Top Blenders for Frozen Drinks

A blender is one of those kitchen appliances that can dramatically change your cooking experience, your diet, and even your lifestyle. Blenders save time and effort. They blend, chop, pulverize, emulsify, grind, whip, whisk and do much more. You can use them for making baby food or smoothies, or for far more complex tasks.

Ice and frozen fruit and vegetables are a challenging task for a blender. If icy shakes, cocktails, and smoothies are something you want to enjoy daily, you will need a powerful machine with quality stainless steel blades and durable blending container.

High-performance blenders like this are usually at the medium to the top of the price range. This is why it’s important to choose a high-quality blender that will serve you for years making lots and lots of frozen drinks.

Comparison of Best Blenders for Frozen Drinks:

PhotoProductPowerCapacityDetails
Oster 2102821000 W48 ozView On Amazon
Cleanblend 20011800 W64 ozView On Amazon
Vitamix 52001380 W64 ozView On Amazon
Ninja BL6601100 W72 oz jug, 16 oz cupView On Amazon
Ninja QB900B400 W48 oz jug, 16 oz chopping cupView On Amazon
Hamilton Beach 54220700 W40 oz jugView On Amazon

Best Blenders for Frozen Drinks: Review

Oster BVCB07-Z00-NP0

Oster BVCB07-Z00-NP0

If you are looking for a quality blender to make your frozen drinks but don’t want to splurge on an expensive device, here might be a good option for you. Oster Reverse Crush Counterforms Blender isn’t a groundbreaking state-of-the-art high-power machine but it’s been on the market for a while and proved to be quite reliable.

It’s a basic blender with basic functions but its 1000 W motor is powerful enough to impress you with the texture and smoothness of the frozen drinks it makes. It even has two preset programs for making frozen drinks and for chopping. Manual settings include Low Pulse and High Pulse modes as well as 3-speed options.

Another feature that allows this machine breaking and pulverizing frozen fruit and veggies is its robust system of 6 stainless steel blades. Very sharp and curved in different directions, they pull ingredients down and easily turn them into smooth nutritious drinks.

Oster Reverse Crush Counterforms Blender also offers a high-impact borosilicate glass jug that holds 6 cups and is durable enough to withstand blending those frozen drinks day after day.

Pros:

  • Affordable
  • Powerful enough to easily crush ice and frozen fruit and veggies
  • A unique system of 6 stainless steel blades
  • Durable and eco-friendly boro glass jug
  • The preset frozen drinks program

FAQ:

1. I need a blender that can pulverize leafy vegetables into a smooth mass, without any grains or chunks of food. Can this blender do that?

Oster Reverse Crush Counterforms Blender is capable of making your drinks perfectly smooth, no matter what you give it. Whether it’s frozen fruit and berries or kale and broccoli, it will pulverize it nicely.

2. The ad says that this blender’s blades can move in a reverse direction. Is there a setting to switch this function on?

No, there is no switch for that. The blades will move in reverse direction automatically to get rid of all the chunks of food stuck to the bottom.

3. Can I use this blender to make nut butter?

Yes, you can. This blender is good at grinding dry ingredients like nuts or coffee beans.


Cleanblend 2001

Cleanblend 2001

Cleanblend 1800 W Commercial Blender boasts to have all the features of Vitamix professional-grade blenders for a much lower price. Perhaps this is the reason it was designed to look very similar to Vitamix machines. It offers the same sleek black-and-gray look and a bulky rectangular-shaped base with manual controls.

Like Vitamix blenders, this one has a hefty motor with 1800 W of power and offers multiple functions from making smoothies to batters and hot soups. To add more precision to any task, there are multiple speed options and the Pulse mode.

For a blending machine this powerful, it’s not a problem to blend any frozen ingredients into delicious drinks with a perfectly smooth consistency. Thanks to 8 stainless steel blades there is no task that this blender can’t tackle.

And a large 64-ounce BPA-free plastic jug will allow making fresh and nutritious meals for an entire family.

Pros:

  • Very similar to the expensive professional-grade machines on the market for half the price.
  • Powerful blender designed to tackle challenging tasks
  • Perfect for crushing ice and making icy drinks

FAQ:

1. How easy is it to switch between different processing speeds? Does it make the blender jitter?

It’s very easy to switch from one-speed mode to another. There may be a small lag but it goes from one-speed mode to another within seconds.

2. How well does this blender pulverize fibrous fruits and vegetables? Are there any lumps and chunks?

Cleanblend 1800 W Commercial Blender is powerful enough to pulverize any ingredients you throw into the blending jug smoothly.

3. How well does this blender crush regular sized ice cubes?

Extremely well. It can easily turn even large ice cubes into the snow, so you might want to use the Pulse mode if you just want to shave the ice.


Vitamix 5200

Vitamix 5200

One of the blender market undeniable leaders, Vitamix is the staple of power and quality. This is not the most powerful model of the Vitamix line but it offers the same level of quality and functionality we’ve all come to know and love.

You can make ice-cream, whip up batter for your pancakes, grind dry foods, blend hot liquids and of course make the delicious frozen drinks. And you don’t need a ton of kitchen appliances for this: Vitamix 5200 Professional-Grade Blender can do it all and more. And of course, making frozen drinks is not a problem for it at all. Just choose the right speed and use the Pulse mode for a smoother or chunkier consistency, whichever you like most.

The 64-ounce jug with measurement marks for your convenience can make meals for your entire family within minutes. You might appreciate this if you don’t have the time or desire to spend hours in your kitchen.

This blender has that signature design that makes Vitamix blenders easily recognizable. Muted colors, a clean and simple look, and solid quality in every detail.

Pros:

  • A blender from one of the most popular brands on the market
  • Professional-grade quality
  • High-power blending machine
  • Easy to use
  • Makes several batches of delicious frozen drinks at a time

FAQ:

1. It seems like this blender has lots of functions. Can I use this blender to make juice?

Vitamix 5200 Professional-Grade Blender can do a lot but it still a blender and not a juicer. If what you want to do is liquefy fruits by keeping the nutritious fibers in them, then yes, this blender can do it. But if you want to squeeze some juice out of fresh fruit, you’ll need to use a juicer.

2. How does this blender compare to Ninja blenders?

I think it depends on the model and what you use your blender for but Vitamix blenders are generally better-performing machines.

3. Does this blender make ice-cream with smooth texture or do you still feel the ice in it after you whip it up?

Vitamix 5200 Professional-Grade Blender is efficient enough to provide a very smooth texture for your ice-creams.


Ninja BL660

Ninja BL660

If you ever wanted to have both a powerful countertop blending machine and a personal-sized blender but didn’t want to spend money on two different devices, this might be the right pick for you. Ninja Professional Blender BL660 is a two-in-one solution.

You can use it as a classic countertop blender with a large 72-ounce jug or attach a small 16-ounce cup to a removable set of blades and make a drink just for you.

It also comes with a couple of lids so just after making your favorite frozen drinks, you can put a lid on a cup and take it with you to have on the go.

It’s not as powerful or versatile as some high-end blenders but it still offers a fair amount of versatility. If you prefer chunky consistency in your drinks and sauces, you can use the bigger container and if you want some perfectly emulsified frozen drinks, use the smaller cup.

You can vary the smoothness of the consistency of your drinks by playing with the 3 available speed options and the Pulse mode.

Pros:

  • Fairly powerful and versatile blender
  • Affordable
  • Combines a high-capacity countertop machine and a single-serve blender
  • Has no problem crushing ice for smooth frozen drinks

FAQ:

1. Can this blender make mayo?

Technically, you can but it would be better to whisk it up using a handheld mixer. This blender is not designed to whip up sauces like mayonnaise.

2. What’s this blender’s country of origin?

Ninja Professional Blender BL660 is manufactured in China.

3. Can this blender make vegetable purees?

Yes, it can. This blender makes great purees, especially out of softer well-cooked veggies.


Ninja QB900B

Ninja QB900B

This is the only small, low-power single-serve blender on this list but it’s here for a reason. When it comes to making frozen drinks, Ninja Blender QB900B performs wonderfully and doesn’t feel inferior to much more powerful machines.

It seems to be more of a combination of a small food processor and a blender, with all the functions it offers. It comes with a blending cup and a chopping cup and an extra set of blades.

While 400 W of power might seem like not much at all, this small machine can still pack a punch making smoothies, crushing ice for icy drinks, and grinding dry ingredients.

One of the interesting things about it is this blender’s motor is on the top of the machine and it’s the part you have to fix on top of the blending container and not the other way around.

This allows for smoother, more thorough blending: something you need when you make frozen drinks and don’t want pieces of ice in it.

The package includes two containers with two lids and n extra set of blades.

Pros:

  • One of the most affordable blenders for making frozen drinks
  • Small and compact
  • Very easy to operate and clean

FAQ:

1. This blender is quite small and has a low power capacity. Can it efficiently crush ice?

Ninja Blender QB900B crushes ice and frozen fruit extremely well.

2. I’d like to use this blender for baby food but I want it perfectly smooth. Can it do that?

This blender can puree and emulsify food pretty well. Use Pulse mode by pressing and letting go of the top for your preferred consistency.

3. How many speed options does this blender have?

Ninja Blender QB900B doesn’t have any. There is only one speed when you switch the blender by pushing the button at the top down.


Hamilton Beach 54220

Hamilton Beach 54220

This is one of those solid reliable blenders we can often see on kitchen countertops. It’s not too powerful, not too versatile and most certainly not groundbreaking. At the same time, it’s fairly reliable and has all the basic blending functions you need. It blends, it mixes, crushes ice and pulverizes. If you feel like this is what you need from a blender, you might want to consider this one.

You might be especially interested in it if I tell you that working with ice cubes, ice pellets, and frozen foods is something this blender does quite well. It’s 700 W motor has enough power to pulverize frozen ingredients and turn them into refreshing icy drinks.

Low Pulse and High Pulse modes will allow you reaching the desired consistency. Remaining 6-speed options offer some versatility in making more or less textured meals.

One of its great features is a capacious 40-ounce jug made of eco-friendly durable glass. This countertop blender is designed to make preparing meals for yourself and your family easier while being as uncomplicated as possible.

Pros:

  • Powerful enough to easily crush ice and frozen ingredients
  • Quite affordable
  • Features a family-size glass jug

FAQ:

1. How well does it crush ice?

This blender can easily crush ice finely so you never feel any pieces of ice in your frozen drinks. You don’t even have to add much liquid.

2. How good is it with chopping?

Since it’s a very basic blender, likely, it will rather pulverize food than chop it.

3. Can I add hot sauces and liquids in it?

No. This blender isn’t designed to work with hot ingredients.


Blender FAQ

What is the best blender for frozen fruit?

As my list proves, you don’t always need a high-power blender to make great frozen drinks. However, you’ll need a blender of high quality and reliable enough to serve you for years.

One thing to pay special attention to is the durability of blades and blending containers. The blades must be made of hardened stainless steel. The container should be made of food-grade BPA-free materials.

All of the blenders on the list match these criteria. However, if I had to choose a machine for making frozen drinks based on its performance, quality, and durability, I would choose the Vitamix 5200 Professional-Grade Blender or the Cleanblend 1800 W Commercial Blender.

They might not be the most affordable blenders on the market but you can be sure that a machine like this will be your icy drink maker for years to come. In the long run, it’s cheaper than buying short-living inexpensive devices.

What is the best blender for making smoothies with ice?

I’d say that I would still stick with Vitamix and Cleanblend for the reasons I stated above. However, if what I needed was not a large countertop machine but a small personal-sized blender, I’d choose Ninja Blender QB900B or Ninja Professional Blender BL660.

They both are great at making icy smoothies and quite affordable to boot.

Can you make frozen drinks in a food processor?

Technically, yes, you can use a food processor for making frozen drinks, if you want to. However, food processors are not designed to work with liquids. If you want to make a thicker, less moist mass, using a food processor might be fine. If you want a liquid drink, use a blender.

What can you not put in a blender?

One of the most obvious answers is you can’t put in a blender anything that’s not food. However, there are a few less obvious things you must never, ever put in your blender’s container.

Also, read more articles about blenders:

For example, don’t try to blend dried fruit, coffee beans or hot liquids unless the user manual specifically says that the blending machine you are using is designed to do that. Putting deep-frozen foods in a regular blender also might not be a good idea unless it’s a high-power machine.

About the author

Lou Anderson

Lou Anderson

Lou Anderson is a keen home and garden innovator with over 25 years of hands-on experience in, home improvement, landscape gardening and all things appliance related to making life easier and more interesting.

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