The 5 Best Blenders For Frozen Drinks - Summer 2024 Reviews

The Vitamix 7500 is the best blender for frozen drinks we've tested. Generally, we recommend the Vitamix 5200 as the best overall full-size blender. The 7500 is similar, with the same straightforward analog controls and a very sturdy design. However, its wider-based jar allows it to handle more ice cubes at once, and it makes snow-like ice more quickly, so it's even better for preparing crushed ice for cocktails or blending frozen drinks like slushies. Depending on where you buy it, it comes with a seven-year U.S. warranty, which is much longer than the usual one-year warranty for blenders. The main jar's 64-ounce capacity is enough to make multiple servings at once, and the two-part lid allows you to pour in more liquid or use the tamper for thicker blends.

Aside from its ice-crushing ability, this blender also easily creates a silky blend with fibrous ingredients, so it's a great choice if you're looking for the best blender for frozen fruits. Unlike the 5200, it doesn't perform as well if you're working with small batches, so for recipes like smoothies, it'll do a better job if you fill the jar to its full capacity. This blender has no automatic blending programs. It's easy to use the pulse switch for ice crushing, but if you prefer a blender that runs and stops automatically, other Vitamix blenders are just as good for crushing ice. The Vitamix Propel 750 is just a bit more expensive but has a few automatic blending programs on its dial, including 'Smoothie' and 'Frozen Dessert.' It's quite a bit louder, however.

If you aren't interested in paying that much for a blender, the KitchenAid K400 offers similar performance at a lower price. This cheaper blender has a shorter warranty than the Vitamix and doesn't have the same premium build quality. However, it's still well-built and easily handles fibrous fruits and vegetables, so frozen drinks with ingredients like pineapple or blueberries have a smooth texture. It has a smaller 56-ounce capacity and doesn't crush ice quite as fast, but it's still well-suited for frozen drinks like slushies and blended margaritas. It performs well with small batches of ingredients, meaning you can use it for single-serves.

Unfortunately, it's not as well-built as our top pick and has a much shorter one-year U.S. warranty, which may be a concern if you use your blender daily. It's also a bit louder, but on the plus side, it has preset programs for 'Ice Crush,' 'Icy Drink,' and 'Smoothie,' so you don't need to stand near the blender the whole time it's running. The non-removable blades can require some scrubbing when cleaning by hand, but the jar and lid are dishwasher-safe.

If you're looking for a cheaper option, the Ninja Detect Power Blender Pro is the best blender for margaritas and other frozen drinks in the mid-range. This model has a 72oz main jar with a spiral blade design. It's a newer model from Ninja, but basically, any blender from this manufacturer with a similar blade design does a fantastic job of crushing ice. While it's not as good at processing fibrous ingredients as the previous picks, it can still make a mostly smooth blend with leafy greens or pineapple. It has no problem crushing big batches of ice in seconds. The lid has a pouring spout, so you can easily serve blended margaritas or slushies from the pitcher without spilling.

This blender's 'Detect' feature is meant to automatically detect what you're blending and adjust its performance accordingly. You sometimes have to add a few minutes of manual blending at the end for the best results, but if you like blending programs that stop the blender automatically, it's a good option. This blender only comes with one jar, but if you want a personal jar for smoothies, the Ninja Detect Duo Power Blender Pro is the same blender with a 24oz personal jar included. However, the spiral blade design makes cleaning these blenders by hand annoying. The blades are very sharp, so you must be careful not to cut yourself.

The Ninja Professional Blender 1000 is the best budget blender for frozen drinks that we've tested. This blender has a simpler design than the Ninja Detect Power Blender Pro and doesn't perform as well for blending fibrous ingredients. However, it's just as good at ice crushing and easily makes snow-like ice, just like the previous pick. It also comes with a similar lid with a pouring spout.

It's not as well-suited for fruit-based drinks since it makes a grainy blend with fibrous ingredients like fruit skin, even after several minutes of blending. It has simple controls, with a few manual blending speeds and a pulse mode, but no automatic blending programs. If you want a blender that stops at the end of a blending cycle, you might prefer the Ninja SMOOTHIEiQ, which has an almost identical design with the addition of a 'Smoothie' blending program. However, it's mainly available at Costco (U.S.), so it's not as easy to get your hands on.

If you like making frozen drinks for a crowd at summer parties, you may want a blender with a large-capacity pitcher, like the other full-size blenders listed here. On the other hand, if you're not usually serving a lot of people or want to save space in your kitchen, the Ninja TWISTi High-Speed Blender DUO is the best blender for frozen drinks we've tested. In terms of size, it's between a full-size blender and a personal blender. Its 34-ounce main jar can fit enough to serve one or two people and easily crushes ice for recipes like blended margaritas and slushies. There's also a personal jar included if you want to make a smaller batch.

The lid has arms built into it that you can rotate to stir your recipe as it blends. This 'built-in tamper' feature can make it easier to process thicker mixtures, like drinks with a lot of ice or frozen fruit like strawberries. This blender also makes a smooth blend with fibrous elements like blueberry skin, so your frozen drink will be free of unprocessed bits and grains. It's sturdy and offers a few automatic blending programs. Unfortunately, it's the loudest blender on this list, which will get annoying if you use it to make several batches in a row.