Using the blender for making frappes, cubed ice is the easiest place to start, and weighing it makes the batch easy to repeat. The method below works from about 400 grams of cubes, with pulsing rather than one long run.
How-to
How to Blend Ice in Blender: Techniques & Tips
Blending ice in a blender: crush cubes in four steps, match speed and pulse to the amount, and layer frozen ingredients for an even result.
Most frozen drinks go wrong at the ice, not the blend. Dump a full tray of cubes in at top speed and you get uneven chunks, while a few short pulses can turn the same cubes into a fine, even crush.
Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Four steps for crushing ice in a blender
- Place 400 grams of cubed ice in the jar.
- Add a splash of water only if the top cubes need covering, since the maker's guidance says no liquid needs to be added for ice.
- Pulse in short bursts for just under a minute, shaking the jar between pulses so every cube gets reached.
- Strain off any meltwater before the crushed ice goes into a drink, since water speeds up melting.
Match speed and pulse to the amount of ice
Speed is a choice rather than a rule, and the amount of ice should drive it. The top blender for frappes roundup compares motor wattage and jar capacity, which shows which models suit large amounts of ice.
- Ice Crush setting: if the blender has one, select it for ice alone.
- High speed: the choice for drinks built on a large amount of ice.
- Medium speed or pulse: better for a small quantity of ice.
- Pulse: the right call for ingredients that cling to the jar wall.
Layer the frozen ingredients on top
The order you load a jar changes both how it blends and how the drink tastes. Fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and grains go in first, and frozen ingredients and ice cubes sit on top. That is the order to aim for, because a jar loaded the other way round can leave ice sitting untouched while the rest of the mix turns smooth.