Best blenders for your frozen drinks and even soup

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- No summer party is complete without margaritas and other frozen drinks, which means you need a blender that can handle crushing lots of ice.

Consumer Reports says not all consumer-grade blenders are up to the task of making those perfect frosty drinks. Its ratings cover almost 70 full-sized blenders that were put through some pretty tough tests. And only a handful aced the test for icy drinks.

Consumer Reports tests each blender by making a batch of nonalcoholic piña coladas.

CR also tests how well a blender crushes ice without the help of water or using the pulse button.

Vitamix's Professional Series 750 has held a top spot in CR's ratings for quite some time, but it's pricey at $650.

For $100, consider the Ninja Professional. It's excellent when it comes to blending an icy drink, and it demolished the ice-crush test.

Consumer Reports also evaluates how well a blender purées vegetables into a smooth consistency. So when the cold weather hits, you can switch from frozen drinks to a warm soup. Both the recommended Vitamix and Ninja Professional are up to the task, and deliver Excellent and Very Good pureeing results, respectively.

For now, keep cool and check out Consumer Reports' website to learn how to make the perfect frosé, or wine slushy, at home.

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