With so many TV shows that promote kitchen skills (“Top Chef” “Hell’s Kitchen” etc) no wonder more and more people start to imagine themselves as professionals in their own comfortable cooking areas. A popular appliance to rely heavily upon when cooking is a good blender. It adds a restaurant-quality touch to your homemade meals and drinks. It does a great job when it comes to chopping, mixing, pureeing and crushing food, coffee beans and often ice. When you want to buy the best blender to crush ice and other hard ingredients you should look for a sturdy model with a powerful engine but also an easy to use model. Also, check out some customer reviews to make sure it’s buyers used it for more than 2-3 years.
What to Look for in a Blender for Crushing Ice and Frozen Fruits
Let’s see which are the most important features to be followed when buying a blender.
The Blending Jar Material
Nowadays the most popular materials for a blending jar are plastic and glass. We personally recommend glass since the models are more sturdy and durable. Another plus would be that glass never alters the taste of your food.
The plastic models are made of a special, hardy and hard-to-wear plastic, BPA free. They also sport a very attractive price that makes them hard to pass by.
The Container’s Capacity
Whether you want to feed a “crowd” or you ride solo, both cases require that you pay attention to the blender’s capacity before buying the best model. The container should be as large as possible to accommodate situations where it is necessary to prepare products or beverages in larger quantities.
A large container can easily prepare smaller quantities of beverages, smoothies, soups, sauces etc. Instead, a small container only brings frustrations and extra work when you decide to have friends and family over.
Opt for a blender with a container of at least one liter in volume (33 ounces).
Blender Blades
The blender’s blades are perhaps the most important piece. When you want to prepare ice beverages, for example, resistant blades are required. The best blade construction material is stainless steel.
Also look for the device to be equipped with an S-shaped blade. There are plenty of recipes that specify that it is necessary to use such a blade.
Functions and Extras
Pay attention to the functions and settings the blender offers. It is good to have multiple speed and turbo functions.
The turbo function implies greater power for a quick start with best results.
There are models that provide a predetermined rotational speed for large shredding, mixing or breaking the ice.
The Motor Power
One of the most important features to guide you when planning a good purchase is the blender’s power. When it comes to crushing ice or preparing smoothies out of more solid foods such as green vegetables, nuts or seeds, a higher power motor is needed.
The higher the blender power, the better the texture of the product. For smoother, creamier results make sure to purchase a blender with a minimum power of 600 W.
The Blender’s Base
The base of the blender is the one containing all the mechanisms, the control panel and the display if any. If you have to choose between plastic and metal, it is good to choose the latter.
The metal base provides better durability and a longer life for the appliance.
Blendtec Total Blender
Get rid of all the small appliances and make room for the powerful, high-end Blendtec Blender. It makes smoothies, fresh juice, ice cream, milkshakes, cappuccinos, margaritas, soups, sauces, bread dough, dressings, salsas and more! The large blade and large jar combination powers through tougher blending tasks and larger recipes with ease—and saves precious time.
Features
- Commercial-quality 1,560-watt countertop blender with 3 HP direct-drive motor
- Preprogrammed blending cycles; digital touchpad controls; auto shutoff
- 2-strong stainless-steel blade spins at up to 29,000 rpm; ice-crushing guarantee
- 2-quart square blending jar; secure-fitting lid; user guide and recipes included
- Measures 7 by 8 by 15.5 inches;
- 3-year motor-base warranty; 1-year jar warranty; lifetime coupling-and-blade warranty
Ninja Professional Blender (NJ600)
A mix of outstanding performance and sleek design ensure a high rank for Ninja NJ600 in our best ice crushing blender top. The professional, 1000 watts motor is perfect for ice crushing, blending, pureeing, and controlled processing. Crush ice, whole fruits and vegetables in no time!
Features
- Generous 72-ounce pitcher
- 1000-watts professional grade motor for heavy duty blending and processing
- Pitcher, lid and blades are dishwasher safe
- Ninja 6-blade technology
- Ultimate ice crushing action – blasts solid ice cubes into powdery snow in seconds
- Cord Storage
- Warranty – 1 Year
Oster VERSA Blender
If you appreciate power, precision and value there could be no better choice than an Oster Versa Performance Blender. Enjoy superior versatility with this amazing appliance that comes with a 1400-watt motor and a stainless-steel blade that spins over 250 MPH to blend effortlessly any type of food. If you need extra power, use the Pulse function.
Features
- 1400-Watt Motor
- 3 Programmed Settings, Plus Pulse: Smoothie, Soup, and Dips/Spreads
- Variable Speed Dial
- Stainless-Steel Blade
- 64-Ounce BPA-Free Tritan Plastic Jar: with no-mess spout, easy-to-read measurements and secure-fitting lid
- Tamper Included: tamper lets you move difficult-to-process ingredients down into the blade for perfect blends
- Quick Connection Top
- All-Metal Drive for reliable, long-lasting performance
- Sturdy Base: sturdy base prevents movement or slipping during operation
- 2 Recipe Books Included: Gourmet Cuisine and Fresh & Fit Recipes
- 7-Year Limited Warranty
Breville Boss Superblender
Amazing features help this Breville blender rank top in our blender crushing ice challenge. This powerful unit has 2 peak-horsepower motor and a special “ice crusher” mode: the large cube of ice in smooth slush in about 60 seconds. The stainless steel design looks equally beautiful in both modern and traditional cuisines.
Features
- 2 peak-horsepower motor
- Five one-touch functions: smoothie, green smoothie, frozen dessert, soup and pulse/ice crush make it easy to achieve the perfect texture
- Variable speed dial makes it easy to fine-tune texture while blending
- High-velocity ProKinetix blade and bowl system pulverizes virtually any combination of ingredients and creates smaller particles for a smoother outcome
- Easy-to-operate controls with large, backlit LCD display
- Timer function for set-and-forget convenience
- Dedicated cleaning function
- The tight-fitting lid is vented to allow steam to escape when blending hot soups and features Breville’s ring assist for easy opening and closing
- BPA-free Tritan jug
- 7-year warranty
Cleanblend:1800-Watt Commercial Blender
Oversized and virtually unbreakable, this is the ideal appliance for an active family that embraces a healthy lifestyle.
Features
- Efficient 3 horsepower motor
- Oversized, virtually unbreakable 64-ounce BPA Free container
- Stainless steel enclosed blade assembly with sealed ball bearing
- Includes tamper wand for extreme processing power
- Metal-to-metal driver
- NEW 5 Year Warranty Included (Previously a 2-year warranty)
Vitamix 750 Professional
This extremely powerful blender turns ice into “snow” in a matter of seconds- look for consumer reports. It is a bit pricey but you will experience the professional feel from the first use. The engine is powerful enough to chop an apple core and all, turns the leaves fast and generates enough heat to make hot soup. Use it to grind grains into flour, coffee beans, and cheese fondues with no worries. This mixer is extremely durable and has a long, seven-year warranty.
Features
- Brushed stainless steel exterior
- 2-piece Santoprene rubber lid with a removable plug for adding ingredients while using it
- 2-Peak horsepower (1200 watts of power and capable of reaching 24000 RPM) motor and wide blade radius
- Stainless steel blade construction
- Pulse function
- full 7-year warranty
Crushing Ice Without a Blender
Preparing a fresh cocktail made from crushed ice when you don’t have a blender in hand can be challenging but not impossible! Though a bit more rudimentary, it gets the job done:
- Put the ice cubes in a resistant bag and wrap it in a towel.
- Use an old pastry roller or a small hammer to crush them. If you opt for the hammer use gentle taps not full strong blows in order not to ruin the working surface.
- Once crushed, all you have to do is put your ice cubes in an ice bucket, and serve your guests or use them in your favorite drinks.
I have a Ninja nj600 and I will never buy another one. It was for my wife and she used it to make protene shakes using almond milk and ice cubes. It did not last very long. The planetary gears and transmission housing gears stripped and now it’s just takes up space. I took it apart, but can find no one who sells the needed parts to fix it. After reading 10 different web pages on best blenders I have decided to buy her an Oster Versa. I have found ninja replacement motors with bases on Amazon and eBay ranging in price from $26 to $69 dollars, but I have lost faith in their products.
Hello David! I am sorry to hear about your bad experience with Ninja! They seem pretty sturdy but since we are in a consumerism society it is hard to guarantee for the longevity of a product! Good thing Versa has a 7 years warranty- I hope you will enjoy it for much more!
hello! i would like to ask if american heritage blender with model ahbl-6170 safe for crushing ice? thanks
Hello jhe zamora! Thank you for your question! Personally I believe the model you mentioned could do a good job only if you rarely use it for ice crushing- I think it is a small to medium power model that would not do great for daily use! I see you write from Philippine- if you find on your market there, for just 10$ extra I would give a closer look to this model: Nutri Ninja Pro (BL450). Good luck with your search for the perfect blender!
good review….
we have a “different” test criterior…..
put an empty water bottle (500ml from supermarket), with label and cap removed, into the blender and reduce it to powder.
how does the blender do?
how quickly does it do the task?
Hello, Malcolm! Thanks for joining in! Interesting criterion :). I am not sure of the results since the consistency and size of the elements that you would normally put in a blender differ from a plastic bottle.
My Favorite is the blender by Karmin 🙂