By Stephen Phillips

When it comes to crushing ice, some blenders simply don't cut it and leave you with a not-so-smoothie or a worn-out Waring.

If you're planning to become the king or queen of frozen drinks this summer, you may want to invest in a quality blender. As a rule, the higher the price, the greater the durability and ice-crushing power of the blender.

Blenders can range in cost from $25 to $400. Here are some recommended smooth operators with estimated online prices:

Oster Classic Chrome Beehive 2-Speed Blender ($60): Money.com as well as "owner-written ratings" on Amazon.com and Epinions liked this model for its ice-crushing capability and retro styling, although some reported that the motor was a bit loud.

The Oster BVLB07-L Counterforms 2-in-1 Appliance ($90) and Oster Fusion BRLY07-Z00 1000-Watt Blender ($80): These two are "solid" frozen drink-making choices, according to Consumer Reports, but also noisy when running at maximum speed.

Viking Professional Stainless Gray Blender ($140): A commercial-grade blender with a 40-ounce jar cuts through ice cubes as if they were butter.

The Vita-Mix 5000 ($350-$400): This model was ranked best for crushing ice — and just about anything else you can fit into powerful 64-ounce container.

Choosing between stainless steel or plastic and glass is really up to you. Some prefer stainless steel's ability to keep the cold insulated longer. Others like the way glass or plastic allows you to see what's going on inside. A deciding factor on this may be price as stainless steel and other metal containers are more expensive.

Now that you've gotten your blender-buying knowledge up to speed, here's some trivia to prevent brain freeze.

Who invented the blender?

A. Fred Waring
B. Omar Knedlik
C. Stephen Poplawski
D. Dr. Oliver Johnson Schofield

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