Driven by data, run by a passionate team of engineers, testers, technical writers, developers, and more. If you like to make frozen drinks and slushies on a hot day, you’ll want a blender that can crush ice. However, not best ninja blender for crushing ice models can blend ice cubes, as ice can sometimes get stuck on the blades, preventing the cubes from breaking down. We’ve tested over 80 blenders, and below are our recommendations for the best blenders for ice crushing you can buy.
See our picks for the best blenders for frozen drinks, the best blenders, the best Ninja blenders, and the best blenders for smoothies. The Vitamix 7500 is the best blender for ice crushing we’ve tested. While there are lots of cheaper options that can pulverize ice cubes, this blender stands out for its fantastic build quality. It also comes with a seven-year U. It makes a very smooth puree with fibrous ingredients, meaning it can make silky frozen drinks with frozen fruit or leafy greens.
However, it makes a less smooth blend when you’re working with smaller batches of ingredients, like for a single-serve smoothie. You might prefer the Vitamix 5200 for that reason. It makes a better personal-sized smoothie but produces less snow-like ice than the 7500. 5200 and the 7500 lack automatic blending programs, so you need to stop the machine manually when your recipe is done. Many ‘Ascent’ series Vitamix blenders are equally fantastic ice crushers and offer more features, including blending programs. Models like the Vitamix A3500 are also dishwasher-safe. However, they cost more, and you don’t necessarily need all the extra features for the best performance.
Like most of Ninja’s full-size blenders, it’s very well-suited for ice-crushing, easily pulverizing ice cubes into snow-like ice in about 30 seconds. It lacks Vitamix’s long warranty and isn’t as well-built, but it has excellent build quality. There are less expensive options that perform similarly for crushing ice, so this one is worth considering if you prioritize build quality and versatility. Like the Vitamix 7500, it can process hot ingredients and even cook ingredients, thanks to the heating element built into the jar. It can puree fibrous ingredients like kale into a smooth blend, although it makes less silky puree with fibrous ingredients than the Vitamix blender.
The best mid-range blender for crushing ice is the Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ. This blender comes with a large, 72-ounce main pitcher and is ideal for making a big batch of crushed ice for cocktails or frozen drinks at a summer party. With its ‘Ice Crush’ blending program, it can crush a dozen ice cubes in about 30 seconds. Hot Blender, its blade assembly is a column of very sharp blades.
Most Ninja models have identical blade designs, and most are outstanding ice crushers. However, this blade design makes the blender hard to clean by hand because you can cut yourself so easily on the blades. If you don’t plan to use your blender for much besides ice-crushing, a straightforward, budget-friendly blender might be just what you need. This blender is just as good for crushing ice as our previous pick but comes with fewer features and a less sturdy build in exchange for a cheaper price tag.
It doesn’t have automatic blending programs but otherwise has a similar design, with a 72-ounce main pitcher and a lid with a pouring spout. However, it’s not ideal for processing fibrous ingredients, especially in large batches, so it’s not that well-suited for smoothies or frozen drinks with ingredients like leafy greens. That said, you may not mind that if you just want to crush ice for cocktails or make drinks like slushies and blended margaritas. You may not want a bulky full-size blender to make blended cocktails for only one or two people.
Its short, compact motor base also makes it easier to store out of the way in a cupboard when you’re not using it. It comes with a pair of 24-ounce jars that you can use to make snow-like crushed ice. Unlike most of the blenders on this list, it also does a fantastic job of processing fibrous ingredients, so you can use it to make silky single-serve drinks with ingredients like kale. It’s very loud when running, but has a few automatic blending programs, so you don’t need to stand next to it the whole time it’s running. It’s versatile for a personal blender, thanks to its 14-ounce ‘Smoothie Βowl Maker’ that works very well for thick mixtures like nut butter. It’s well-built, like the Ninja Professional Βlender 1000, but doesn’t feel as sturdy as the more expensive blenders on this list. Updated text to provide more information about the recommended products.
Reorganized picks due to Test Bench 1. Ninja Professional Plus Βlender with Auto-iQ. Added the Ninja Blender Duo with Auto-iQ BL642 as the ‘Best Mid-Range Blender For Ice Crushing’ and moved the Ninja Mega Kitchen System BL770 to Notable Mentions. Replaced the Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ with the Ninja Professional Βlender 1000. Added the Vitamix A3500 as the ‘Βest Ice Crushing Βlender For Professional Use’. Checked that picks represent the best recommendations and the products are in stock.
All Reviews Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best blenders for crushing ice for most people in each price range. If you would like to choose for yourself, here is the list of all our reviews for blenders for ice-crushing. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While no blender is perfect, most blenders are great enough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you look for them. We’ve picked products we think you’ll love and may earn commission from links on this page. Read about why you can trust BBC Good Food reviews. This guide is regularly updated with new models that have been tried, tested and top-rated by BBC Good Food’s reviews experts.
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