I have a KitchenAid immersion blender and I use it to blend smoothies that I throw a few ice cubes in. It makes an awful racket and I put it on the 8 or 9 setting, but it does a great job! It shows no sign of affecting the motor or blades...yet.

My fiance used to use his immersion blender to make frozen protein shakes in the morning. Ever since we moved in together a couple of years ago he started making them with cold water instead of ice so the sound wouldn't wake me up (how sweet <3).

But he did it for years before and it never damaged the blades.

Using my immersion blender always seemed like a disaster waiting to happen. I love that thing too much to risk using it. I got rid of my blender years ago before a big move because I rarely used it. However, I've recently decided to make smoothies in the morning that I can take with me.

The solution for me was a Hamilton Beach 14 oz. blender. It retails for $20 (it was $15 at Amazon last I checked) and has a plastic BPA-free jar and a lid like you'd find on a travel mug. I throw ingredients in it in the morning, give it a few pulses, and take it with me.

It's much easier and more convenient to clean than a full sized jar and it crushes ice no problem. It is smaller, and I don't think the motor would stand up to crushing a bag of ice in batches, but it does the trick for small jobs.

Braun hand mixers (immersion blenders) have extra attachments which allow you to swap out the immersion attachment and use the motor with an ice crusher, blender or food processor bowl. It's cheaper and smaller than a dedicated blender/ice crusher. You can buy a full kit that includes these, or buy them separately. I've been using mine to crush ice and make blended drinks for many years - no threat to the main purpose or danger to the user.

If you're willing to get a little exercise, you can also do what some high-end cocktail bars like to do -- use an ice-crushing bag and a mallet (any big stick/rolling pin will do). Toss some ice cubes in and whack away! it doesn't produce the same really mushy consistency, but in my opinion it's great for alcoholic drinks. When you're sucking through a straw, you'll only get VERY cold liquid, and almost no ice.

I've tried this, and if you want a slushy kind of margarita, best get a real blender. You can break a couple of cubes floating in liquid with the immersion blender, but you wont be able to get the slushy consistence. Also, I would advise blending in something other than glass, blenders are designed to take the force of ice chunks being hurled against the container by the blade, a regular drinking glass is not, so be careful!

I've actually broken two Kitchenaid immersion blenders on frozen peaches while making smoothies. Happened within a month of each other... but I had used the first one to make four smoothies every weekend for over a year with no problems, so obviously mileage may vary.

BTW, it wasn't the blade or the motor that broke - it was the plastic piece that actually transfers the drive FROM the motor to the blade. So it was loud and annoying, but never any danger of getting blade pieces in my food.

I now pop the frozen peaches in the microwave for 15 seconds before blending.

I would've thought this would be a total disaster...but it seems some people have got it to work (for a smoothie or two in the morning). 'Not sure how it would work for a whole bunch of 'em.

broke mine that way. It was a betty crocker blender and the plastic around the blades broke on the ice cubes. Not at first, but it did happen.

A Bamix could do it, no problem.

@banhmi

Yes! That's what I was going to say! Whenever I see bamix demos they always make homemade snow cones. In like 30 seconds.

I love me bamix.