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7 Best Blenders for frozen drinks and crushing ice (2022) comparison, Reviews & Buying Guide
Are you looking for the best blender for frozen drinks or perhaps crushing ice? Let’s say you want a dependable machine for making slushies, cocktails, and other icy drinks, or on the healthier end, a blender that can take on frozen fruits?
Unfortunately, not all blending machines are created equal; some aren’t built for crushing ice, especially those low-quality models. However, there are cheap blenders that will do just fine, and that is what this guide is all about.
We’ve already reviewed over a hundred blending machines, and we know which ones can effortlessly turn ice cubes into snow.
So, without further delay, here are the best blenders for crushing ice and frozen drinks of 2022.
- Best for Frozen Drinks – KitchenAid K400 Variable Speed Countertop Blender
- Best for Crushing Ice – Ninja BN701 Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ
- Best for Commercial Use – Blendtec Stealth 885 Commercial Blender
- Best for Smoothies – Nutribullet Pro 1000 Personal Smoothie Blender
- Best for Frozen Fruits – Vitamix A2500 Ascent Series Smart Blender
- Best Margarita Maker – Blendtec Total Classic Blender
- Best for Ice Cold & Hot Drinks – Ninja Foodi HB152 Hot and Cold Glass Blender
That’s the quick overview of this guide. Feel free to click the links above to read the in-depth review of each product. Otherwise, let’s talk more about your choices below.
Top 7 Best Blenders for Frozen Drinks & Crushing Ice
By default, I would recommend a Vitamix blender right away. That might be a little biased, but they are really on top of the game in terms of blend quality. However, I also understand that majority of consumers can’t afford the brand’s hefty price tag.
Here are some fantastic blenders that aren’t Vitamix, well, except for one.
#1 KitchenAid K400 – Best Blender for Frozen Drinks
Kitchenaid is one of the biggest kitchen appliance manufacturers, and the K400 model is their flagship blender. It’s not that cheap, but it’s more than half the price of a competing Vitamix product.
KitchenAid’s design language is something that I admire. I like the blend of classic and retro aesthetics. Not only it’s a head-turner, but it’s also a powerful blending machine with a 1.5 HP motor.
It’s not a high-powered blender by any means. However, it’s one of the best blenders for crushing ice and frozen drinks. With 56 oz (1.65 L) in capacity, you sure have plenty of room to keep your guests hydrated.
It also has four walkaway functions—self-clean, crushed ice, smoothie, and of course frozen/icy drink.
In any case, the best part about it is the color finishes, which is as KitchenAid as it can get. You can have it in matte black, contour silver, passion red, pistachio, blue velvet, or white.
If you want an even cheaper option, you might want to check its more affordable sibling, which is ironically called an ice-crushing blender—the KitchenAid K150.
#2 Ninja BN701 – Best Blender for Crushing Ice
What’s unique about the brand is the three levels of the blade assembly, or as they call it, the “Total Crushin Blades.” This blade design is highly efficient at crushing ice without the need for a tamper.
Here’s why the Ninja Professional Plus is the best blender for crushing ice:
If you only need a blender that can crush ice, any Ninja blender with a triple stacked blade system would be a dependable frozen margarita or daiquiri maker.
The Ninja Professional Plus model also has automatic functions denoted by the “Auto-IQ” on its name. It has a button for making a smoothie, crushing ice, and frozen desserts.
The best part, however, is the Ninja blender lineup is rock bottom cheap.
If you want a total package, its sibling might interest you. The Ninja Kitchen System includes a full range of useful accessories that will take your blending game to the next level.
You can read the full review of Ninja Professional Plus here.
#3 Blendtec Stealth 885 – Best for Commercial Use
Even though the Blendtec Stealth 885 has a powerful 1800-watt motor, it’s still a quiet blender thanks to its sound enclosure. In any case, having this powerhouse of a machine will make things swift and easy.
For instance, this blender will blend up a frozen margarita for only 10-12 seconds.
On top of that:
It immediately features 24 blending cycles. If your restaurant is busy, you’ll benefit from this function the most. Essentially, you only need to add the ingredients and press the automatic program for the desired recipe. By having these presets, you can efficiently multitask.
And just like everything else, the cleanup is also quick and easy with the help of their rapid rinse accessory (sold separately).
If you want other options, check out this guide for the best commercial blenders.
#4 Nutribullet Pro – Best Blender for Smoothies & Ice
The Nutribullet Pro 1000 happens to be the best portable blender in the market. It has a robust 1000-watt motor that can take on smoothies and ice with no problem. Better yet, this blender is the most straightforward to use with just a simple push and twist, no buttons.
Here’s why it’s the best blender for smoothies and ice:
Despite its size, you’ll be amazed at how smooth the blend is. The powerful 1000-watt motor does its job perfectly well. As long as you follow the instructions and add enough liquid, your drink will be silky smooth.
If you’re thinking of using it as a portable ice crusher, well, sad to say, most personal blenders aren’t built for that purpose. Without any added liquid, it will surely struggle.
Your best bet at a portable blender for ice are full-sized countertop blending machines that are not too big, like the Vitamix One or Vitamix E310.
Going back to the Nutribullet Pro, it includes 2 cups—32 ounces (946 ml) and 24 ounces (709 ml). By having so, you can choose whether to make two servings or just for yourself.
#5 Vitamix A2500 – Best Blender for Frozen Fruits
With or without added liquid, you can process frozen fruits with any of the Ascent Series Blenders. I’ve been using the A3300 model on a daily basis, and it never fails to deliver.
As I said a while ago, Vitamix blenders are highly efficient blending machines. Any 2.2 HP blender on their product lineup will do justice to your frozen fruits.
In this guide, however, we decided to showcase the cheaper Ascent blender—the Vitamix A2500.
Despite its retro look, it’s a smart blender. It’s compatible with all the Ascent accessories like the Vitamix Food Processor Attachment, upgraded containers, blending bowl, and the new Vitamix Blending Cup.
On top of that, you can also connect it to your smartphone to unlock hundreds of recipes and dozens of automatic blend settings.
#6 Blendtec Total Classic – Best Frozen Margarita Maker
The Blendtec Total is a “totally” awesome blender. Making icy drinks is like a walk in the park with this blending machine. You see, it has a high-powered 1560-watt motor which is robust enough to heat soup with just friction.
In other words, it’s not just for frozen drinks. Instead, it covers a wide range of applications, from easy smoothies to hard-to-blend thick smoothie bowls. It can even grind fine flour for baking.
Here’s more:
This blender features 6 pre-programmed settings to take the guesswork out of the equation. In other words, its usability—including the cleanup—is so simple.
You can read the full review of Blendtec Total Classic Blender here.
#7 Ninja Foodi Hot and Cold Blender
The Ninja Foodi HB152 is one of the most unique blenders in the market. Out of a hundred (and counting) that I’ve reviewed, there are only 7 of their kind—cooking blenders.
For a roundup list for frozen drinks, it sounds counterintuitive, but hear me out:
Just like regular blenders, it can make frozen drinks—margarita, daiquiri, slushie, frozen smoothie, etc.—no issue. So, what makes this an excellent blender for icy drinks is its versatility.
There are also hot cocktails, right? Well, there are no other blenders that can better infuse hot drinks than this one. In other words, the Ninja Foodi Blender is the best of both worlds—frozen drinks and hot drinks.
What makes the best blender for frozen drinks?
Luckily, this isn’t that complicated. The majority of blenders can make frozen drinks, so there are only a few considerations for weeding out the bad apples.
Budget and Power
Here’s the deal:
Powerful blenders have various excellent uses. However, for frozen drinks, you don’t need a crazy amount of wattage or (Horse Power) HP rating. Even the magic bullet mini can make cocktails, albeit with limitations.
This is why you can never go wrong even with the cheapest blender on this list.
However, when it comes to the consistency of crushed ice (or frozen fruit) in your drink, it’s a different story. High-powered blenders will yield fine, smoother blends, whereas weaker blenders will leave rice grain-sized constituents.
Size and Capacity
When it comes to the size and capacity of the blender, it will largely depend on you.
Will it be just for yourself and your partner? If that’s the case, a personal blender like the Nutribullet Pro will be more than enough.
On a slightly different note:
When you’re usually the host or hostess of parties, a countertop blender is a more ideal choice. In the top 7, the product with the most significant capacity is the Blendtec Total Blender.
Over to You
Now that we’ve talked about all the things that you need to know when picking a blender that would work well for frozen fruits, crushing ice, or simply for making smoothies, it’s your turn.
That being said, let me leave you with the best blender for frozen drinks—KitchenAid K400, or the best blender for crushing ice—Ninja BN701 Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ.
