As Seen On TV: Slushy Magic Max Promises No Blender And No Mess ... But There's Also No Slushy

Welcome to As Seen On TV, a new monthly column where I review the most brilliant (or bogus) kitchen gadgets from your favorite late-night infomercials.

In my hometown, kids still ride their bikes and scooters over to the corner 7-Eleven for ice-cold Slurpees. While waiting at the stoplight, I see them triumphantly emerge from the tiny gas station hut with their iconic spoon-straws and red-stained lips. What could be more satisfying than that first semi-frozen, semi-liquid sip? 

Whether you grew up with Slurpees, ICEEs, or Misty Slushes from Dairy Queen, slushy drinks have always been tied to the seemingly never-ending fun and freedom of summer. And that's what makes the Slushy Magic Max so appealing. It promises to deliver that same naivety and nostalgia at home, with little more than a plastic cup and your favorite cold beverage from the fridge.

In the Slushy Magic TV spot, kids and families bounce and giggle along to a catchy jingle — "Chill it up, fill it up, shake shake shake, slush it down" — as "snowflake science" transforms their otherwise ordinary drinks into sensational slush. It all looks so delightfully simple, but I had to wonder: Is the magic of Slushy Magic Max all in the marketing?

A 98-degree day in Chicago seemed like the perfect occasion to put Slushy Magic Max to the test. The delivered kit included a Slushy Magic shaker cup and domed lid, three reusable magic freezer cubes, a spoon-straw, and a fun drink guide with 20 "taste bud chillin' recipes." While I was intrigued by the idea of Shirley Temple, orange creamsicle, and mocha delight slushies, I was also too skeptical to invest in any special ingredients. Instead, I tested the Slushy Magic Max with drinks I already had in the fridge: cherry limeade and a can of Sprite. The As Seen On TV product claims to slushify any drink, after all.

Before my first attempt, I washed all the components with warm, soapy water and placed the magic cubes in the freezer overnight. For each drink, I followed the "For Best Results" instructions: 

1. Add the magic freezer cubes to the cup.

2. Pour your favorite cold drink to the fill line.

3. Wait 60 seconds, then shake, shake, shake for one to two minutes.

4. Remove lid and enjoy.

Slushy drinks have a special way of hitting all your senses at once. There's brilliant color, syrupy sweetness, and those smooth-yet-crunchy bits of ice that melt into instant refreshment the moment they hit your tongue. For my first Slushy Magic test run, I chose to use Simply Limeade with Cherry. Could I create something a little more grown-up and natural than the convenience store cherry slush I loved as a kid?

I loaded the cup with the three frozen-but-still-squishy Magic Cubes. According to the instructions, these white, rubbery squares are filled with salt and water. I wasn't particularly fond of their balloony, beanbag looks, but I poured my drink to the fill line, fastened the dome lid, and started shaking it all up. 

For the first minute, it was actually fun — just like on TV — but I could feel the liquid inside wasn't setting. By the two-minute mark, my arms were getting tired, so I removed the lid to take a peek. There was froth on top, and that gave me hope there was some frosty, icy slush hiding underneath. I used the spoon-straw to scoop around the magic cubes and also took a few sips straight from the cup. Despite my initial optimism, the sad truth was obvious. After all that chilling and shaking, my limeade was still a lowly liquid.

Slushy Magic Max claims it can slushify any drink: juice, lemonade, punch, chocolate milk (eww?), soda, and more. However, when you read the fine print on the box, the Slushy Magic Max also states it does not work with diet or unsweetened drinks. Thinking back to science class, this actually makes sense. Sugar is a vital ingredient in all sorts of frozen treats, including ice cream. When mixed with a liquid, sugar lowers the freezing point to create a soft, icy texture instead of a solid, hard block. 

Since I wanted to try Slushy Magic Max with a carbonated drink, I turned to a lone can of Sprite lingering in my fridge from a party. Using the same setup as before, I loaded the frozen magic cubes into the cup, poured in the soda, and started shaking. The instant fizz made everything sound a bit more promising, but when bubbles started oozing out, I had to move my slushy-making over to the sink. I continued shaking the cup for two minutes+ every which way, lifting my finger off the hole in the lid every two to three shakes to release pressure. After all that, I opened the cup to no visible slush. It was the same clear liquid soda — flatter and less enjoyable than before. 

As promised, there was: No ice! No blender! And for the most part, No mess! There was also No slushy! For a product that says it can "slushify any drink" in seconds, Slushy Magic Max miserably failed both my test runs with Simply Cherry Limeade and Lemon-Lime Sprite. I did get an extra arm workout — and a punchy TV jingle stuck in my head — but I wouldn't call either of those things refreshing.

To be fair, I was slightly enamored with the Fun Drink Guide and solidly designed spoon-straw. And I've seen a few online reviews where luckier people have managed to eek out a slushy Gatorade for their efforts. In a Slushy Magic commercial thread on Reddit, members of r/OlderGenZ said this As Seen On TV contrivance has always been "hit or miss." 

Why take the chance when there are more reliable (and less strenuous) methods to make fail-proof slushies at home? Stash a pouch drink like Capri Sun in the freezer, blitz ice and apple cider in your blender, or grab a bottle of Powerade and Mountain Dew to create your own copycat Baja Blast, and chill this summer. 

The original Slushy Magic commercial aired all the way back in 2011. If you couldn't convince your parents to buy you one, now's your chance to grab the New & Improved (or disproved?) version, with a 30% larger capacity and upgraded reusable magic cubes. 

I found mine on the official As Seen On TV site, where the "Add to Cart" button routed me to an Amazon price of $6.99. According to the package and product listing, Slushy Magic Max is made in China and distributed by Ontel Products Corporation of Fairfield, New Jersey. All components are non-toxic and BPA-free. 

Slushy Magic Max didn't work for me, but maybe you'll give it a better shake. When all else fails, there's plenty of slushy magic to be found at Sonic.