Never owned this one but the reviews are good on it.

and you can get it for about $70.

I mostly use a stick blender myself, wife got me one for Christmas, a "Bamix Professional Immersion Blender" but about cheapest I have seen on those is around $180 at Williams & Sonoma.

Here is a link that might be useful: KitchenAid KSB560

I have the Cuisinart Immersion Smart Stick Blender for about $30 I think it was and it is fantastic. Use it for everything. It's the one that has the beaker that comes with it. I use the beaker for making shakes and drinks and it does crush the ice in the drink. Of course you can use it for all your cooking, too.

Those immersion blenders will crush ice?

I've never seen one in action.

Mine crushes ice. I just put 5 or 6 cubes in the beaker with the fixins for a shake and the ice gets all crushed.

Mine crushes ice. I just put 5 or 6 cubes in the beaker with the fixins for a shake or margarita or whatever and the ice gets all crushed.

It depends on the brand for immersion blenders. If you take a look at the manuals for the ones you're considering it will have a warning not to do that if it's not strong enough for it.

Mine just says better results using crushed ice not cubes, but doesn't have a warning not to use cubes. And of course I am using 5-6 cubes at a time, not a beakerful. No problems and I;ve done this everyday for a year and a half, so I think what I am doing is fine and it does crush the ice. OP asked question re an occasional diaquiri which is like my use.

Patty0315:"No problems and I;ve done this everyday for a year and a half, so I think what I am doing is fine and it does crush the ice."

Better watch out, you may end up at the Jimmy Buffett Liver Institute. ;-D

LOL. Not a margarita or diaquiri everyday. Mostly a Weight Watchers protein shake. (:

I bought a Vitamix for this after not being happy with the Blendtec.

However were I to do it again I would try the Ninja. It's about $100, and if you are near Bed Bath and Beyond, they have a great return policy if it doesn't work well.

My Immersion Blender crushes ice really well, but it is the really nice Bamix commercial grade type.

I have a like new Oster Classic Beehive Blender 350watt which rates very highly in most reviews.
We got it a couple of years ago and used it I think maybe 3-4 times then wife got me the Bamix and it has just been sitting in the cabinet. I was about to put it up on craigslist.
It sells for around $75 on average I think.

Anyone wants it, id sell it for $20 plus what ever shipping.

Here is a link that might be useful: Blender

Thanks all! Lots of good suggestions here.

Oster makes pretty good blenders for the money. Check on the watts, generally the more the better.

Another vote for the Kitchen Aid. Have been using this brand for decades and been very happy.

I also have the Oster beehive and LOVE it.
It came with a small work bowl/processor, a salad dressing blending container, a metal jar as well as a GLASS (not plastic) jar for blending.
Under $40 and still working after many years.

Not exactly what we had in mind, but at $40 shipped, its pretty tempting.

Daily Woot

I have that Ninja system it is pretty amazing! It can make ice chopped so fine that we make snow cones. I like the motor sitting on top. I make protein shakes all the time. I bought it at Costco about 6 months ago. It takes about 5 quick pulses to chop ice and a few more to make snow.

Correction...it was Sam's Club not Costco.

Good to hear as I ordered one yesterday morning based on the reviews at Amazon and elsewhere.

BTW, the wooot link no longer works for that deal as they change deals every day.

I got an Oster as a shower gift 30+ years ago and it still works great. I don't use it constantly, mostly for mixed drinks but it's gone through a lot of ice in those years.

My current issue of Consumer Reports rates Vitamix 5200 first with 76 total points, price is $450.

However the Ninja Master Prep Professional QB1004, at $60. came in second - and it's overall score was 73!