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Nobody turns down a margarita. The sour and tangy taste of fresh lime juice combined with tequila and orange liquer, then blended with slushy ice is a sweet balm for a humid season or just a stressful day. It’s one of America’s favorite tequila cocktails and is so popular that there are specialized blenders in the market just for making this drink.

And while a specialized blender is very handy for making large batches of these, you don’t really need spend for one if all you need is an occasional drink. A household countertop blender will do just fine.

The best ones for making frozen margaritas tend to have a minimum of 500W of motor power so that it can effectively crush ice. They also have to have sharp stainless steel blades to be able to cut down the ice.

Generally, the more high-end the blender, the better suited it would be in making margaritas and other alcoholic frozen drinks. That’s because these blenders tend to have a variety of settings that are designed for frozen cocktails and other kinds of food.

A multi-purpose countertop blender also has a practical benefit: it can be used to multi-task in the kitchen. It can be used to prep food, make other drinks like smoothies and even make soups.

But for those looking to make lots of cocktail drinks on a regular basis, like a bar or a restaurant, a specialized blender might be a more suitable choice.

That’s because these specialized blenders can hold more quantities than an average blender. Some can hold about 12 ounces, some even more. Others will have additional pitchers so that you can make a daiquiri or a pina colada in them.

Margarita purists prefer these specialized blenders because they’re designed to make resto-quality cocktails. Instead of grinding ice as normal countertop blenders do, these machines shave ice and blend it with the ingredients to produce consistent results.

They also have automated and manual control options. These allow you to produce and customize quality drinks. They tend to be designed with more insulation so that the finished drinks are kept cold longer.

The downside to this is that they can be more expensive than a regular blender. Because they come with built-in features, like a chamber for ice, they generally are more bulky and less portable. They’re also not designed to replace your food processor or blender.

In this list, I’ve included the best of both types of blenders for margaritas. Here are my top five choices.

The Best Blenders for Margaritas

1. Margaritaville Key West Frozen Concoction Maker with Easy Pour Jar and XL Ice Reservoir
2. Oster 7-Speed Fusion Blender, Black
3. Ninja BN701 Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ, and 64 oz. max Liquid Capacity Total Crushing Pitcher, in Grey
4. Hamilton Beach Wave Crusher Blender with 40oz Glass Jar and 14 Functions for Puree, Ice Crush, Shakes and Smoothies, Stainless Steel
5. CRANDDI Blender, Quiet Shield Blender with 2200W Base

1. Margaritaville Key West Frozen Concoction Maker with Easy Pour Jar and XL Ice Reservoir

This is a specialized blender that makes alcoholic frozen drinks and slushies. Instead of grinding ice, it produces premium shaved ice and is capable of producing 2.5 pitchers of frozen party drinks.

It’s powered by a 450W motor and uses premium crafted stainless steel blades which automatically shaves ice. It has an extra large ice reservoir on top. Fill it with ice and add the frozen fruit, margarita, or pina colada mix into the 36-ounce glass blender jar. Turn it on and this machine will shave ice into the blender and blend it together to make your concoction.

It’s easy to operate; just turn a knob, flip a switch and you can get your drink in just two minutes. You can choose from 1 to 3 drink servings and it also comes with 4 pre-programmed drink settings. In addition, you can also choose an automatic shave ‘n blend cycle or manual blend only/shave only cycles.

All of its removable parts are dishwasher safe. This product comes with a 1-year limited warranty.

Pros

• Really thick glass pitcher
• Useful for parties

Cons

• Large and Heavy
• Some had problems about how the blade design causes ice jams

2. Oster BRLY07-B00-NP0 B 7-Speed Fusion Blender, Black

This is a blender that’s designed for making smoothies but will work with any alcoholic frozen drink recipe.

That’s because its “Ice Crusher” blade assembly can easily pulverize ice and frozen fruit into a slurry consistency. These are sharp stainless steel reversible blades that change direction so that no ice or food will clog the bottom of the blender jar.

It’s also powered by a 600W motor with an Oster All Metal Drive that guarantees long term durability. It has also been life tested to blend up to 10,000 frozen drinks.

It comes with 7 digital speeds with 2 pre-programmed settings for making restaurant quality cocktails or prepping salsas.

The boroclass glass blender jug can hold 6 cups. It’s also scratch resistant and thermal shock tested to withstand temperature changes. It’s also dishwasher safe.

Made in North America, this model comes with a 1-year limit product warranty.

Pros

• Frozen Drink setting
• Easy assembly and cleaning

Cons

• Loud
• The silicone “O” ring will be shredded eventually by the blade action

3. Ninja BN701 Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ, and 64 oz. Max Liquid Capacity Total Crushing Pitcher, in Grey

This is an updated and redesigned model that features a more bigger 1400 peak watts of motor power.

It features a stacked stainless steel blade assembly that will easily crush ice for frozen drinks like margaritas, daiquiries and more.

This is best for making large batches of drinks for families and friends. The 72 oz pitcher is made from BPA-free hard plastic. The pitcher and blades are removable for easy washing with a dishwasher.

It’s also easy to operate. It comes with 3 preset Auto-iQ programs allow you to create smoothies, frozen drinks, and ice cream with just a touch of a button.

This product comes with a 1-year warranty.

Pros

• Blade assembly stem runs up through the whole carafe, so you have blades at all levels
• Blender jug lid has a locking mechanism to prevent spills

Cons

• Loud
• Plastic carafe, heavy base

4. Hamilton Beach Wave Crusher Blender with 40oz Glass Jar

The brand markets this blender’s blades as the ultimate in crushing ice. According to the manufacturer, its Ice Sabre Blades , powered by a 700W motor, can crush 2 tons of ice. It’s been tested to be durable enough to blend 8,000 drinks.

It also has a Wave Action system that prevents clumping of ingredients along the walls of the jar. This ensures that all the food is directed into the blades for smooth and even chopping.

It comes with 14 blending functions, enough for making all kinds of drinks for parties or large families. It also has an easy-pour spout that prevents messy servings and eliminates spillage.

The 40-ounce jar is made from thermal and shock resistant glass. It’s easy to clean and is dishwasher safe, along with its lid and blades.

Pros

• 3-year warranty
• Its motor base comes with a storage for the electric cord

Cons

• Super tight-fitting top
• Poor after-sales service

5. CRANDDI Blender, Quiet Shield Blender with 2200W Base, 80 oz

Powered by a heavy duty 2200W motor, the 6-point stainless steel blade assembly in this blender easily reaches 38000 RPM which is more than enough speed and power to crush lots of ice.

It comes with a 2.2 liter jar that’s enough to make drinks for 4-6 people. It’s made from BPA-free Tritan plastic and includes a feeding port on the lid to make it easy to drop ingredients into the jar. It also has a tamper that fits through the lid to help crush dense ingredients.

It’s equipped with 15 speeds and includes a pulse feature. Another nifty feature is a sound proof cover that reduces the noise it makes when it’s crushing ice. The cover also functions as a shield against splatter or leakage during blending. Other features include a non-slip handle, overheat protection and a self cleaning settings.

Accessories include a 20-oz personal travel bottle with its own to-go lid.

Pros

• Good for large families
• Easy to clean

Cons

• Relatively big and heavy
• Expensive

Buyers Guide to Picking the Best Blender for Margaritas

Serving Capacity

A typical margarita glass will be around 8 to 20 ounces. If you only plan to make drinks for yourself, a 27-ounce blender will be enough for at least two servings.

But if you like to throw parties frequently and serve alcoholic drinks, you could get a model with a capacity of 48 ounces or even more. That’s more than enough to ensure that drinks are kept flowing.

Motor Power

Crushing ice requires a lot of power so get a powerful motor. When making cocktails, the starting choice would be at least 500W. Of course, the higher power, the better for the machine. It’s going to be a bit more expensive but then at least, you won’t get stuck with a burnt-out machine unable to produce your margaritas in the middle of your party.

Speed Settings

The best ones are those with multiple speed settings so that you can have a wider control on how to blend your drinks consistently.

An important feature is the Pulse Setting. It will provide extra power for you to grind and chop any stubborn piece of ice or frozen fruit.

Glass or BPA-Free Tritan Plastic

Any of these two materials will work just as fine when making your margaritas. It all depends on your preference. Some would like glass because it doesn’t trap smells but it can be heavy because these are borosilicate, thermal shock resistant glassware.

Tritan plastic on the other hand is lighter but not necessarily less durable. If you don’t have any problems with the supposed potential for toxic leaching (there isn’t really), then plastic is fine.

Special Features

Be on the lookout for design features that help you make your margaritas easier. A specialized margarita blender, for instance, will have an ice reservoir on top to store ice and then transfer it directly into the mixture.

For multipurpose blenders, check the quality of its functions. Some will come with a specific setting for making smoothies or frozen drinks.

Check for features that make it easy to clean. Some will have self cleaning features; others will have removable, dishwasher safe blades.

Check its seals and its grip on the counter. If you’re making lots of drinks, the blender should have a nice tight silicone seal to avoid any mess, especially when blending at high speeds. Similarly, all that vibration can knock a blender off from the countertop so having rubber grip feet will be useful in preventing that.

Product Warranty

Always check for reliable warranties. A quality blender should at least have 1-year warranty; the best ones have 2-year warranties or more.

Some brands make a distinction between product warranty and motor warranty. Some will offer a longer warranty for the motor.

Also, check the product pages if they have a reliable customer after-sales service. If they’re prompt at answering product questions or responding to warranty replacements, that’s less hassle for you especially if you happen to receive a faulty product.