The Best Blenders For Frozen Drinks And Smoothies

Several reviewers have retired their Vitamix blenders in favor of this powerful blender. Not only does it have that classic KitchenAid aesthetic, but this blender also is designed to work quickly, easily and powerfully so you can enjoy your food with the click of a button. It includes two on-the-go containers plus a 48-ounce container and three speed options.

Promising review: “WOW this blender is not what I expected….. it’s FAR SUPERIOR to what I expected! I have now retired my Vitamix!! This Kitchen Aid blender is definitely right up there with the Vitamix ….if not BETTER!! This blender will make a perfect smoothie in an instant – push the button for the premade setting of smoothie, slushy, ice crushing, or clean and just walk away. No guessing when it’s finished at all! It blends even small particles to very, very smooth consistency — no chunks ever! The ice crushing is as good as your favorite Snow Cone stand! It’s a perfect blender for someone looking to save several hundred dollars and still get a terrific well made blender. Lots of colors to choose from! And the big draw…..it fits perfectly under the cabinet as it is only 15″ tall! I also like the rubber on the handle so it doesn’t slip from your hand and has rubber feet so it doesn’t slide on counter. The lid even has a tighter fit than the Vitamix. Loads of power, simple to use…just PERFECT! You WON’T be disappointed with this at all!! And if you need a great juicer, get the Nama J2!!” — Carla Musto

“Great blender including to use for crushing ice. Purchased on Amazon from Everything Kitchens who is a great seller, excellent quality rating for product. KitchenAid has always been long lasting products in my experience.” — Linda

“Great for frozen drinks. It does a fantastic job of making a smooth puree of frozen ingredients. Could not be happier. Bought this primarily for smoothies and cocktails.” — James

HuffPost Life and Shopping editorial director Kristen Aiken is devoted to her Ninja Foodi smoothie maker. She now prefers this model over her Vitamix not just for smoothies, but for frozen smoothie bowls, pesto and nut butter as well. “If you or someone you know is constantly complaining about cleaning a giant blender, or simply can’t manage to get the chunks out of smoothies, I highly recommend this one,” she said. This small but mighty blender has a 4.5 out of 5 star rating at Amazon and more than 7,100 5-star reviews at Amazon. The set includes a 14-ounce smoothie bowl maker with built-in tamper that easily and efficiently powers through frozen ingredients, two 24-ounce nutrient extraction cups to blend smoothies (or other liquids) and three lids. The 1,200-peak-watt motor has suction cups at the bottom to firmly attach to your countertop and features six programs for one-touch blend, pulse, smoothies, extractions, bowls and spreads. Best of all, all the parts (aside from the motor) are dishwasher safe.

Promising review: “I love this blender. I use it to do my smoothies and the canister is a good size and so nice to just be able to screw off the one part with the blades and then put on a top with the spot for a straw. Nice that you can just drink out of that same container and not mess up another container. It is so easy to use and clean it. Wish I got a long time ago” — Nancy B. Mack

Reviewers love how powerful this quick and efficient blender is for all kinds of food prep, from frozen drinks to soups and beyond. It has a four-tip stainless steel blending blade that utilizes a smooth flow and powerful vortex to suck all the ingredients straight into the blades for a smooth finish. It has four speeds, a six-cup container, 700-watt motor and is comprised of dishwasher-safe removable parts.

Promising review: “Great value. Works well for smoothies. It does a good job crushing ice, but I usually don’t give it enough time to crush the ice fully. I am very happy with it, it was a great value for the money. Well designed and very easy to clean, too.” — kittychi

“So far, so good. This is a good basic blender. With so many blenders, juicers, food processors, etc on the market, I decided to de-stress myself and just buy a good quality blender. The glass is sturdy, the motor takes on ice cubes with ease. Haven’t had it long enough to comment on durability. I’ve used all the speeds…all work as they should. Recommend!” — Andromeda

“I love this blender. It chops my veggies good & it’s also good for chopping ice.” — Laura D.

The affordable price point of this popular Hamilton Beach blender is pretty irresistible, and the fact that it is versatile and multi-functional is just the icing on the cake. It has a 700-watt motor and stainless steel blades that will deliver everything from smooth hummus to delicious frozen drinks. It has 12 functions, an easy-to-read control panel and is dishwasher safe. This blender is also a great alternative for anyone who prefers a glass container over plastic.

Promising reviews: “I was skeptical due to the reviews, but as a former smoothie/mixologist in both Cleveland and Washington DC, I am very well versed in Vitamix, Ninjas, Etc. I have done low end to very high end personal blenders and regular sized blenders. Despite the reviews, this blender is excellent. It is giving what older blenders from 2000’s that were heavy duty and handy, like my great aunts glass blender from the 80’s-90’s. Perhaps the bad reviews have to due with lack of knowledge, such as liquid to solid ratio. This blender blended a thick smoothie in under 8 seconds. As a former mixologist, always add liquids first then solids, gradually adding more fruit to thicken. Do not overcrowd blender blade and expect magic to happen. I actually prefer this over my previous ninja. Also, the top is awesome it a super clamped on top, make sure you remove the blender from the base before attempting to remove blenders top. 10/10 from me! ⭐️” — Lani Soleil

“I love how heavy duty this glass pitcher is. This blender was able to blend fresh ginger down nice and smooth. There were no large chunks left at all. It made an awesome ginger dressing. This is much better than my last Ninja blender and was at a great price. I would definitely recommend this blender.” — The Guy

No blender will ever be silent, but reviewers across the board noted that this is a relatively quiet blender compared to other popular models. It has a 1,000-watt motor to crush and smooth ice, fruits and veggies. This blender features a 64-ounce blender pitcher and includes a lid and recipe guide. It can reportedly crush ice with ease, making it perfect for resort-style frozen drinks in the luxury and comfort of home.

Promising review: “This is a great blender. This blender is light, well made and more quiet than the last Njnja Blender I had. It is easier to clean. I think you will like it!” — Cheryl C

“Got this primarily for milkshakes, smoothies and crushing ice and this does the job. If you haven’t had a good blender before you might be surprised by how efficient this one is – keep an eye on it when you’re blending because it works FAST. It’s so much fun to use we made milkshakes every night the first week we got it. (Highly recommend a milkshake made with french vanilla ice cream and hot fudge sauce). Now that we’re all a little bit bigger we’ll be moving into more healthy smoothies next week. But this thing ROCKS!” — Mrs. W

“Great blender. Love the ninja it can make milkshakes that would kill a lot of other blenders motors. I’ve killed a few blenders before!” — Steve

This Breville blender is definitely on the higher end of the price spectrum, but it’s made to outperform and outlast, making the financial investment worth it. It’s designed with nine one-touch programs and five speed settings to suit your every need, crush, chop, fold and more. This is essentially a blender and food processor in one, so you can enjoy the smoothest frozen drinks, soup, smoothies, sauces and salsas of your life. The Breville blender has a 50-ounce capacity, includes a lid and features an LCD display.

Promising review: “I’m in love! This blender is simply terrific. I have gone through plenty of blenders but end up with lumps no matter how long I’ve had it going. This one is worth the money. I make shakes every morning with frozen fruit blueberries, strawberrys, papayas, avocados, bananas not all at once but at least 2 or 3 as well as frozen kale. I always end up with either lumps of bananas or gritty kale. This blender makes everything extremely smooth. I usually add protein powder and other healthy stuff which will big down the blending then you have to add more liquid. I had the most smooth smoothie this morning for the first time. I truly recommend this blender. Don’t pay attention to the popular brand name blenders like the O’s and the N’s they just don’t do the job they’re all show but no go. This one beats them by far. It’s easy to clean also. It’s not as noisy either. A great buy all around. Very glad I purchased this blender hope it last for many years to come.” — Amazon customer

“I bought this after reading America’s Test Kitchen reviews, which said this blender was one of the best mid-priced brands. They were right! We’ve put it to the test with ice crushing, fibrous green smoothies, sauces, and purees. It’s sailed through everything with no trouble and produced great quality results.
The noise sounds like a blender. It’s not what I would call obnoxiously loud, and it isn’t quiet either. It does sound like there’s a blender running when it’s on in my kitchen. Don’t put it in your toddler’s bedroom and plan to run it during nap time. Have some sense folks!
The self cleaning feature is AMAZING! This alone is worth buying it. Nothing is more gross than months of scummy blender build up that’s nearly impossible to clean out of the tiny nooks and crannies of the blades. The self cleaning feature totally eliminates that issue. The blender comes out squeaky clean after each self clean!
Overall, this small appliance was a great buy for the cost and quality I received. I’d definitely buy it again and recommend it to my family and friends.” — C. Williams

Whether you’re going on a road trip, camping or want to be able to make a smoothie then quickly take it on the go, the Magic Bullet is set to be your best friend. It weighs just 3.4 pounds total, so you can transport it with ease for constant access to your summer beverage of choice. It includes a 250-watt motor base, a cross blade, one tall cup, one short cup, a party mug, two lip rings, two resealable lids, a to-go lid and a recipe guide.

Promising review: “I was looking for a small but durable blender to make smoothies for breakfast. I am impressed with how well this product works. It is worth every penny spent, very affordable as well and easy to wash. It also comes with on the go cups for the smoothies. Very happy with my purchase!” — Kawaiikainaa

“I’ve tried blenders and portable mixers which were a disaster. Matter of fact, I returned a portable mixer because it wouldn’t blend frozen fruit in water. But this bullet does the job and quickly! All the additional cups and lids are just a plus for in the go. I have one in my home and one at work. They don’t take much counter space. Love having my fresh smoothies in the morning!” — Miss Q