When shopping for the best ice crusher for crushed ice drinks such as smoothies, you want a tool that can stand up to the difficult task repeatedly. We searched online for the best ice crushers based on reviews, customer feedback, professional reviews, low return rate, and overall customer satisfaction. Based on all of the data collected we found that the Vitamix Professional Series 750 was the performer that you can buy today. Continue reading to learn why we picked it as the best and some other good options that may better fit your budget.
Our Number One Pick:
Vitamix Professional Series 750 Blender
Vitamix is probably the best known high end brand of blender. The Professional Series 750 is one of Vitamix’s workhorse designs. This blender can take anything that is thrown at it repeatedly and not blink. It is an absolute monster.
This commercial grade blender has 2.2 horsepower which is pretty crazy for a blender. It has 5 settings which include a smoothie setting, frozen dessert, purée, hot soup, and self cleaning. The smoothie setting is likely what you keyed in on but an important note is the hot soup setting. I know you’re reading this article to learn about the best ice crusher but bear with me. This blender is so powerful that you can put soup in it and it will heat it simply from the power of friction from the blades being spun by the commercial grade electric motor. The soup won’t just be warm, it will be hot enough to serve. Steaming hot!
The self cleaning setting is pretty handy and impressive as well. Add a little warm water and a single drop of soap and once the self cleaning setting has been turned on it’ll spin the warm water and soap around and clean all the bits of food that were left inside.
Power at this level does come at a price but you simply won’t find a better blender. This truly is the best ice crusher you can buy to make smoothies.
Best Ice Crusher For The Money:
Ninja BlendMax DUO with Auto-iQ Boost (BL2013)
At less than half the price of the Vitamix you may think the Ninja BlendMax Duo would be half the power or half the quality. Fortunately that just isn’t the case. Ninja has made a name for itself by targeting the bargain blender market with commercial grade electric motors. The BlendMax Duo is an absolute beast at nearly the same power as the Vitamix. The BlendMax Duo has 2 full horsepower which is only .2 horsepower less than the Vitamix.
Build quality is also very good. Customers reported very high overall satisfaction and Ninja provides a 1 year warranty in the event you’re not convinced they can provide near Vitamix quality at such a good price.
The BlendMax Duo won’t heat soup and isn’t designed for hot liquids but that’s not what you came to this post looking for. If you want a beast of a blender at a very affordable price and can demolish ice without skipping a beat then the Ninja BlendMax Duo is the blender for the job.
Worth Considering:
Nutri Ninja Pro Blender
You don’t need to step all the way up to a full sized blender to get a powerful ice crusher. The Nutri Ninja Pro is a personal sized blender similar to the Nutri Bullet but with an incredibly powerful electric Ninja motor inside. This little blender has over half the power (900 Watts) of the BlendMax Duo (1600 Watts) for a fraction of the cost. 900 watts is more than enough power to demolish anything you place in the smaller container of the Nutri Ninja Pro. Since the container is limited in space there isn’t as much need for raw power. This does mean that you won’t be able to crush as much ice as quickly as you could with a full sized blender but this little guy can crush just as well as its big brother just a little more slowly.
If you can’t justify the cost of the BlendMax Duo and you’re not going to be crushing ice on a large scale then this little blender could be all that you really need.
Additional Information:
Things To Keep In Mind
Can all blenders crush ice?
Probably not. Some blenders probably just don’t have what it takes to handle the demands of ice crushing on a regular basis. Be sure to read the manufacturers directions on what can and can not be blended prior to attempting things that are more difficult such as ice.
Can I crush ice with hand blender?
No. An immersion blender or stick blender just isn’t going to be up to the task. The ice will likely destroy the electric motor before you have produced a satisfying amount of ice. If that’s your only option, you could try crushing the ice some with a hammer or something similar so that it is broken down some and then use the immersion blender on it. This still probably is outside what the manufacturer intended so be sure to read the instruction manual before attempting this technique yourself.
What’s the best way to crush ice in a blender?
Instead of just chucking in a bunch of ice and flicking the blender controls to “devastate”, try adding a little water to the mix. It’ll help the ice break down and also help prevent the ice from flinging around so violently.
Other Resources:
Helpful Links
Wrapping Up:
Summary Of Our Ice Crusher Review
Finding the best ice crusher can be a challenge. Many blenders just aren’t up to the challenge. They may put on a strong face and work well for a time but ultimately they just can’t take the punishment that crushing ice dishes out to a blender. The Vitamix Professional Series 750 is without a doubt the best ice crusher on the market that money can buy today. It isn’t cheap but it is a monster. The Ninja BlendMax Duo is nearly as capable a blender at approximately half the price or less. If your requirements for vast quantities of crushed ice are low, the Nutri Ninja Pro is a great personal sized blender that is a powerhouse in a pint sized package.