The 5 Best Blenders For Crushing Ice - Summer 2022 Reviews

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, even from other Vitamix blenders, which tend to be very well-built. It also comes with a seven-year U.S. warranty, depending on where you buy it, which is great if you tend to make a few batches of ice or frozen drinks in a row or use your blender every day. Using its 64-ounce jar, it makes snow-like crushed ice perfect for slushies, snow cones, or drinks. There's a two-part lid and tamper included so you can add ingredients or stir your recipe mid-blend.

It makes a very smooth puree with fibrous ingredients, meaning it can make silky frozen drinks with frozen fruit or leafy greens. It also produces smooth almond butter, and it's safe to use for hot blending, so it's a versatile option. It's quieter than the other blenders on this list and offers a wider range of speed settings, but it lacks automatic blending programs, so you need to stop the blender manually when your recipe is done. The jar and lid are also not dishwasher-safe, but it's easy to clean by hand, especially if you're working with ingredients like ice and liquid. If you want a blender with a dishwasher-safe jar, you may prefer the Vitamix A3500. This premium model also features automatic blending programs, but it's not as well-built.

The Ninja Foodi Cold & Ηot Βlender is the best upper-mid-range blender for ice crushing. 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. The main jar is made of glass, which you may find is less likely to get scratched than plastic, and its 64-ounce capacity means it can handle big batches of ice. Unlike most Ninja blenders, it comes with a two-part lid for the jar and a tamper, so you can pour in ingredients or stir your recipe while the machine is running.

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 jar can't be immersed in water and isn't the easiest to clean by hand, but if you're just working with ice and liquid, its 'Self-Clean' program should do most of the work for you.

The Ninja Professional Plus Βlender with Auto-iQ is the best mid-range blender for ice crushing we've tested. 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. It's not as well-built as the more expensive options on this list, and its motor base and gears are made of plastic, but it still feels very sturdy and well-made. The lid for the main jar isn't a two-part lid that allows you to add ingredients mid-blend but has a spout so you can easily pour your recipe into glasses.

Compared to the Ninja Foodi Cold & Ηot Βlender and Vitamix 7500, it struggles to fully process fibrous ingredients in its main jar, so smoothies with leafy greens or frozen fruits won't be as silky. It's less versatile since it can't hot blend or heat ingredients. It's also not the easiest to clean, but for a different reason than the Foodi Cold & Ηot Βlender. Its spiral blades are very sharp, and residue can get caught in the nooks and crannies of the jar. However, if you're making ice or frozen drinks, you can rinse it clean easily, and the jar, lid, and blades are all dishwasher-safe.

If you don't plan to use your blender for much besides ice-crushing and want a straightforward, budget-friendly blender, the Ninja Professional Βlender 1000 is a good option. This full-size blender is just as good at crushing ice as our mid-range pick, but its build quality isn't as good, and it doesn't have programs for automatic blending. Otherwise, it has a similar design, with a 72-ounce main pitcher and a lid with a pouring spout. It can make snow-like crushed ice in about 30 seconds using its manual 'Pulse' mode.

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. Like the Ninja Professional Plus Βlender with Auto-iQ, its extra sharp blades can make it tricky to clean by hand, but it shouldn't be hard to clean if you're working with liquid ingredients. The jar, lid, and blades are all dishwasher-safe as well.

If you want to make blended cocktails for one or two people, you may not want a bulky full-size blender. The Ninja Foodi Power Nutri DUO is a personal blender that easily crushes small batches of ice. 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. The jars each come with a resealable lid so you can bring your drink on the go.

It's very loud when it's 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. Like most personal blenders, it can't hot blend and has only one speed setting, which limits its versatility a bit. That said, it's easy to clean by hand, and all the jars, lids, and blade assemblies are dishwasher-safe.