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The Best Crushed Ice Machine | 2023

Last updated on March 7, 2023

We looked at the top 8 Crushed Ice Machines and dug through the reviews from 110 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best Crushed Ice Machines.

Best Crushed Ice Machine

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Our Picks For The Top Crushed Ice Machines

Show Contents
Our Take
Experts Included
Pros
Cons
  Top Pick

Ninja Easy Clean BPA-Free Crushed Ice Machine Blender

Don't Waste Your Money Seal of Approval

Ninja

Easy Clean BPA-Free Crushed Ice Machine Blender

Overall Take

Most VersatileThis crushed ice machine is a great blender and a crushed ice maker as well, showing a useful versatility.

Experts Included
DWYM Kitchen Experts plus Healthy But Smart, Kitchen Fact, Blender Critics, Juicers and Blenders 101, The Cooking World, TenBestProduct and 12 more. Along with user reviews from Amazon, Walmart, Target and Best Buy.
Pros
" If you’re the type who loves making your own juices, purees, shakes, smoothies, and frozen treats from all kinds of ingredients, then you will most certainly need a heavy-duty blender like the BL610."
  Runner Up

MANBA 3-Blade Fast Crushed Ice Machine

MANBA

3-Blade Fast Crushed Ice Machine

Overall Take

Most AffordableWhen shopping on a budget, this economical crushed ice machine is the way to go.

Experts Included
DWYM Kitchen Experts plus . Along with user reviews from Amazon.
  Strong Contender

ZENY Ultra Fast Electric Crushed Ice Machine

ZENY

Ultra Fast Electric Crushed Ice Machine

Overall Take

Workhorse Ice Crushing MachineThis crushed ice machine is a fast and well-designed machine that can put out commercial quantities of crushed ice.

Experts Included
DWYM Kitchen Experts plus BestReviews, Commercial Ice Machines, Plumbing Lab, Village Bakery, Idses Media, Top 10 Focus and 15 more. Along with user reviews from Amazon and Walmart.
Pros
" Don't let the mid-level price fool you – this powerful, waterproof machine is engineered to produce up to 145 lbs. of shaved ice per hour. Operation and cleanup is easy."
Cons
"Some users complain that the unit seems to drip water as it runs."
  Also Great

VIVOHOME High Efficiency Electric Crushed Ice Machine

VIVOHOME

High Efficiency Electric Crushed Ice Machine

Overall Take

Stable and Powerful Ice CrusherThis crushed ice machine is a powerful and well-built ice crushing machine.

Experts Included
DWYM Kitchen Experts plus Food Shark Marfa, Commercial Ice Machines, Kitchen Rated, Top 10 Focus, The Top Pro, All Top Ten Reviews and 13 more. Along with user reviews from Amazon.
Pros
" One thing we love about this machine is its ability to crush tough and large ice into tiny ones faster. Its aesthetic design makes it's an excellent choice for use at home and commercial use."
Cons
"Looks a bit messy on the purchase"
Don't just take for granted what one reviewer says. Along with our own experts, DWYM analyzes the top expert reviews of the leading products and generates a score you can actually trust.
15

Products Considered

We identified the majority of the crushed ice machines available to purchase.
8

Products Analyzed

We then selected the leading and most popular products for our team to review.

View All Product Rankings

110

Expert Reviews Included

In addition to our expert reviews, we also incorporate feedback and analysis of some of the most respected sources including: Top Fridge, Ice Maker Pro, Kitchen Appliance Land, Top Ice Maker Reviews, Best Ice Shaver Machines.

42,592

User Opinions Analyzed

We also incorporate user reviews from the leading retailers including

Our experts reviewed the top 8 Crushed Ice Machines and also dug through the reviews from 110 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best of the best Crushed Ice Machines.

DWYM is your trusted roduct review source. Our team reviews thousands of product reviews from the trusted top experts and combines them into one easy-to-understand score. Learn more.

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The Best Overall

Ninja Easy Clean BPA-Free Crushed Ice Machine Blender


Our Expert Score

8.7
18 expert reviews

User Summarized Score

8.8
6,718 user reviews

Our Take

We like how this crushed ice machine is a kitchen tool with more than one job. The blender settings work great for making smoothies and the blades are designed to make crushed ice to whatever thickness you want, whether it be fine enough for a snow cone or more coarse for things like iced tea.

What other experts liked

If you’re the type who loves making your own juices, purees, shakes, smoothies, and frozen treats from all kinds of ingredients, then you will most certainly need a heavy-duty blender like the BL610.
- Healthy But Smart
July 11, 2019 | Full review
It’s amazing and super sharp blades especially crush the ice in powder form in no time.
- Kitchen Fact
March 2, 2018 | Full review
The Ninja BL610 has a robust, 1000 watt power motor that definitely takes it to a level of operational efficiency that’s several notches higher than that of any other blender of this price-range!
- Blender Critics
Due to the amazing Total Crushing Technology, Ninja BL610 indeed does the best job while crushing ice into snow in seconds.
- Juicers and Blenders 101
The motor base has a sleek look, with easy-to-read and use buttons. The buttons are flush with the base, making the unit easy to wipe down and surface clean. This is an awesome feature because it makes the cleaning process...
- The Cooking World
June 28, 2019 | Full review
You will love the consistency of the mixture as you pour them from the pitcher and into a glass.
- TenBestProduct
Both the motor base and pitcher are made from sturdy plastic, which makes the unit super lightweight. It’s a great set-up for RVing, parties, barbecues, and the like.
- Veg Byte
March 14, 2019 | Full review
On maintenance, the pitcher is dishwasher safe and this makes it very easy to clean. It is also BPA free, which means that it is very safe to use.
- Home Gear X
This machine has a three-speed control setting, total crushing blades and a pulse function for easy and effective home use.
- MyKitchenAdvisor
November 5, 2019 | Full review
The first thing we noticed is its simplicity. Some people will like that, others not so much. There's a power button, a pulse button to help with crushing ice/large chunks, and three buttons to control how strong the blender is...
- Authority Adviser
February 5, 2019 | Full review
The total crushing blade of this blender is perfect for crushing ice, pureeing, blending, and controlled processing. You can make great drinks and smoothies because it comes with XL 72 oz jar.
- The Z8
September 3, 2019 | Full review
Also, the cleaning is easy with the removable parts being dishwasher safe. To clean the motor base, it’s great to use a damp cloth to clean it.
- Best Kitchen Guide
For your safety, it is a good thing that it has a feature that prevents the blade from spinning unless the pitcher has already been attached to the base.
- Think Eat Save
September 25, 2019 | Full review
The blades are one of the biggest plus points of the Ninja blender. They’re more than good enough for use with some of the things other blenders may struggle with, and allow you to put frozen fruit and ice into...
- Wise Pick
November 10, 2019 | Full review
Ninja bl610 is very secure and It locks onto the base with a satisfying click. The lid locks down with a similar click.
- Best Ninja Blenders
July 15, 2019 | Full review
The powerful motor, the 6 stacked sharp blades and the intuitive panel justify its price. It definitely is one of the best lower-cost blenders.
- TechChef
The massive pitcher is perfect for a big family and anyone who loves to entertain.
- The Best Margarita Machines

What other experts didn't like

However, we can’t fully recommend it if you’re looking for a durable and long-lasting blender. For the price (less than $100), you shouldn’t expect it to last a few years.
- Healthy But Smart
July 11, 2019 | Full review
Little pricey as a single blender.
- Kitchen Fact
March 2, 2018 | Full review
I’ll make no qualms about the fact that the Ninja BL610 is not as compact or lightweight as your average home blender.
- Blender Critics
Pitcher doesn’t have drainage if it’s kept upside down for drying and the moisture can enter the handle which is seemingly impossible to remove. A solution to this is to first wipe the pitcher after washing and keep it upright
- Juicers and Blenders 101
The pitcher design doesn’t have drainage when turned upside down to dry. This can result in condensation in the handle, which seems impossible to remove.
- Veg Byte
March 14, 2019 | Full review
No cup accessories
- Home Gear X
Noisy
- MyKitchenAdvisor
November 5, 2019 | Full review
With all that being said, there are a few negatives we wanted to mention. For one, there have been scattered reports of the plastic container cracking (and even one person that said a whole blew out while they were making...
- Authority Adviser
February 5, 2019 | Full review
Blades can be Prone to Dislodging
- Think Eat Save
September 25, 2019 | Full review
Can overheat if used for a long time
- Wise Pick
November 10, 2019 | Full review
Every time we ran it, we detected a strong burning-motor smell. The jar was hard to get on the base, and the lid was finicky to clamp on. And the base was big and clunky as well as cheap feeling.
- New York Times Wirecutter
It does not have the auto pulse feature but for less money, you can simply perform a manual pulse
- Best Ninja Blenders
July 15, 2019 | Full review
However, we do have one complaint. Considering the price tag of this product the jar/pitcher should be glass and not plastic.
- TechChef
Unfortunately, the BL610 doesn’t come with a single serve pitcher for those times you want to make just one drink.
- The Best Margarita Machines

The Best Bang For Your Buck

VIVOHOME High Efficiency Electric Crushed Ice Machine

Our Expert Score

10.0
19 expert reviews

User Summarized Score

8.8
428 user reviews

Our Take

The anti-vibration design of this crushed ice machine makes it stay in place and remain fairly quiet while in use. The metal construction and powerful motor will have you crushing the toughest ice quickly and with little effort.

What other experts liked

One thing we love about this machine is its ability to crush tough and large ice into tiny ones faster. Its aesthetic design makes it's an excellent choice for use at home and commercial use.
- Food Shark Marfa
This ice shaver maker is specially designed for home aesthetic, restaurants, bars, canteens, snack, stands, fairs, etc. it has an addition of stable workstation and minimized vibration and noise to its lifetime.
- Commercial Ice Machines
April 8, 2019 | Full review
Thanks to its sturdy construction, this unit is highly durable and promises to provide thrills in your home, business, or school fair.
- Kitchen Rated
October 3, 2019 | Full review
The sturdy base means stable workstation and minimized vibration and noise adding to its lifetime.
- Top 10 Focus
The steel finish and solid build quality along with the sleek design make it an excellent product.
- The Top Pro
This Vivohome model snow cone maker sits at the edge of commercial capability. It can make more than 140 pounds of crushed and chopped ice per hour.
- All Top Ten Reviews
May 27, 2019 | Full review
Built with service and food corrosion-resistant stainless steel blade. Rust-resistant and hygienic; quick and easy cleaning.
- VK Perfect
November 6, 2019 | Full review
It is very simple to operate; all you have to do is plug in, add ice cubes, and press the handle for hassle-free shaved ice.
- The Z8
September 7, 2019 | Full review
It’s made of stainless steel which is revered for its reliability, strength, hygiene and easy cleanup.
- 5 Product Reviews
August 24, 2019 | Full review
The VIVOHOME is easy to clean and it is made with a Powerful electric motor that is able to handle even tough ice without having any difficulty.
- HQ Review
For facilitating a smooth operation, the sturdy base helps to maintain a stable stature so that vibration, as well as noise, is reduced.
- DTOPLIST
This is one of their best devices. It is a simple steel device that can be used at home and even in commercial settings.
- Ice Maker Geeks
The processing surprisingly simple. It only requires you to put the ice cubes and push the handle for the item to start shaving.
- Top Home Stuff
It is easy to clean the machine as you only need to wipe after use where it has a stable base and works quietly without making much noise or vibrations thus offering a relaxed atmosphere.
- Top Best 10 Reviews
You will love how user-friendly this product is as it features an automatic power shut off. This means that the blades of this snow cone machine stop rotating immediately the hopper opens to prevent injury.
- Home Gear X
The efficient shaved ice every hour aptly meets the demands of getting a huge amount of ice in a short time interval.
- Disneysmmoms
September 9, 2019 | Full review
The power automatically cuts off and the blade stops when the handle is opened to help you avoid accidents or injury, and this maker features an aesthetically pleasing design that's perfect for events and settings of all kinds.
- Ice Maker Pro
March 1, 2019 | Full review
Safety features are set in place to help ensure that nobody is injured during the operation. The machine’s power will automatically be cut off upon opening of the ice hopper, and all stainless steel material is food-grade and completely hygienic for human use.
- Top Fridge
November 17, 2019 | Full review
It comes with safety water resistant on/off switch for convenience & peace of mind. When hopper handle is opened to avoid injury, power cuts off and blade stops rotating automatically.
- Best Ice Shaver Machines
August 9, 2018 | Full review

What other experts didn't like

Looks a bit messy on the purchase
- Kitchen Rated
October 3, 2019 | Full review
The ugly truth is you might want to leave a towel under the machine as ice can melt and drip under the machine as the result of the machine heat.
- Top 10 Focus
A minor issue is that this unit does spray bits of ice everywhere, including past the edge of the large bowl.
- All Top Ten Reviews
May 27, 2019 | Full review
Although it is a fantastic device, it has a shallow bowl that may frustrate you especially if you want to make large quantities of crushed ice at once.
- Ice Maker Geeks
Nonetheless, its stainless steel construction makes it heavy and so it requires you to handle it with care and requires some effort during transportation.
- Home Gear X
Leaking issues
- Ice Maker Pro
March 1, 2019 | Full review
Weighing over 11 pounds, the VIVOHOME Electric Ice Crusher is a large appliance that is not going to be easy to port around and can be a little bulky to use.
- Top Fridge
November 17, 2019 | Full review

Overall Product Rankings

1. Ninja Easy Clean BPA-Free Crushed Ice Machine Blender

Overall Score: 9.7
Reviews Included: 22

2. MANBA 3-Blade Fast Crushed Ice Machine

Overall Score: 9.6
Reviews Included: 1

3. ZENY Ultra Fast Electric Crushed Ice Machine

Overall Score: 9.2
Reviews Included: 23

4. VIVOHOME High Efficiency Electric Crushed Ice Machine

Overall Score: 9.1
Reviews Included: 20

5. Waring Commercial Crushed Ice Machine

Overall Score: 9.0
Reviews Included: 17

6. Hawaiian Compact Crushed Ice Snow Cone Machine

Overall Score: 9.0
Reviews Included: 23

7. Cuisinart User-Friendly Crushed Ice Snow Cone Machine

Overall Score: 9.0
Reviews Included: 22

8. Gourmia Manual Ice Shaver and Crusher

Overall Score: 8.0
Reviews Included: 6

Our Crushed Ice Machine Findings


Ninja Easy Clean BPA-Free Crushed Ice Machine Blender

What We Liked: We like how this crushed ice machine is a kitchen tool with more than one job. The blender settings work great for making smoothies and the blades are designed to make crushed ice to whatever thickness you want, whether it be fine enough for a snow cone or more coarse for things like iced tea.


MANBA 3-Blade Fast Crushed Ice Machine

What We Liked: Whether you’re looking to create a cold glass of iced tea or a snow cone for the kids, this crushed ice machine has you covered. It’s made with three sharp blades that make quick work of chopping up your ice. The attached bottom container catches the ice shavings, so you can easily transfer them from the container to your glass or bowl.

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ZENY Ultra Fast Electric Crushed Ice Machine

What We Liked: This crushed ice machine will crush up to 145 pounds of ice in an hour. The stainless steel design makes it highly durable and the unit is completely waterproof. This machine looks good on your counter and makes large quantities of crushed ice with ease.


VIVOHOME High Efficiency Electric Crushed Ice Machine

What We Liked: The anti-vibration design of this crushed ice machine makes it stay in place and remain fairly quiet while in use. The metal construction and powerful motor will have you crushing the toughest ice quickly and with little effort.

Our Expert Consultant

Vicki Liston 
Home Improvement Expert

Vicki Liston writes, produces, and narrates “On The Fly…DIY,” an award-winning home improvement and DIY show of unique project tutorials for the casual DIY’er.

Home improvement and all things DIY have been Liston’s passion since she bought her first house in 2007 and she started making video blogs in 2014. She’s performed hundreds of DIY projects, from small ones to major, wall-smashing renovations and can teach you how to make a trendy DIY barn door for cheap. The proceeds earned from “On The Fly…DIY” are donated to no-kill animal shelters and rescue organizations. You can find her show on Prime Video.

Our Crushed Ice Machine Buying Guide

Ice cubes are great for keeping drinks cold in the summertime, but they have limitations that are hard to look past when you want smaller chunks of ice, whether it be for a slushie or simply because you don’t like having an avalanche of ice cubes hit you in the face every time you get near the bottom of your drink. Crushed ice machines are a great feature for those of us who like to mix up various cold beverages in the summer and want the perfect ice for the job. Ice crushing machines vary in their size, construction qualities and even portability, so let’s look into some of the features that stand out in the current ice crushing machines that are on the market.

There are portable ice crushing machines and there are electric ones. The obvious benefit of a portable unit is that you can take it on a boat or to your campsite in the summer and crush up ice cubes for your slushies and refreshing cocktails. The caveat of a portable crushed ice machine is that the energy needed to crush the ice comes from your very own arm and after crushing up ice for dozens of people at your family reunion or your annual pool party, you’ll be feeling quite a lot of fatigue in your arms. The portable, manual crushed ice machines are best if you have fewer people to serve, or maybe if you have some younger people in your group that you can task with the tiring task of crushing ice by hand, but the benefits are fantastic when you can have the luxury of crushed ice wherever you travel. These are simple and fairly cheap to purchase.

“Manual models are best for small amounts of ice,” says Vicki Liston, who writes, produces, and narrates “On The Fly…DIY,” an award-winning home improvement and DIY show of unique project tutorials for the casual DIY’er.

Electric crushed ice machines are much more common and tend to be located in places with electricity like your kitchen or RV. An electric crushed ice machine can be as simple as a blender that has a good speed-setting for crushing ice and can also double as a blender for smoothies when you want to get more functionality out of it.

Stand-alone crushed ice machines can be more effective at crushing ice since they are specifically designed to do so. You can alter the settings to get the chunks of ice exactly the size that suits your needs. Using the crushed ice machines is very straightforward as well: you generally will pour full-sized ice cubes into a spout and watch as it produces the perfect crushed ice to chill your summertime sun tea.

Some models have rubber under their feet and this is a great feature to look for. Without rubberized footpads, the ever-grinding machine will start dancing around on the counter and eventually work itself to an edge where it might take a tumble onto the floor or into your sink. This non-slip functionality can’t be understated as it really helps with the ease-of-use of the machine and will be a simple feature that you won’t regret having.

There is an additional benefit to the rubber feet when you have the manual crushed ice machine. “If your unit is manual, the non-slip bottom will help keep it in place so you don’t have to hold it still while you crank,” Liston says.

When it comes to durability and your crushed ice machine, the materials are a key factor.

“I’ve actually had a plastic machine’s housing explode and send ice flying everywhere after one too many uses, which was only a few months after I bought it,” Liston recalls. “I highly recommend purchasing a crushed ice machine with a metal body as these are much higher quality and should last for years.”

DWYM Fun Fact

Crushed ice cools your drink faster than large ice cubes. This phenomenon is due to the amount of surface area of ice that is directly touching the liquids in your cup. Adding crushed ice will surely help you cool down that tea or soda in the summer, but be aware that your ice will melt much faster when it’s in a crushed form so make sure you don’t take too long enjoying that beverage.

The Crushed Ice Machine Tips and Advice

  • Avoid machines that recommend pre-crushing the ice before running it through the machine. This sounds like a bad joke, but there are models that won’t work well with full cubes of ice, which is likely due to them being designed poorly for their one-and-only task.
  • Figure out how much crushed ice you will want from your machine. There are varying sizes that will help you narrow down your choices. If you think the equivalent of 12 ice cubes is a reasonable volume then you can focus on one of that size, but if you’re supplying ice for a bar or large party, you might look to something a bit bigger.
  • If you like the idea of having a portable crushed ice machine for camping or other outdoor activities, you can opt for a combination of an electric crushed ice machine with a power-inverter that runs from the 12V plug in your vehicle. The pros are that you can crush ice using your car if you are willing to run the engine for a few minutes, but the cons are that you still need a vehicle nearby so this might not work at the beach or on a boat.

About The Author

Russell Hinkle 

Russell Hinkle is a writer and engineer based in Longmont, Colorado. One of Russell Hinkle's favorite hobbies is cooking. He has dabbled in a variety of fad diets, always using them as a fun challenge to cook well-rounded meals that fit into the constraints of the diet. Through years of experience, he knows when it's appropriate to make a very educated decision on products like pans and kitchen gadgets, and he is always looking for the perfect multi-use tools that can save on storage needs while providing the perfect solution to kitchen needs.