Crushing ice at home, with or without a blender, is an easy and cheap way to make your drinks more popular. Whether stocking up your home bar or just making a cool refreshment, knowing how to crush ice cubes can make all the difference.
In this blog, we’ll show you the best way to crush ice using tools you likely already have—whether it’s a basic blender or other affordable options—so you can impress your guests with perfectly frosty, easy-to-make drinks.
Method 1 – How To Crush Ice In a Blender
Using a blender or food processor is the easiest way to make crushed ice. It’s quick and gives you a consistent texture every time. Follow these simple steps to make crushed ice effortlessly:
- Add Ice Cubes: Fill your blender or food processor halfway with ice cubes. Add a splash of water; this helps the blades move through the ice more smoothly, making crushing easier on your blender.
- Pulse and Shake: Use the pulse function on your blender or food processor for this step. Short, quick pulses are key. Give the blender a gentle shake between pulses to ensure all the ice cubes get evenly crushed. Aim to do this pulse-and-shake routine for under a minute, but keep an eye on the texture as you go.
- Check and Strain: After pulsing, check the consistency of the ice to make sure it’s just how you like it. If it’s not fine enough, give it a few more pulses. Once you’re happy with the texture, strain the crushed ice to remove excess water. This prevents the ice from melting too quickly.
Use these steps with any 800-watt to 1000-watt blender or food processor. Tests have demonstrated that popular brands like Nutribullet, Vitamix, and Thermomix can do it effectively.
A big plus is how fast and easily these machines can crush a batch! They also let you make the ice as fine or coarse as you like with consistent results. A negative is that they are louder than doing it by hand.
Method 2 – How To Crush Ice Using The Tea Towel Method
To crush ice without a blender, you’ll need a tea towel, a heavy tool like a mallet or rolling pin, and your hands:
- Wrap the Ice: Place your ice cubes in the middle of the tea towel. Then, fold the towel over the ice, completely covering it. Make sure it’s snug so the ice doesn’t escape.
- Crush the Ice: With your ice securely wrapped in the towel, crush the ice with the mallet or rolling pin. Hit the towel-covered ice with controlled strikes. You can also roll the pin over the ice for more even crushing.
- Check the Texture: Open the towel to check on the ice. If it’s not crushed enough for your liking, wrap it back up and repeat.
For this method, you need to do some physical work, and it’s slower than using a machine.
Method 3 – How To Crush Ice Using a Plastic Bag
Similar to the previous method in this case you’ll need a durable plastic bag and a muddler, hammer, or rolling pin:
- Fill the Bag with Ice: Put your ice cubes into the plastic bag. Don’t stuff it too full; leave space for the ice to break apart.
- Seal the Bag: Close the bag securely. This keeps the ice in and prevents any mess.
- Crush the Ice: Lay the bag on a sturdy surface. Use your muddler, hammer, or rolling pin to hit or roll over the bag.
- Check the Texture every 30 seconds to a minute: Open the bag to see how the ice looks. If it’s not crushed enough for your drink or recipe, seal the bag and crush it more.
You can easily do this anywhere, even outside of a kitchen. It may result in unevenly crushed ice without careful technique.
Method 4 – Use a professional crushed ice maker
Using a professional ice blender is the easiest way to get perfect, consistent crushed ice every time without much effort. They are quieter than your blender and are sold as home models or versions designed for our professional bartending environments.
Cocktails
Even though cubed ice is more common in bartending, finely crushed ice is exactly what you need to make certain cocktails. Here are the most famous cocktails that call for crushed ice…
Slushies
The finely crushed ice blends easily with various flavors and syrups, creating a smooth, icy texture perfect for slushies. In a slushie machine or blender, the crushed ice mixes with the liquid ingredients, and the blades break down the ice into a slush-like consistency. This method is popular for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic slushies.
Here are the most popular ones:
- Frozen Margarita
- Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri
- Pina Colada
- Miami Vice
- Saturn
FAQs
What is crushed ice?
Crushed ice is tiny bits of ice made by crushing larger ice cubes into smaller pieces. It’s key in slushies and cocktail recipes to chill, dilute, and enhance the overall drink experience.
Can you buy pre-crushed ice?
Yes, bags of pre-crushed ice are available at many grocery stores, convenience stores, and ice vending machines.
How do you store crushed ice?
Store it in a sealed bag or container in the freezer to avoid clumping together.
Is crushed ice the same as shaved ice?
No, crushed ice is chunkier and less uniform than shaved ice, which is very fine and fluffy, resembling snow.
When to use ice cubes vs crushed ice?
This depends on the specific needs of your drink. Crushed ice works wonders for a quick cool-down and a smooth texture of your cocktail. On the other hand, ice cubes are better suited for slowly savoring your drink, keeping it chilled and flavorful over time.
What about dry ice?
If you have a chunk of dry ice and want smaller bits, be careful when you chip them off. Chip away at the ice by putting a chisel where you want it and gently tapping it with a hammer. Read our article about How To Handle Dry Ice.
Learn choosing the right ice for you drink: Nugget Ice vs Crushed Ice vs Pebble Ice – How to Make Clear Ice
