I was sent this to try and must admit, I was a little skeptical of how this would perform vs a typical blender. I am impressed though, the ice is just like what you would get in a snowcone. I had to play around with the amount of ice vs liquid to get a good ratio but it's easy enough to add more liquid and give it another stir if needed. It is quieter than a traditional blender too, just loud enough that people will know where the party is. Really excited to take this boating over the summer.