If you’re making frozen drinks at home, you will probably want to put down the shaker and plug in a blender. In my opinion, frozen drinks should be silky smooth with an icy texture. Therefore, I've set out to find the best blender for frozen drinks that money can buy!
As long as you have the right blender, you can whip up a batch of slushy concoctions for your family and friends (or for yourself) in no time.
Grab your favorite drink recipe and read on to learn which ice crushing blenders excel at creating the perfect frozen drink every time.
Top Frozen Drink Blender
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Best Blender for Frozen Alcoholic Drinks
The Ninja Professional 72 Oz Countertop Blender is a powerful countertop model. The 1000 watt power base combined with the unique crushing blades result in a smooth frozen drink in just minutes. Perfect for when you have last-minute guests!
Not all blenders are good at shaving ice, leaving your drinks unpleasantly chunky. Thankfully, that isn’t the case with this model. The six blades can shave, crush, blend, and essentially transform your ice to snow. Ideal for icy margaritas or creamy pina coladas.
The 72 ounce capacity means you can keep the drinks flowing quickly and effortlessly at your next party.
Pros:
- 6 blades
- Large capacity
- Dishwasher safe
- 25 recipe cookbook included
Cons:
- Loud
- Plastic container
If you’re looking for a professional-grade blender, the Vitamix 7500 Blender is a top contender. It’s high-performance motor packs a punch but doesn’t overheat the machine body so you can make batch after batch. The stainless-steel blades can efficiently chop up whatever you throw at them, making the smoothest of frozen drinks.
If you like your texture a bit icier, you can adjust the speed control and use the pulse feature. The variable speeds let you create custom drinks just like a real bartender.
Cleaning and storage are a breeze. The moderately sized 64 ounce bowl fits nicely on your countertop or in a cupboard. To clean, add a drop of dish soap to warm water and the blender will do the rest in only sixty seconds. Freeing up your time, so you can get back to sipping your delicious creation.
Pros:
- Pulse feature
- High powered
- Unique, heavy duty container
- Easy to clean
Cons:
- Heavy at 13 pounds
- Less affordable
Best Small Blender for Frozen Drinks
Searching for a perfectly sized countertop blender that can still get the job done? The Oster Master Series Blender is a petitely sized blender that makes whipping up icy drinks a (tropical) breeze. The 24 ounce bowl can take up residence on your counter full time without getting in the way.
You don’t have to be a professional mixologist thanks to the smart settings. There are two programmed settings, 3 speeds, and a pulse button. Inside, the blade assembly stands out from other models. The unique shape allows ingredients to flow down into the blades for smoother blending and a more consistent texture, a must for favorites like bahama mamas.
A portable blender cup is included; and it fits perfectly onto the blender base. After work, you can mix up a drink for one right in the cup and then take it directly from the blending base to the back porch.
Pros:
- Durable glass container
- Portable blender cup included
- Versatile crush pro blades
- Programmable settings
- Small footprint on countertop
Cons:
- Difficult to disassemble base for cleaning
Best Blender for Blended Coffee Drinks
The Homgeek Blender Smoothie Maker is an ultra-fast, professional-grade blender. This model can certainly churn out a couple of iced drinks, but it can also handle large portions when you are entertaining.
The high speed, 25000 rpm motor results in perfectly smooth beverages in very little time, because when you are hosting a party who wants to spend all their time in the kitchen?
Just select a pre-programmed setting or choose one of the eight available speeds to crush ice and blend to the optimal consistency. The oversized, two-liter big cup has a pitcher spout, enabling you to pour directly from the blender without spilling. The bowl is drop resistant up to thirty-three feet, should your get-together get a little wild.
Pros:
- Powerful 1450 watt motor
- Large capacity
- Dishwasher safe
- BPA-free Tritan container
- Variety of speed options
Cons:
- Lid can be difficult to remove
- Not suitable for continuous batch blending
Best Blender for Making Frozen Cocktails
Whether you are blending up a margarita or a delicious frozen hot chocolate, you want your drink to have just the right texture and be free of lumps. To achieve this with some blenders you need to constantly remove the lid and stir the contents. Not with the Blendtec Total Classic Countertop Blender.
The unique four-sided bowl has a broad square base that creates a vortex. This continually pulls ingredients towards the blades for the smoothest blend. The square bowl also has a large capacity. At 75 ounces it can easily make enough for four people.
While it isn’t exactly set-it-and-forget-it, the six pre-programmed buttons couldn’t make whipping up frozen drinks any simpler. If you want to adjust your texture, the available ten speeds allow you to get the exact consistency you were looking for. Ice and frozen fruits are no match for the steel-forged blades. This heavy-duty blender can tackle daiquiris, frosé’s, and even your average slushy.
Pros:
- Available in 3 colors
- Easy to clean with a drop of soap
- 10 speeds
- 6 pre-programmed buttons
- 8 year warranty
- Assembled in the USA
Cons:
- Loud
Best Cheap Blender for Frozen Drinks
If you are frequently the bartender on duty for your party, you would love the Hamilton Beach Wave Crusher Blender. It’s ideal for serving drinks, as it has an easy pour spout lid. Say goodbye to messes or spills as you try to pour into a fancy glass, the spout has got you covered!
Aside from this wonderful addition, the blender is great at devouring ice. It can churn out drink after drink, all with a sinfully smooth texture. This is because the ingredients are forced down into the blades instead of up the walls courtesy of the wave-action saber blades.
When you are finished, the 40 ounce jar fits well in the dishwasher and effortlessly separates from the base and blades, which are also dishwasher safe. The base includes storage for the cord so as not to clutter your cabinets. This is the perfect blender to pull out whenever it's island time.
Pros:
- Small footprint on countertop
- Storage for power cord
- Pour spout
- Affordable
- Blades, collar, and jar separate for deep cleaning
Cons:
- 700 watts of power
- Not good with large batches
Best Home Blender for Frozen Drinks
The Ninja Professional Countertop Blender BL 660 is a complete set, including travel cups, and a single serve blade assembly excellent for making a few frozen drinks to take out on the porch or balcony. The bowl is a whopping 72 ounces and the to go cups come in at an impressive 16 ounces each.
The blender itself is professional-grade, which means large capacity, high powered, and sturdy. In seconds the total crushing blades turn ice cubes into slush with an even texture, resulting in the most refreshing frozen drinks.
The settings are pretty straightforward, and include three speeds as well as a pulse button, taking the hassle out of making icy beverages. The flexibility of being able to use the large container or the single serve blade assembly really make the BL 660 stand out.
Pros:
- 1110 watts of power
- To go cups included
- Large capacity
- Single serve blade assembly
- Dishwasher safe parts
Cons:
- No pre-programmed settings
- Excessive plastic parts
Guide to Buying the Best Blender for Frozen Drinks
Almost all blenders can crush ice, but not all can produce smooth textured frozen drinks. When shopping for a blender to make icy beverages there are a few things you should consider. By researching the features of each, you will hopefully be able to settle on the perfect blender for making delicious frozen concoctions.
Price
You don’t want your blender to break the bank. Some models are relatively inexpensive while others can be considered an investment.
Generally, blenders with lower motor power tend to be very affordable. For example, a great starter blender like the 700 watt Hamilton Beach Wave Crusher Blender will still leave you with enough money to buy mixers and extra ice.
If your home is the regular group hang out spot, maybe everyone can pitch in to buy a blender that will keep the drinks flowing at your next party.
Container Capacity
Do you find yourself making only enough for a glass or two? Or, do you frequently make batches for your guests? The capacity of your blender container will depend on how many frozen drinks you need to make at one time.
Some blenders like the Blendtec have large pitchers that can make enough for four to five people, while others can only handle two servings at a time. But remember, the smaller the blender the easier to store.
If you are torn about your decision, then an option like the Ninja Professional Countertop Blender BL 660 might be best for you due to the fact that it comes with a large pitcher and two small single serve cups as well.
Blades
The blades also play a role in the consistency of your drink. To avoid lumps you want sturdy blades that pull the ice and ingredients down into a vortex, this way chunks aren’t left on the sides of the bowl.
It's also worth considering the strength and material of your blades. Weak blades may leave you standing in front of your blender for ten to fifteen minutes while you continually have to stir, shake, and pulse the blender base.
If the idea of babysitting your blender until your drink is ready makes you cringe, then a model like the Vitamix 7500 would be a great choice as the blades are crafted from aircraft-grade stainless steel.
Power
Making frozen drinks is quite different from, say, blending a soup. Frozen drinks require crushed ice, or what blender manufacturers frequently refer to as snow.
To achieve a smooth icy consistency, you want to make sure your base and motor produce enough watts of power and that your blades are strong enough to pulverize chunks of ice.
Don't have a countertop blender, but still want to make frozen drinks? It is still possible to blend frozen drinks using lower powered personal blenders. I really like the Nutribullet Pro for its ability to whip up a quick drink to go.
If you intend to do this, I suggest breaking up any large pieces of ice first using an ice bag in order to help your blender achieve its mission.
Special Features
Some blenders include special features like pre-programmed settings, pulse buttons, pouring spouts, and more. Though they aren’t necessary for making a frozen drink they can be helpful.
Special blender features can also enhance your experience with your blender. I recommend reading through any manuals or recipe books that come with your blender in order to fully utilize all that it has to offer.
FAQ's
Do frozen drink blenders only make frozen drinks?
The good news is no! The blenders in this guide excel at making frozen drinks, but they can do so much more.
Many of them can make nutritious smoothies, warm hearty soups, and even rich batters. If they are powerful enough to turn ice into snow they can most likely handle any other ingredients you throw at them.
How do you blend ice smoothly?
Strong blender blades that essentially shave the ice into fine snow produce frozen drinks with that ideal slushy texture. All of the blenders in this guide can easily blend ice. Just keep in mind, if you are working with extremely large cubes of ice that your blender may sputter a little.
Adding your ice cubes slowly instead of all at once can also prevent large chunks of ice from remaining in your finished drink. Also, once you see and hear that the ice pieces are mostly blended, don't be afraid to boost your blender on high for a few seconds for that last extra push towards silky smooth textures.
How can I keep my frozen drink from separating?
The best way to keep your icy drinks from separating is by blending the ice and drink mix with a powerful blender in which the blades draw all the ingredients into the blades, resulting in a consistent texture.
Aside from this, freezing some of your drink mix in an ice tray before blending works well. Alcoholic frozen drink mix won’t freeze solid but will have the consistency of a popsicle, making it perfect for blending.
Do I have to have a blender to make frozen drinks?
It depends. You can absolutely make frozen drinks using simple recipes and then freezing the contents using freezer bags. From here, you would need to squeeze the contents of your drink into your glass.
Another option would be to use a shaker cup to make chilled drinks. You will not get a blended consistency, but you can definitely add small bits of ice to your shaker in order to chill down your beverage.
Conclusion
Any of these great blenders will give you restaurant-quality frozen drinks. If you are looking for the best blender to give you nothing but sweet, slushy sips, the Ninja Professional 72 Oz Countertop Blender is the model for you. Its powerful motor and sturdy blades are ice crushing pros.
The Oster Master Series Blender is a strong second. The durable glass container and strong blades makes it perfect for serving up frozen drinks at parties or get-togethers.
No matter where you live you can turn your kitchen into an island oasis where the drinks are always cold. All you need is the perfect frozen drink blender!