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I gave it 4 stars on the ease to use, because for me, there was a bit of a learning curve in the beginning. All the YouTube videos I watched in preparation of using this machine (which our friend recommended doing before it arrived) did not match the machine we got. In fact, as I was unpacking it, I felt like we got a different model than we ordered. The videos were just incorrect, as the buttons/controls/ice holder were all different. Plus, this model comes with mixing/measuring cups and the videos gave no mention of them. I had some trouble with the mixing/measuring cups. I didn't twist them well enough and when I was adding liquids, and it would leak. Also, make sure before using the blending pitcher that the base is screwed on tight. We did not, and when we first used it, we had a leak there. We washed it first before using it and didn't remove the base of the blending pitcher, so we didn't think about checking it. All trial and error stuff. Once we got the hang of it though, everything came out perfect.
Another thing to note - we had expected to just put in tequila and margarita mix. However, the measuring cup gave levels of several ingredients. FOLLOW THESE!!! Our drinks tasted 100% better when we did this. In my mind, I didn't want to "chef" it... i just wanted to pour, blend and drink. They tasted really off though - so follow the recipe from drink one and save yourself from drinking a sub-par beverage. They were not as sweet at ones you get at bars, but still delicious. A bartender friend of mine said at the restaurant he worked at, they added 1/4 cup of powdered sugar to theirs during the blend. We've tried this and have enjoyed it. We've recently tried the Pina colda recipe, as well as the strawberry daiquiri one. Oh my gosh- heaven. We have been so happy with this purchase, we are getting one for my aunt and uncle. Buy this - you won't regret it... and if you do, do some research, you're probably doing something wrong.
It you have been on the fence about this, take the leap. It has been so incredibly worth it. You can literally have a pitcher of drinks ready in a few minutes if you have the ice and ingredients on hand. We do the 36 oz recipe side on the measuring cup and it fills the two margarita glasses in the picture. So this machine is perfect for us, but if you entertain a lot, you may want to invest in a larger model. We are hosting a dinner party soon for 10 people, so we will see how smoothly that goes.
