A blender is a fantastic piece of equipment to have in the kitchen and can often be the core of a balanced and healthy diet. From breakfast smoothies and fresh juices to creamy vegetable soups and sauces, modern blenders can liquidize even the hardest fruits and vegetables in just a matter of seconds.
If you’ve ever owned a blender, then you’re probably aware of the fact that blenders have two main drawbacks. They’re a pain to wash up, and they produce an infernal racket when powered on, especially the newer and more powerful models.
Waking up the whole house when you are making your morning smoothie isn’t ideal, and waking up the neighbors is even worse. How can we avoid doing this? Are there ways on how to make a blender quiet?
Luckily for you, we looked at some of the things you can try to help make your “blending” mornings slightly less traumatic, as well as some other handy tips that will help keep a happier house.
The first thing that we should probably mention is you need to manage your expectations a bit. All of the methods below will result in a reduction in the noise produced from your blender, but in most cases, we are talking about one or two decibels lower than the usual sound level.
One of the top tips for reducing noise is to use a couple of tea towels. Fold one tea towel in half and place it underneath your blender. This will help to reduce the vibrational noise that reverberates from your countertop.
Use another tea towel to wrap around and cover your blender; literally using it to muffle the sound emitted.
An excellent solution that helps to reduce noise in the same way as a towel would be a silicon or a rubber mat. It can sit underneath your blender at all times.
The closer your blender is to the wall, the louder it will sound. Again, this is due to the sound having more surfaces to bounce off. Thus, slide your blender forward, away from the wall, before switching it on.
A more drastic method and more effective than those mentioned above would be to soundproof the blender. You can buy a special enclosure for your blender which will reduce the noise emitted.
Do note though that they aren’t cheap, and they won’t necessarily fit all blenders, especially those with larger or wider bases. Hence, it would be wise to measure up before you invest.
If you have the supplies and the know-how, you could also try making your own soundproofing box. You could build the box out of anything from cardboard to wood or plastic, and then line the inside of the box with some thick material to act as damping.
This is an affordable option, and you can make it fit your blender perfectly. Just remember to leave one side of the box open so that you can still operate the blender while it’s housed in its new soundproof box.
Although the tips on how to make a blender quiet are helpful, here some of the things you should consider to make the blending process quieter and more peaceful for people:
There are blenders available on the market that are quieter than others because they have low power levels. However, it may mean that running the blender will take a bit longer to get the job done. Others are still very powerful and offer quieter operation, but they often come with a heftier price tag.
Just like you wouldn’t run a vacuum cleaner around the house at seven in the morning, perhaps you could prepare your morning smoothies the evening before? Store them in a bottle or mason jar with a lid and then just give it a good shake up in the morning.
Another option is to make smoothies without a blender. Three ways you can try to do this are:
You can buy concentrated, freeze-dried fruit powders that make delicious smoothies by just adding water. Making sure that the powder you buy doesn’t contain any preservatives or added ingredients, you can still enjoy many of the fruit’s nutrients, without the hassle of chopping and the noise of blending.
If you prefer a creamier texture, then you can also try adding milk (or coconut milk, almond milk, etc.) as well as water. If you prefer an even fruitier taste, then you can combine it with fruit juice.
Using only fruit that is ripe and soft, mash it with a fork in a bowl before adding it to a cup of fruit juice or milk. Of course, it won’t be as smooth as a blended smoothie, but it does allow you to get your morning dose of fruit, in a drink.
These nifty gadgets will chop or blend without the use of an electric motor. You will, of course, be more limited when it comes to the ingredients you can use (softer fruits and vegetables only). Just add your ingredients and turn the handle to blend.
If you’re worried about the noise of your blender in the mornings, whether you’re waking up kids or neighbors, then the first thing to try is to move it away from walls and corners. After which, put a tea towel underneath the machine or put it on top of a mat.
Failing that, try soundproofing the whole machine with a soundproof enclosure. If you still think it’s too loud, then it’s time to start looking at alternative solutions.
You can either try changing your blending schedule and prepare your breakfast smoothie the night before. If you absolutely prefer to consume your smoothie when it is freshly made, then have a look at smoothie options that don’t need a blender, or re-invest in a quieter blender altogether.
Look for low-cost, low-power blenders, or higher cost, high-power blenders that have a solid customer feedback on their low noise levels.