Best Blender for Ice in 2023

A blender for ice is a versatile must-have in your kitchen. It helps you safely reduce your effort and preparation time in various beverages. Whether it’s summer or not, having a blender for ice can make your desired crushed ice consistency achievable. You can use it to cool your drinks or cocktails, so you even get to save money from buying crushed ice outside. It can also make you feel much better knowing your crushed ice is prepared hygienically by yourself.

Not all models are created equal. You have to consider that you are crushing ice, not just fruit slices. Some factors that you should consider are the unit’s motor, blades, pitcher, ease of usage, and noise. You can read more about these factors by checking our buyer’s guide.

If you’re thinking of buying a blender for ice, or if you’re considering replacing that worn-out equipment in your kitchen, we know that researching for models online can be overwhelming. That is why we have created this in-depth guide and review for the best blender for ice.

Best Blender for Ice Comparison Table

Best Blender for Ice Reviews

Vitamix 7500 Blender – Low Profile Powerhouse

Vitamix released the G-series product line in 2013, and the base model for it was the 7500. This product line offers more powerful motors than their previous models. For example, the 7500 has a 2.2-horsepower motor compared to the older models that use a 2-horsepower motor. The 7500 also has the same motor with the more expensive Pro 750 from the same brand.

The 7500 has a simple “start” and “stop” lever, 10 variable speed dial which is larger than those in the older models for easier turning, and a pulse lever. It also has a 2-piece lid so you can add ice while blending. This model is equipped with stainless steel blades and a tamper to help you push the ice towards the blades.

Because the 7500 only has manual controls, its pulse function can serve as your extra help in controlling the blender’s speed. If you prefer having pre-set blending programs, we recommend you to check out the 750 Pro or 780 from this same brand. These units are priced higher than the 7500, but they offer more technological features than the 7500.

Low Profile Design

Even though Vitamix Blenders are known for their tall, narrow containers, the 7500 is designed by Vitamix as wide and “low-profile.” It is about 3 inches shorter than previous models which makes it perfect for easy storage under a cabinet. One setback of having this new wide 68 oz. capacity pitcher is that it cannot handle small portions unlike the Vitamix 5200 series with tall pitchers.

Users have stated that the 7500 is not as loud as the Blendtec Designer Series. The device can owe it to being a G-series model that was designed by Blendtec to have a new airflow and internal cooling system. This brand claims that it reduces the noise to as much as 40% compared to their previous models, and also prevents overheating.

Vitamix 7500 is not dishwasher safe, but it is self-cleaning. All you need to do is add a drop of dish soap and warm water inside the pitcher, and it can clean itself in 30 to 60 seconds.

Vitamix Professional Series 750 – Best Blender for Everyday Use

If you’re looking for a device that you can use every day in your business, the Vitamix 750 is the best model to consider. Crushing ice, especially on a day-to-day basis, can be an abusive task to most blenders. This leads to dulling of blades, and worst, an overheated motor. Is overheating preventable?

Efficient Cooling Mechanism

The Vitamix 750 has an efficient cooling mechanism thanks to its radial cooling fan and thermal protection system. Because of this cooling mechanism, you can use this machine longer without having to worry about the motor overheating. This will also mean that this machine has a longer lifespan compared to models that overheat easily; but hey, Vitamix backs this product with a 7-year warranty anyway, so its lifespan is out of your worries.

Ice Crushing Powerhouse

You can select your own speed setting (10 options) and blend (or pulse) with or without the blender tamper. We were impressed that Vitamix managed to produced consistent texture of the crushed ice even without the tamper, but of course, the tamper is a great help to keep the ice down towards the blades. For added control, there are two levers on the blender’s front control panel that you can flick to start/stop the blades immediately if you wish. We also appreciate that the model’s lid feels very secure so you don’t have to be paranoid with it popping off towards your face. The lid even has a removable plug so you can add more ice as you crush.

At this point, Vitamix already sounds like a great candidate for commercial use, and we think that you can take advantage of its BPA-free 64 oz pitcher for making large batches of crushed ice too. You can throw in large chunks of ice and Vitamix will do the crushing for you!

Select Clean and Leave

The unit has five preset controls that each have their own time intervals for making smoothies, frozen desserts, hot soups, and puree. The fifth preset is the cleaning mode which is incredibly useful for time management in running a business. All you have to do is fill the pitcher halfway with water, add some drops of soap and select the cleaning icon!

Blendtec Designer Series – Best Stylish Ice Crusher

If you have weak teeth, would you chew on an ice cube? We don’t think so! The same thing applies to blenders with thin blades, and this is where the Blendtec Designer Series separates itself from the crowd (of blenders.) Blendtec boasts their cold-forged blade to be 80% thicker compared to other blades in the market. Their blade is also not sharp, a much-appreciated quality of people who always accidentally get cuts while cleaning their blenders.

BPA-Free Tritan WildSide+ Jar

But more than just the patented 2-prong blade, Blendtec also has a whopping 3-horsepower motor partnered with a 90-ounce BPA-free jar. They call this Tritan jar the WildSide+ jar which is another unique thing with this model. What makes the WildSide+ different? It has an extra fifth side versus the usual 4-sided jar. This extra side helps in making a better vortex inside the blender, therefore, giving you a better blend to the point that Blendtec decided that this unit did not need a tamper. You will also find no pouring spout, but you can quickly pour your contents when you slide them onto a corner of the jar. We also appreciate this jar aesthetically as this gives the machine an overall stylish and modern look.

The jar’s lid feels secure when you put it on the jar, but you can remove it quickly by grabbing any corner. You can also remove the plastic insert on the lid if you want to add a bit of liquid while blending the ice.

Smooth Control Interface

The Blendtec has no buttons (which adds to its overall aesthetic), and you can actually glide smoothly on its control panel. According to them, this lack of buttons helps the blender lose some noise from internal baffling during blending. We also think that because the control panel has no buttons, you will have an easier time cleaning its surface because the spills will not fall on the crevices.

Looking at the panel, you will see 6 pre-programmed blending cycles (batter, frozen drinks, smoothies, ice cream, whole juice, and soups.) On the other hand, you can manually select your speed setting (up to 8) which is very handy to personalize your ice crushing experience. There is also a pulse function which you can use as the blender’s self-cleaning function; add some water, a bit of dishwashing soap, and pulse a few times. But if you happen to want to clean the Blendtec yourself, you could reach through the jar easily because the blade inside isn’t hogging up all the space, and remember, they are dull, so no more accidental cuts.

Dedicated Ice Crush Function

The Blendtec Designer series also comes with excellent customer support and an 8-year warranty.

Ninja Mega BL770 – Ice Cube-to-Snow Machine

The Ninja Mega BL770 is part of the Ninja Mega Kitchen System composed of a pitcher for ice blending, 2 nutri ninja cups for smoothies, a food processor bowl, and the 1500-watt base. For the sake of this review that is about best blenders for ice, we will review it as a model with pitcher.

The BL770 has a tall and slender pitcher that is BPA free and uses touchpads located on its base. The touchpads are for 3 speeds and pulse. The single-serve attachment is designed to operate at one speed. To use it, you will hold down the single serve touchpad while the machine is running. To stop, simply release the button. Another way to operate the unit if you don’t want it “single serve,” is to press the power touchpad then choose your speed. The power touchpad can be touched again to stop. Meanwhile, the pulse touchpad is useful in pushing the ingredients towards the vortex while blending.

Users have mentioned that when blending ingredients such as ice, the ingredients tend to accumulate at the wall of the 72 oz. pitcher.

Although this is dishwasher safe, its blades are sharp, so you should be careful in cleaning them. We also think this is a disadvantage, as sharp blades tend to weaken over time as opposed to properly constructed dull blades.

Another thing we don’t like is the company made the BL770’s gear shaft, blades, container, and motor couplings from plastic. This base unit itself is lightweight and has a unique lever that you can use to lock the blender in your counter.

The removable blades are also bulky and take too much space inside the pitcher. Adding ice during blending is also tricky because of the model’s complicated assembling and disassembling process.

For cleaning, the shaft of the pitcher has too many grooves that can collect debris so make sure to use a small brush to clean it properly.

We have seen reviews that this blender can crush ice cubes into a snow-like consistency. But customers have also complained about the BL770 being noisy which is attained by it on its 1500W machine.

Blendtec Total Classic with Fourside Jar – Thick Blade Blender

This unit from Blendtec has a 3-peak horsepower drive motor of 1560 watts. It has vented gripper lids, and BPA-free 75 oz. “four side” jar with a 32 oz. wet/dry blending capacity. The Blendtec fourside blender has no tamper, which can be difficult for some users, although their jar compensates for this.

According to Blendtec, their four-sided jar is designed to pull off the ingredients towards the blades. The blending flow of the ice is not disrupted due to the jar’s design including having a wider base. The Blendtec Fourside jar also has a gripper lid that is easy to open and comes with a center opening so that you can add more ice as you blend. But another thing that makes this model unique is its LCD display and blades.

It has 6 pre-programmed blend cycles, pulse, and manual 10-speed control. Its illuminated LCD will display a timer that will countdown to let you know the time remaining while blending. The blender will then automatically turn off afterward; this omits any “off” buttons from it.

You can still blend manually if you want, and you can also use the pulse button to help you. You can also use this button for cleaning the gadget by adding a bit of soap and water, then let it clean itself for 1 minute.

Thicker Blades

The company boasts its patented stainless steel blades that are 80% thicker than most blades in commercial blenders. It is a 2-prong 3-inch blade that spins at 29,000 rpm which makes it suitable for ice crushing. It is also safe to clean this because it is dull, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally cutting yourself. The blades are also permanently attached to the jar.

Cleanblend 3HP – The Newcomer Stainless Steel Ice Crusher

The next unit on our list is Cleanblend’s 3HP commercial blender. Many have compared this model to the Vitamix 5200 because of their somewhat similar look especially with the variable speed control and pulse switch.

The distinguishing difference between the 2 machines is that the Vitamix 5200 has a rubber grip in its handle. Also, Vitamix has a longer 7-year warranty compared to Cleanblend with only a 5-year warranty.

What we appreciate with this model is its 64 oz. BPA-free shatterproof plastic jar. BPA is an industrial chemical commonly used in plastics that has detrimental effects on human health. A tamper is also integrated into the jar by Cleanblend.

The knob of the Cleanblend 3HP blender is the power speed. You can see the speed go all the way up, but you cannot tell what speed you have selected. The unit has a pulse lever that you can operate by holding it.

More Stainless Steel

The Cleanblend 3HP also has a food grade stainless steel with a 6-blade system with ball bearing. Most blenders have a plastic bearing on top of a plastic casing, so we liked that Cleanblend 3HP used a stainless steel bearing and housing for traction and power.

Cleanblend is still a new brand compared to other household name brands like Vitamix. But what is good for this model is that it has a 30-day free return policy and for its price, we think it’s a good choice.

Take note that this warranty, including the 5-year warranty, it is only applicable to the original purchaser, and if you bought it from Cleanblend or any registered affiliate like Amazon.

The reviews online also say that they have spectacular customer support. Customers have claimed that Cleanblend readily replaces the blenders without any issue. This company continues to maintain its very strong customer ratings for the last five years.

It is also quite tall to fit most 19” countertop cabinets.

Oster Versa Pro Series Blender – Best for Customizing Your Crushed Ice Consistency

The next product in our review is the Oster Versa Pro Series. Looking at the blender, even if it is made of plastic, the built feels sturdy and high-quality. You can also notice that its base is rubberized which is useful to prevent the gadget from hopping off the counter unattended.

The Verso Pro also has impressive power but it is not costly. It has a 1,400-watt motor that can spin its blades at 28,000 RPM; a nice combination especially for crushing ice into smoothies. However, the motor is loud during blending.

Cooling and Safety Mechanisms

The Versa Pro also offers a cooling mechanism (like the 750) and a Tritan BPA-free jar (like the Designer Series). For the cooling mechanism, the Versa Pro can detect over-usage and ingredient overload. The blender has built-in sensors that tell the machine to shut down after prolonged usage that can lead to overheating. You can also notice that the unit will go slower, almost stopping, if it has overloaded capacity. These mechanisms are useful because it prevents motor abuse, therefore, prolonging the lifespan of the model. Speaking of sensors, the unit’s base can also detect if you have correctly placed the jar before starting which is a nice additional safety feature as well.

Durable BPA-Free Tritan Jar

For capacity, the Osta Versa Pro uses a 64-oz BPA-free jar made of Tritan copolyester. The jar feels premium, so you don’t have to worry about it getting scratches from blending ice. Compared to common blender jars, the Versa Pro jar has no spout, which according to them, helps for a mess-free usage. Its included lid also feels secured once it’s in place and you can even use the gadget tamper through it while blending.

Now, let us talk about the model’s control panel. The Versa Pro has a knob for selecting your speed level (up to 8) and buttons for pulse, and preset programs for smoothies, dips/spreads, and soup. When it comes to usage, the control panel is relatively simple to use, although you have to turn the knob first towards “programmed pulse” before selecting any preset programs. We think this extra step can be forgotten by users who are used to selecting a function for an instant effect.

Customize Your Consistency

For crushing ice, the 8-speed knob is handy, and the speeds have a noticeable difference that you can take advantage of to customize your crushed ice. You can also use the pulse button to add some bursts of power for every cycle. This control plus the 6-prong stainless-steel blade combination makes ice crushing efficient because it allows the machine to reach its full capacity.

Let it Clean Itself and Keep Its Own Cord

For cleaning, the jar with inbuilt blades are not dishwasher-friendly, but you can treat the unit like a self-cleaning machine. Add some water and bit of soap, put it in high speed for under a minute, and voila, your blender has cleaned itself for you! Storage, on the other hand, isn’t problematic because the model has a cord compartment so you can keep everything neatly.

Ninja Chef CT805

The Ninja Chef CT805 features a 10 pre-set programs along with 10 manual mode speeds that allows you to have variable speed control. The gadget also has a knob on the middle as the start and stop control. These functions as the selector for the preset commands, and as the controller for the speed of the blender if you choose to do it manually.

We appreciate this design, as spills usually seep through the crevices of the buttons. One thing we also like is that it has a digital timer that will count down the presets, count up when using the manual speed, or just as a countdown.

Built-in Cleaning Preset

Along with the 10 pre-set programs, this unit also has a “clean” program that you can select. Just add warm water a quarter of the way in the container, then some soap and let it do the work for you. Like the blenders we have reviewed earlier such as the Cleanblend 3HP, this is BPA free as well.

It has a Tritan pitcher for durability, and the base of the unit itself has suctioned feet, so you don’t have to worry about your blender moving off the counter unattended. This machine also has two orientation alignments, so for everyone who’s left-handed, hurray!

For crushing ice, start with a few pulses and then use the tamper to push the ice down to the 4-prong blades. We have seen a review that mentioned the ice cubes bouncing around quite a bit at the start. But after that, most of the ice was crushed up into small pieces.

Users have also given feedback about the noise of this unit and having a sensitive dial knob. They have complained that a sight touch would turn it up or down.

Ninja Professional BL610 – Best Blender for Minimum Noise Output

Isn’t it unpleasant when you have to talk over your blender? Especially when you’re hosting a party and your margaritas are becoming a fast crowd-favorite. But don’t worry, you can continuously crush ice for margaritas using the BL610 without the aggressive motor noise!

Ninja Total Crushing Blade

The BL610 utilizes a 1000-watt motor combined with Ninja’s signature Total Crushing Blade. How does this blade differ to the most blades in the market? Ninja designed their blade as a continuous shaft that rises upward inside the pitcher. This shaft has three levels of dual blades that spin together to make a stable vortex. This vortex helps you get evenly crushed ice inside the whole pitcher.

Knob-Free Control Panel

For the control panel, you get three buttons (low, medium, high) as selections for speed, a power button, and a pulse button. We appreciate that they separated the speed control buttons and marked them accordingly because this will give you precise control with speed compared to a knob. However, the low-speed setting is still fairly strong.

Dishwasher-Friendly Pitcher but Made of Plastic

The BL610 has a 72-oz pitcher, ideal for making large batches of crushed ice especially if you are using it for guests. It is also safe to use because it is BPA-free and dishwasher-friendly, so you get to save time cleaning it. But be careful when you take out its blade shaft because the blades are sharp.

The pitcher’s lid feels tight when placed in which might be challenging to remove for most people. However, what we like about the lid is the covered lid spout that helps you prevent spills and messes during blending and pouring because you don’t have to take the whole lid out when pouring.

Oster Reverse Crush Counterforms – The Dual Direction Ice Crusher

This blender has a backlit display control panel with 3-speed settings which are low, medium and high for crushing ice; low and high pulse settings; and 2 pre-set programs called Frozen Drinks and Food Chop.

The unit is made of stainless steel covering on plastic housing with black plastic trimming. We also like that it has a rubber base for stability. The 6-cup BPA free Boroclass glass jar is dishwasher safe, but it has no measuring marks. Instead, this unit comes with a measuring cup. It also has a 2 oz. filler cup that you can use for filling more ice while blending. We should also mention that this unit’s glass jar is temperature stress-resistant.

The low, medium, and high-speed buttons, as well as the pulse buttons, are intended for manual operation and can only work in one direction. You operate the pulse buttons by pressing them, while you can operate the speed buttons until you press the stop button. There is also no tamper in this blender.

Dual Direction Crushing System

What’s unique about this product is its dual direction 6-point stainless steel blade. The four is facing up, while the remaining two is facing down. Jamming the blades would be avoided because the blades can move in both directions. The reversing 600-watt motor alternates the blades forward and backward.

Ice Crushing Option

The manufacturer calls its blade as “ice-crushing blade”. You can choose the Frozen Drinks option for pure ice cubes whether its on high speed or not. In fact, the Frozen Drinks program is the one that reverses. It starts the blade in one direction, and then shift it in the opposite direction before continuing blending.

What we don’t like about this model is it can get noisier (90-95 dB) when used for ice at high speed. We recommend using the low speed instead or place the blender on a rubber mat.

Ninja Master Prep QB1004 – Simple Function at Reasonable Price

Similar to the Ninja Mega BL770, the Ninja Master Prep QB1004 has an interchangeable power pod. The only difference is it is 450 watts. Since this review is for the usage of the blender for ice, we’ll refer to this unit using the 48 oz. pitcher.

Motor on the Top, Blade Goes Down

What differentiates its designs to the other models we’ve reviewed is that it works upside down as an immersion blender. The motor is on the top, and the blade goes down in the container. It also has a stacked blade system similar to the Ninja BL610 with the only difference as the QB1004 only having 4 blades.

This stacked blade system makes slashing of the ice faster, but we recommend using smaller pieces of ice to get them into the holders. We have seen a review saying that it can crush ice into a snow-like consistency for only less than 60 seconds.

It features non-slip bases and a splash guard for the pitcher to avoid mess. The mentioned splash guard is as wide as a 40-ounce dish. According to reviews, this model is not noisy as well. The downfall for this is that we have seen reviews from users saying that there are leaks especially around the handle and the plastic of the units chipping.

It is capable of only operating at a single speed which can be good as it gives you extra control with how you want the consistency of your ice will be. However, we think that because the button must be held down continually for the blades to keep working, it will be too much effort compared to other blenders that you can leave and do the work on its own.

Ninja Ultra Prep PS101 – Best One-Touch Blender

One-Touch Power Pod

When it comes to the simplicity of usage, the PS101’s single control button is the sure winner. This unit uses a 700-watt power pod, as they like to call it, that you can push down to pulse or hold longer to blend continuously; it doesn’t get any simpler than that!

You will also get three blades for crushing/chopping, pureeing/extracting, and dough mixing. The blade for crushing is similar to the stacked blade system of the previous model we reviewed from BL610. The PS101 is also unique in its design as its motor goes on the top of the blender, combine this with the 48-oz pitcher with the splash-guard lid, and you can successfully crush ice for small batches mess-free. The gadget also has a nice overall premium look.

Lightweight and Compact for Easy Cleaning and Storage

It is nice to know that the PS101 is dishwasher safe, and the manufacturer also includes a dedicated brush for cleaning the power pod. It is also worth noting that because of its upside-down design, you can safely lift the blades out without the risk of accidentally cutting yourself.

For storage, the model is quite light, only weighing 1.5 pounds, and with the size of 6.41 x 9.52 x 13.7 inches, you can easily fit it inside most cabinets.

Best Blender for Ice Buyer’s Guide

Before we talk about the factors that you should consider in buying the best blender for crushing ice, let us differentiate first what are the types of blender and which of them is suited for crushing ice.

Types of Blender

Immersion Blenders

This type of blender is meant for hand-held usage by consumers. Their sizes range from 7” to up to 29” long. They are much suited to be used for softer ingredients, or for lighter tasks like mashing potatoes or whipping up cream. This type of blender is not meant to be used for crushing ice.

Bar Blenders

This type of blender has clear jars, with models ranging from small volume capacity to large volume capacity. They are also called either single-serve or full-size models. They are much suited for making cocktails like margaritas and even some smoothies occasionally. You might be tempted to use this for ice, but they might not produce fine consistency as good as our next blender type.

Food Blenders

The final type is the food blender or specialty blender. They are much more heavy duty than the mentioned types and are designed by the manufacturers for your frequent usage. They can chop, grind, puree or blend. They can break down harder ingredients such as nuts, carrots, and more importantly ice.

Factors to Consider

Now that you are familiar with the type of blender that you need for crushing ice, let us now discuss the factors to consider in choosing and buying a unit.

1. Motor

Ice is much more difficult to crush compared to soft ingredients like fruit pulp or cream; this is why choosing a machine with a powerful motor is essential to consider. The ideal motor for this needs to range from 400 to 1500 watts. You can check our comparison table to find the unit suited for you. Nowadays, most brands also add more features that would make the gadget’s motor efficient and safe. The first model that we reviewed, the Vitamix 7500 has an internal cooling system which prevents the blender from overheating.

2. Blades

The next factor would be the blender’s blades. Since this part is the part that will make contact and do the “crushing” to the ice, we should consider that the manufacturers made the blade from a sturdy and durable material such as stainless steel. They don’t necessarily require to be sharp because as you might remember earlier, sharp blades tend to weaken over time compared to properly constructed dull blades.

3. Pitcher

Sometimes, the pitcher or the jar of the blender gets overlooked when people buy blenders. Remember that as we crush the ice inside the pitcher, they always move in constant motion and are pushed up the sides of the pitcher.

A model with a wider pitcher can speed up your ice crushing process because the contents would fall to the blades easier. Although, some units have a tamper that you can use to move the ice towards the blades.

If you also want a durable pitcher, you can choose units with pitchers that are made of impact resistant glass or with dense polycarbonate material. When it comes to health safety, most models sold commercially are BPA-free.

4. Ease of Usage

Another factor to be considered in choosing the best blender for ice is its ease of usability and convenience. Some gadgets seem complicated to use, while some have both manual and pre-set control panels. You can choose to control the speed of the model on your own, or if it’s more convenient for you, you can select a model with a pre-set function designed for ice crushing. Some machines also have functions that you can select so it can clean itself after a touch of a button.

5. Noise

This factor is dependent on the power wattage and speed settings of the unit. Because you are using the blender for ice, you could expect to hear its loudest sound capacity. But did you know that the blender’s characteristics can also affect the noise that it will produce? We recommend checking the model’s surface hollowness, top lid material, and blade design. If you prefer to sacrifice noise over other functions, you can use a damped rubber as the base or as the top lid of the unit to reduce the noise and vibration emitted by the gadget.

If you are keen to have a less noisy model, you might want to consider units like the Ninja Master Prep QB1004 and read our review about it to know more.

Related: How to Choose the Best Iced Tea Maker

Conclusion

Congratulations on reaching the end of this article! We know that you have become more informed about the different types of blenders and the factors to consider before buying one.

We hope that our reviews have helped you narrow down your choices with the hundreds of units to choose from in the market. We recommend the Vitamix 7500 because of its powerful 2.2. HP motor that can guarantee to crush ice easily and effectively. It also has good reviews at top retailers such as QVC, Costco, and Amazon.

Although you can still choose a unit by tailoring it to your needs and features that you want to prioritize. Remember that we have listed the blenders that we reviewed from the most to least pricey so we know that you can find the unit suited for your budget.

We also recommend you to keep updated with the dealers as sometimes they offer discounts. It is true that models with more features will come with a higher price, but even products that are low in price such as the Oster Reverse Crush can have ice-crushing functionality.

Overall, you don’t have to rush when it comes to buying and choosing the best blender for ice. Feel free to revisit and check the points in this article anytime that you want.