If you like to make frozen drinks and slushies on a hot day, you'll want a blender that can crush ice. However, not all models are capable of blending ice cubes, as ice can sometimes get stuck on the blades, preventing the cubes from breaking down. For a pleasant and tasty drink, most users want a consistent, snow-like blend without any uneven chunks or clumps left behind in the mix.
We've tested over 45 blenders, and below are our recommendations for the best blenders for ice crushing you can buy. See also our recommendations for the best blenders for frozen drinks, the best blenders, and the best blenders for smoothies.
The best full-size blender for ice crushing that we've tested is Ninja Mega Kitchen System BL770. With its 'Crush' preset, it takes less than a minute to crush ice into a snow-like consistency, which is fantastic. It comes with two 16-ounce personal jars in addition to the 72-ounce main jar, so you can make frozen drinks in big batches or single-serve portions.
The build quality is very good, as it's made out of premium-feeling plastic and feels quite sturdy. When you're done using it, clean-up is remarkably easy since the removable blade assembly and jars can be put in the dishwasher. When you're not using it to make frozen drinks, it can also make smooth, spreadable almond butter and an outstanding, silky smoothie. It even comes with a food processor bowl that includes a dough blade assembly, although we don't currently test that feature.
Unfortunately, it's not the most versatile, as it can't be used for hot blending. Also, the main jar produces a grainy, foamy smoothie, so you may want to use one of the smaller personal jars if you're using it for that purpose. That said, it's incredible at crushing ice and is one of the best blenders we've tested.
If you want a good ice-crushing blender with more versatile performance, consider the Vitamix A3500. Unlike the Ninja Mega Kitchen System BL770, this full-size model doesn't come with any additional jars or attachments, but it's better-built and can be used to blend hot ingredients. With its 'Frozen Drink' preset it can crush ice into a snow-like consistency in less than a minute. It also produces smooth, spreadable almond butter and an excellent smoothie. It has dedicated modes for a variety of other uses, like 'Hot Soups', 'Dips and Spreads', and a self-cleaning cycle. The companion app, Vitamix Perfect Blend, allows you to choose from a wider selection of presets, including settings for 'Baby Food' and 'Spice Grind'.
If you want a full-size blender that can crush ice and also comes with personal jars, go for the Ninja. If you prefer a better-built, more versatile option, consider the Vitamix.
The best personal blender for ice crushing that we've tested is the Ninja Foodi Power Nutri DUO. This model comes with two 24-ounce jars and a 14-ounce jar, each with a matching to-go lid, so it's great for making single-serve frozen beverages. It makes crushed ice with a snow-like consistency in roughly two minutes.
You can use any of the jars to make an incredible, silky smoothie. The 14-ounce jar has manually-operated rotating arms inside of it that work to push ingredients from the sides of the jar towards the blades. You can use it to make superb, spreadable almond butter. It's also very easy to wash since you can put the jars, lids, and blade assemblies on the top rack of your dishwasher.
However, it doesn't have the best build quality since the motor base is made of plastic that feels thin and not very premium. It only has one speed setting since its different modes act as timers. That said, it's a great choice if you're looking for something that can crush ice in small batches. It's even one of the best blenders for frozen drinks that we've tested.
The Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ is the best blender for ice crushing that we've tested in the budget category. This full-size model can make snow-like crushed ice in roughly 30 seconds with its 'Ice Crush' preset mode. It comes with a large, 72-ounce main jar, so you can use it for big batches of your favorite frozen drinks.
It has an impressive, sturdy build quality and fairly simple controls. There are 'Smoothie' and 'Ice Cream' presets and a few different speed settings, including a dedicated pulse mode. You can use it to make a good smoothie or protein shake. When you're done using it, clean-up is easy because its jar, lid, and blade assembly are all dishwasher-safe. It's easy to wash by hand as well, even if you've been working with sticky ingredients.
Unfortunately, it struggles to process almonds into smooth, spreadable butter. It's also not great at processing fibrous greens like kale in smoothies. That said, if you need a blender that can crush ice and want something affordable, it's a great option.
Mar 09, 2021: Verified that the best products are still being recommended and that they're available.
Jan 08, 2021: Minor updates to text with no changes to recommendations.
Dec 17, 2020: Added the Vitamix 5300 to Notable Mentions.
Nov 05, 2020: Replaced the Ninja Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ with the Ninja Foodi Power Nutri DUO for 'Best Personal Blender for Crushing Ice'. Moved the Ninja Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ to Notable Mentions.
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best blenders for ice crushing for most people in each price range. We factor in the price (a cheaper blender wins over a pricier one if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no blenders that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
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.