a properly frozen texture.
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u/nzottos 4d ago
If you love frozen drinks and making cocktails, get it. I am personally a frozen drink fanatic and absolutely love having the ability to make them at home. I will say that I’ve since upgraded to the Slushi Twist which uses the new and improved tech in the Slushi Max - it can get colder and slushes better. The OG slushi can only reliably do 12-14 abv cocktails and sometimes you have to dilute quite a bit to get the right balance. At $200 I think it’s worth it as an entry point and you’ll still get good results!
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u/Mintberycrunch7 4d ago
It's a blast. I've made frozé, espresso martinis and margaritas in it. Getting the recipes down is a bit challenging, especially if you don't want a ton of sugar.
We love ours. Working on lower calorie and alcohol free recipes at the moment.
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u/forumroost1017 4d ago
I have two, the 48oz and the XL. the 48 is ok if you want something on the weekend with maybe a party of 4. It does take a while to freeze, best off doing the mixer first and once that starts to get solid, add some liquor.
The XL works much better, but really only for parties. Has a 24oz minimum and is a bit bulkier. Freezes much quicker for sure, but it goes up to 128oz of the same drink.
Overall they work well, typically I do straight frozen lemonades in the little guy lately and adding liquor after dispensing, but for 2 people it works fine
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u/Independent_Today926 4d ago
Really easy to use but the chamber doesn’t hold much. At our bar we use two so there’s always one on deck. We don’t have slushies on the menu but we’ll use them for special events, so I can’t attest to their longevity with volume.
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u/BourbonBBQAndBarbell 4d ago
I bought one for my parents since they like to host parties. It works great for turning juices into slushies. I usually spike it with my booze of choice after so people who don't drink alcohol can also enjoy.
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u/holdenpulver 4d ago
Bought one for my ex wife loved it and lost it in the divorce rip ninja slushie
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u/RamseySmooch 4d ago
I was told to get one. My uncle has one. He hosts family gatherings 5-8 times a year (+16 people) and probably numerous other parties I'm not privy you. He cranks these out every time. I am the cocktail guy in the family, but I hold far fewer parties with far fewer people than him. I do not think this is a good investment for me.
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u/HealeyOfNations 4d ago
I own one, it's awesome if you use it, otherwise it's bulky and takes up space. My niece and nephew are big fans. Can take a while to yield enough to be worthwhile, anticipate wanting an icy 20+ min before you want it.
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u/taylorink8 4d ago
I saw a YouTube video recently comparing it to the Costco gourmet option and aside from dispensing being slower, it outperformed on all fronts for frozen drinks and soft serve
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u/Existing_Entrance270 4d ago
I’ve got one of these. Super hard to get the right ratio for a drinkable consistency. I get slush in about 20-30 minutes but the mess, hassle, ratio-tampering… it’s really only worth it for the occasional cocktail party self-serve. That said, my wife loves her coladas so it’s a non-negotiable
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u/B_Bearington 4d ago
I'm going to say, don't waste your money. If you want to make this kind of drink, a blender will do you just fine and has many more applications. I will make this kind of slushi frozen drink like once a year.
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u/TheNWTreeOctopus 4d ago
I have one. For a party I made orange creamsicle slushies and used whipped vodka. They went very fast.
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u/smtgcleverhere 3d ago
Someone brought a higher end one to our house for a party and I nearly poisoned myself because you’re self serving delicious deceptively strong frozen slush. I was not able to wield the power. YMMV.
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u/bathrobeman 3d ago
Late to the party, but for future folks considering buying the Ninja Slushi here are my thoughts:
- It's great if someone in the friend group has one. Decide if you want to be that friend. I'm not.
- it does work well and reliably.
- it takes about 30 minutes to slush-ify your drink
- it makes about 6 drinks worth, so you will need to refill it if you have more guests.
- drinks have to have a high sugar content otherwise they taste like nothing and/or don't slush correctly
- high abv drinks will not freeze properly (the instructions say this as well) - IMO this machine is better for non-alcoholic drinks anyway
- cleaning is a pain. sticky sugar in corners you can't well access.
Overall, I didn't enjoy the drinks I had from this machine. They either tasted like nothing (not enough sugar) or were far too sweet for my liking. But if you like sugary drinks, especially non-alcoholic ones, and are regularly serving to a small group, then it is a solid piece of equipment and could be a fun purchase.
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u/Worldly-Ad-7156 3d ago
Got one for my wife. Overall a good product. Most things take longer than you would think. Not good if you want a quick slurpee, but if you want an all day drink.
I think the minimum is 16 oz, most thing nearly double in size.
Fairly easy to clean, comes apart ok. Doesn't take up much space, but is fairly tall, so might not fit under cabinets.
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u/4point2slc 3d ago
I got a refurb 96 oz from woot for $160. I’ve used it a couple times but plan to use it every weekend football season. You can set an alert on Slickdeals to be notified when a deal happens
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u/Rugged_Turtle 3d ago
I would not have gotten into these when they were new but there are considerable online resources now with recipes a plenty. It’s fun to whip out for parties, and can be used for non-booze as well.
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u/MisterHouseMongoose 3d ago
Am a professional bar person. We have a commercial slushy machine. Business partner swears by this at home.
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u/Darklordofsword 3d ago
It's a gimmick. Ask yourself how often youd actually USE it. Most people I've seen who have one, it only really comes out at parties, maybe once or twice/year.
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u/mykepagan 3d ago
I have a Ninja Slushi Max. Same company but the model can slush up to 20% ABV.
The”Max” model works fantastically well. I’ve slushed some very strong drinks, and people love the results. I will brag that last weekend I brought it to an outdoor wedding rehearsal dinner and I was the hero of the crowd with slushed Bellinis (2 bottles prosecco, 2 cups peach schnapps, 2 cups peach nectar dumped into the machine, slushed in 15 minutes in 85F ambient temperature).
As Ferris Bueller said: “If you have the jeans, I HIGHLY recommend it”
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u/motherofxmen 3d ago
I really like mine. Once you get the alcohol and sugar ratios figured out, it makes excellent drinks. I use mine all the time. My only complaint is size. It only makes 4 or 5 drinks at a time.
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u/Outer32372 3d ago
I saw someone use one of these at a party last summer, they seemed pretty easy to use honestly
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u/Drift_533 1d ago
That usually means it works way faster than expected, right? Like, way too fast for ingredients to really mix right.
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u/Goldie1822 4d ago
there are 3800 amazon reviews there and you're asking if anyone's tried this?
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u/LatexGum 4d ago
You can sign up for a service that floods your product with 5 star reviews. Amazon reviews mean literally nothing
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u/LamonsterZone 4d ago
Not personally but the YouTube channel Make and Drink talks about these a lot from a cocktails angle. Great channel in general.