Margaritaville DM2000 Premium Frozen Concoction Maker
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List Price: Our Price: $319.19 You Save: $80.80 (20%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $289.35 (click here) Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Margaritaville DM2000 Premium Frozen Concoction Maker
Customer Review: not overly pleased
Summary: 3 Stars
First, I would rate it a 3.5
I purchased this item as I was tired of low quality drink mixers... I purchased the FIJI as it was the newest model out. It has a larger Ice holder and different settings for margaritas, daquiries, mudslides, and smoothies.
The machine is powerful and seemingly high quality. I feel it will last a long time. It does take some practice getting your recipies correct. Maybe its just me, but I also can NOT differentiate the drinks from the four different settings. A drink in the mudslide setting has the same texture as a Margarita....and etc. So I felt that was a waste for me. With the larger Ice Hopper thats nice, but easily available for the Key West version. I would rather have extra blending Jars as they are small and what I go through the most. The Key west seems to have the best matching ice reservoir for the blending jar. The drip through water catcher is nice... but very difficultt to clean. Its too narrow to wash by hand, you need to use a long handled something(minor inconvenience I guess).
Performance is nice. Its powerful and the ice shaver works well. very well actually/ But that too is extremely difficult to clean... If it comes out to clean, I cant figure mine out...so its pretty much just sticking a cloth it there to swap up melted ice, and hand pick out leftover ice. Its tricky as supports and the big blade can get you.
Also, probably the most fustrating thing is the ice hopper does not line up nicely with the blending jar opening. Its off about a 1/4 inch, but just enough for liquid to jump out when machine fires up. I was told I had too much liquid, but it does it no matter how much liquid I have in it. I now have to put the lid on the mixing jar at an angle so it lines up with the hopper, but this leaves an imperfect seal on the jar, and for full serving mixes it wants to come out the side of the lid.
Its also a big unit. We dont store appliances on our counter(actually wont fit under the counter wit the ice hopper on it), and we were limited as to where this unit would fit in our pantry... but thats fine, we made room. When mixing, the ice only feature is nice as you can really make a nice slushy drink for yourself or the kids if you wish. I pretty much only use the ice only and blend only buttons now, as the programmed settings either dont add enough ice for our taste or mixes it up too much. The no spill blending jar is not really no spill. It has a spout, but the glass is thick(quality), and that leads to dripping down the side when pouring. I would like to see them invent a high quality blending jar with a spout for pouring(as seen on cheap blenders)... now that would be the last great feature they would need to add.
I wish I had gotten the Key West to save money, but live and learn. Its a solid, decent looking machine that seems durable for years of use. I can live with its shortcomings operationally, but everytime I make a drink I cant get past the fact the blending jar does not line up perfectly with the ice hopper. I called the Manufacturer and they told me it in fact doesnt line up....That would be my clue to fix that, or not put it on the market at nearly $400.
Worth $400...NO...$300...NO... $200...sure, because of its powerful motor and expected lifespan. If you dont use it often its not worth it. The lower priced version at less than $200 would be perfect. But when using this often, you can justify a larger price. What else is out there like it anyhow???
Customer Review: An expensive mess maker
Summary: 2 Stars
This does have the cool factor, but let's talk about real kitchens and real people using this.
1. It will not fit under on a counter with standard height upper cabinets. The distance from countertop to cabinet is 18 inches, the blender stands 19.5 inches.
2. You can put ice in the machine, but when you are ready to put it away, there is no way to take the ice out of the machine. You can let it melt, or you can shave it all, but you cannot just simply empty the ice hopper.
3. There is no good way to dry out the ice hopper and the drip container. The problem is that the ice hopper is a closed container, and if you live in moister climates, the melted ice may eventually grow something. You will need to make sure you take the time to dry all the areas surrounding the ice hopper.
4. You cannot poor the contents from the pitcher unless you remove the lid. The problem is that the face of the lid is covered in drink from the blending process. If you put the lid face down, it makes a mess. If you put the lid face up, it still makes a mess because the drink that was splashed on the other side of the lid will run towards the center hole in the lid that is used to feed ice from the shaver. No matter what you do, you have a mess.
5. The pitcher is short enough, that when the blender motor comes one, it can shoot the contents of the pitcher straight up the ice hopper chute. The chute is not removable. When it is time to clean the machine up, you have to hang your head upside down under the ice chute so you can see what needs cleaning. The alternative is to ignore cleaning the chute and let it become caked with rotting food.
6. When you remove the pitcher to pour drinks, any drink that shot up the ice hopper chute may drip back down onto the motor base. You will need to clean each "hole" of the disk that turns the blade on the pitcher. Two problems here. First, the disk is not removable, so you cannot just simply wash it off. Second, the motor can be turned on while the pitcher is removed from the base. So if you accidently bump the rocker that turns on the blender while you are wiping up the mess, you will get your fingers.
7. Again, you cannot poor the contents from the pitcher unless you remove the lid. The problem in removing the lid, as opposed to having a pour spout, is that if the drink is sufficiently thick enough, it will pour out in one giant lump that will probably be bigger than the mouth of the glass you are pouring it into. Again, another mess to clean up.
8. The contents of the pitcher can stop blending if the drink is too thick. If this happens. You will need to take the pitcher off the base, and use a spatula or some other utensil to manually mix up the drink, and place it back on the blender stand for further blending. The problem is that for $350, and its promise to be automatic, I should not have to help it along.
9. If the contents of the pitcher stop blending, the ice hopper may become backed up, and will require intervention to get the ice out of the hopper into the pitcher. I observed this several times on the mud slide setting.
If you gotta have the cool factor, and you don't mind messing with the contraption and doing all the cleaning, then yeah, you will like this. It produces smooth shaved ice drinks, if you can stand the price, mess and babysitting.
Customer Review: Searching for that lost shaker of salt while making a Perfect Margarita
Summary: 5 Stars
When the Margaritaville DM2000 Premium Frozen Concoction Maker arrived it was very easy to setup. The instructions were straightforward and in no time the step-by-step instructions had the machine ready to produce some delicious frozen beverages. The craftsmanship and quality were apparent at the onset, and the weight of the machine gave a certain feel of durability. My guests commented that they loved the look of the machine, and the brushed-nickel finish really made it stand out.
I loaded it up with ice, utilizing bagged ice from a local grocery store mixed with ice from my refrigerator ice maker and looked at the instructions to see which drink I wanted to make. I then choose from four preprogrammed drink cycles; margaritas, daiquiris, slides, (mudslides) or smoothies, and then decided whether I wanted one, two or three drink settings. I then flipped the automatic Shave-N-Blend switch, and the machine automatically mixed the right proportion of ice with ingredients and timed it just right. If you decide at the end of the drink cycle that you need more ice or blending simply flip the switch to blend or shave to add what you so desire. I followed the instructions denoting exact amounts of liquids per drink as written in the included recipe book and the first batch of Margaritas came out perfectly.
It is truly a four step machine, add ice, select your drink and size, add your favorite mix, and flip the automatic Shave-n-Blend switch and within seconds your favorite concoction will be ready. The great part about this machine is that if you get guests that prefer thicker or thinner drinks simply flip the switch to blend a little more ice or just blend without adding ice. It's just that simple, and best of all if you leave the ice sit in the ice bin for an extended period of time the melting runoff collects in a clear reservoir located on the back of the machine. No more thin flavored soupy Margaritas or watered down Mudslides!
The varieties of drinks are endless but the cleanup is not. The glass-blending jar has a unique retro look that lends itself to easy stability when in use with a large glass handle and drip free spout. It's also great for simply shaving ice for snow cones and adding your favorite syrup and finishing off with a spoon. No matter what the size of your party this machine stands up to mountains of blending action. As long as you have ice to blend and mix to add the Fiji FCM will consistently churn out the proper Margarita, Daiquiri, Mudslide or Smoothie.
When you've mastered the Fiji FCM your friends will be asking you to be the Frozen Drink Master at their next party and with the FCM Carrying Bag you can take your machine on the road. The bag is made of water repellent canvas and designed to transport and store the Fiji FCM with straps that hold the pitcher in place during transportation. Simply slide your lost shaker of salt and fresh limes in the side pocket, grasp the nylon carrying handles and head to Margaritaville. You and your friends will have a blast using the Fiji FCM, so get one today, blend up a drink or two and hang on!
Customer Review: Rita Bliss
Summary: 5 Stars
So I ended up buying this from BBB as they price matched with Amazon and then I used the wonderful 20% off coupon they send us in the mail all the time. My Wife and me purchased this for an upcoming party we are throwing. Well instead of looking like fools for the party, we had to, I mean had to test it out! I mean we needed to make sure it works and all right???? Well I have tried stupid blenders for years with little or no success. Because of the hassle of trying to make Rita's and burning out a few motors we have switched to more shaken based cocktails like Cosmos, Bloody Mary's and such.
Well that was all before the DM2000, after a quick wash of all the plastic parts and putting it all back together out came the perfect Margarita with no effort at all except for the measurement of liquid. I would recommend having a nice measuring cup with OZ on it as the blender is really spaced out on the measurements it has. It will save you a little hassle in adding the right amounts of liquid to make those rita's.
Well the machine is super easy to use and makes the best Margarita's I have had in a long time! Just dial in how many drinks you want, crushed or blended, and flip the switch and your done! Plus my Wife and me can still operate the heavy machinery even after a few drinks! Well I wasn't sure this product was really making the perfect Rita so I had to do a more thorough test. Well before I knew it the Tequila bottle was half empty from a newly purchased bottle and each Rita seemed to get better and better with each test. I am still not satisfied that we tested it enough, but I am sure it will be a hit for the party! I mean it's just cool looking and pops out a perfect rita in mere seconds. It's loud but not loud enough to wake the sleeping kiddo, so it's a keeper!
On a side note this is a big beast! It does not fit under our counter but it sits very nicely on our island in the Kitchen when using it. Also I made some room for it in one of our bottom cupboards, so just know it's a big beast and you will need some space to use it and store it. It's really not that heavy to lift but if you are lifting a toddler all day like we tend to do, this doesn't seem like much heft at all. As for ice, I would recommend picking up a bag or two. We only went through a little over half a bag but it was much easier to scoop out the ice then messing with stupid ice trays and running out.
Good luck and happy drinking!
Customer Review: SAVE YOUR MONEY
Summary: 1 Stars
My wife got the Figi for my birthday at Williams-Sonoma for $349 mainly because they offer a lifetime warranty on most items they sell, this included, and everyone was within $5 of each other on the price. I was estatic about buying this, as I have always wanted one. After trying it out the first time, I was not impressed at all. I did all the research, just like I do before we buy anything, and although there were a few bad reviews, it was overwelmingly positive. THE FEW BAD REVIEWS THAT I DID READ ON THIS ITEM WERE INDEED, SPOT ON!! First of all, this thing makes a mess, mainly due to the ice funnel not matching up to the top of the pitcher. It's the eqivalent of the grand canyon in the scale of things. And the manufacter says this is normal, yeah right. They need to find a new engineer, and admit they screwed this one up! This is a major flaw, and how it made it through to production like this is beyond me! Secondly, the consistency of the drinks is no better than my top-of-the-line Kitchen-Aid blender. Although it has a feature where you can add ice, and blend manually to adjust the consistency of the drinks. But then again, why does this thing cost $349 if I have to manually adjust the process because the drinks come out watery and runny on the auto setting! This is a classic case of a manufacter that makes an inferior item, and because it is unique, flashy, and well marketed, it sells well! I'm mainly confused about all the positive reveiws. Are people that acceptable of inferior products because they look good, and they're trendy to have? Maybe all they're friends are impressed because they have a $349 drink maker? I took this thing back for a refund the next day. This thing is all flash, with zero performance, and the manufacter should be embarrassed! I really wish I could come on here and say it's the next best thing I have ever seen, after all it LOOKED really nice sitting on my bar, but it would be a lie. Don't waste your money, buy a good blender.