Portable ice makers are a great way to enjoy ice at home, the office, camping, your RV or even on your boat. Portable ice makers are compact, fast, easy to clean, and useful in several ways.
The different ways to use a portable ice maker are numerous, and as long as you have water and a power outlet you can use your portable ice maker anywhere.
What if you want to enjoy crushed ice with a portable ice maker?
As far as I can find online, there isn’t a portable ice maker that makes crushed ice directly. Even though you can’t achieve this type of ice through a portable unit directly, there are ways to enjoy crushed ice with a portable ice maker at home.
In this article, I want to show you how you can use a portable ice maker to create awesome, refreshing crushed ice in just a few simple steps.
USE A MANUAL ICE CRUSHER
The first way to enjoy crushed ice with a portable ice maker is to make ice, and then use a manual ice crusher. A manual ice crusher is easy to use and provides great crushed ice in minutes. Add your ice and then turn the hand crank until you get the ice size you desire.
The Innovee Manual Ice Crusher
The Innovee Manual Ice Crusher is made with a rust-proof alloy construction, carbon steel blades and a non-slip handle. Follow the link to purchase it on Amazon.
This manual ice crusher is perfect for bars and kitchens of all sizes. Make ice with your portable ice maker and deposit it directly into the ice crusher, turn the handle and enjoy. It’s that simple.
The Westmark Manual Ice Crusher
If you are looking for a cheaper way to crush portable ice maker ice, then I would suggest purchasing the Westmark Germany Manual Ice Crusher. It’s a handtool that is designed to crush ice with very little effort. This is made for cocktails, mixed drinks, and to cool your summer drinks rapidly. Use the link above to head over to Amazon and check out the price.
The Westmark Manual Ice Crusher is easy to clean and it’s dishwasher safe.
If you like finely shaved ice, you could purchase an ice shaver that would compliment your portable ice maker nicely.
The Costzon Electric Ice Crusher
The Costzon Electric Ice Crusher is a heavy duty, stainless steel ice machine that is perfect for parties or any gatherings. Use the link provided to check out the price on Amazon.
The Costzon Electric Ice Crusher has a convenient ice funnel design allows you to add a large amount of ice directly into the machine.
The 12-cup ice holding bin is perfect to see how much ice you have ready. The great thing about this ice crusher is that this unit crushes ice effortlessly and efficiently.
Use this ice crusher for a host of different purposes. It can crush your ice and make shaved ice. This is great to make a bunch of cool iced drinks.
USE AN OLD-SCHOOL METHOD
The second way of getting crushed ice with a portable ice maker is using an old-school method.
Add your ice to a towel and then fold that towel over the ice. Next, beat the ice with an ice mallet until you get the ice consistent. This old-schooled method is a quick way to enjoy crushed ice for your specialty drinks. It doesn’t take a long to time to get ice crushed, and if you do it correctly, it won’t make that big of a mess.
It’s critical that you use the towel so that it keeps all the pieces of ice together. If you do not use the towel, you’re going to be shooting ice everywhere.
You could also use a plastic bag to crush the ice. Add the ice to a freezer bag and then use an ice mallet to break it up.
Viski SS-TRU-4371 4371 Professional Lewis Ice Bag and Mallet
Try using the Viski SS-TRU-4371 4371 Professional Lewis Ice Bag and Mallet. You can purchase this on Amazon and have everything that you need to start crushing your ice for your cocktails or other drinks. Another excellent product for this method is the Lewis Bag or the Cocktail Kingdom “Schmallet” Ice Mallet, both are also available on Amazon (Click on the product name above, and see the best price on Amazon).
USE A KITCHEN BLENDER
The last way to create crushed ice is to use a good kitchen blender. It’s important that not all blenders are created equal, so you want to make sure that you get the correct one for the job. Add the ice to your blender, and use the pulse feature to crush the ice to your desired consistency.
Don’t let it run long though, or you’re going to have snow. Snow is perfect for building a snowman, but it’s not that good for cooling down your drink.
The NutriBullet Pro
There are a few blenders that work very well for crushing your ice. The first blender that I recommend is the NutriBullet Pro (Amazon link provided with the best price).
This is because it gives you the power of how long the pulsating action occurs by just pushing down on the plastic container. Push down for as long as you like, and watch how the ice gets chewed up by the high-torque power base with powerful 900-watt motor.
The NutriBullet Pro gives you a glass built-in to its design. All you have to do is unscrew the blades and add your drink to the glass and you’re ready to go.
The Sharkninja Professional Blender
The Sharkninja Professional Countertop Blender is perfect for crushing ice as well, you have a pulse button that gives you the ability to spin the blades as needed. This blender also has several blades at different heights, so it makes breaking ice fast and convenient. The Sharkninja was designed with crushing ice in mind – it’s perfect for making frozen drinks, slushies, ice cream shakes, ice cream and so much more.
As far as kitchen blenders are concerned, the Sharkninja is the king. I own one of these machines and I have to tell you, it handles ice like a boss. It does do an excellent job crushing ice and it’s great for your kitchen because you can use it for so many different reasons.
If you are looking to make crushed ice with your portable ice maker, then these easy ways are perfect for you.
Expert Tip: Make sure that your portable ice is nice and hard before crushing it. I would recommend that you take the ice from the portable ice maker and keep it in the freezer for a couple of hours for the best results. I always keep ice in the freezer, just incase I need a Lot of ice at one time.
If you are looking to purchase a portable ice maker, we have a comprehensive buyers guide that will help you choose the right machine for the job. We also have a great list of ice shavers and ice cream makers that you’ll love on those hot summer days (or any day).
I also want to tell you of a soft chewable ice that works like crushed ice and that’s nugget ice. Nugget ice or sonic ice is a very popular ice because it easy on your teeth so it’s great to chew. It very a very porous ice so it soaks up the flavor of your drink.
The best portable ice maker for sonic ice (nugget ice) is the Opal nugget ice maker. I love the Opal Nugget Ice Maker, and I know that you’d love it as well. You can read my full review and why I believe it’s perfect for any home.
If you have any questions please or comments, you can add them below.
