Have you ever wondered why blenders are so loud and noisy? If you have, this article is for you.
In this piece, we will explore:
- Why are blenders so loud and noisy?
- How do I make my blender quieter?
- Is a food processor quieter than a blender?
- What are the quietest blenders?
So, Why Are Blenders so Loud and Noisy?
Blenders are much more highly engineered and complicated machines than most people realize. Inside a blender, you will find a high-speed electric motor and a collection of bearings, gears, couplings, and fans. When you turn on your blender, you set all of these parts in motion along with the blades and whatever you have loaded in your blender pitcher, which creates a lot of vibration. Vibration translates to noise. Blenders are loud and noisy because you have a large collection of small parts operating at high speeds and under significant loads.
How Do I Make My Blender Quieter?
There are several steps you can take to reduce the noise from your blender.
- Make sure that your blender is sitting level. Any object that is allowed to move is going to create more noise. Making sure your blender is level and sitting firmly in place will significantly reduce the amount of noise it generates.
- Place a silicon mat or other vibration damping material under your blender. Blenders often seem much noisier than they really are because their vibrations are transferred to the table or countertop under them, where they are multiplied. Think of a drumhead. Cushioning the surface under your blender can do a lot to quiet them down.
- Move your blender away from or eliminate hard-surfaced walls. The echo effect can greatly multiply the perceived noise that your blender makes. Moving your blender away from hard surfaces or dampening the sound reflection with soft materials like foam or carpeting can reduce the racket.
- Use a blending box. You can create a noise-reducing blending box from an old cardboard container or build a nicer one if you like. A blending box is an enclosure where you can sit your blender inside or slip it over the top of your blender. It is covered on the inside with sound dampening material. It doesn’t have to fully enclose your blender, but at least three sides are recommended. You can see examples of their use in many smoothie shops.
Is a Food Processor Quieter Than a Blender?
As a general rule, a food processor should be slightly quieter than a blender for the simple reason that most food processors operate at much lower speeds. In practice, there are too many variables to give a definitive answer.
The quality of the individual model’s design and construction, what you are processing, the type of blades being used, and the actual running speed will all impact how loud you perceive an appliance to be.
Most blenders produce about 88 dB (decibels), but some models run at 68 dB, the same level as everyday human conversations. Food processors average around 80 dB for mid-level models.
What are the Quietest Blenders?
Many quality brands have models designed to run quieter than the norm. While how loud a blender operates can depend on many factors, including location, speed, and what is being blended, two models seem to top everyone’s lists regardless of the testing criteria; the BlendTec Professional 800 and Vitamix Quiet One. Both are high-powered machines that should handle any blending need you might have.
If you feel these are more blender than you need, take note that lower-powered blenders of equal quality will normally operate quieter than stronger models. With blenders, as with cars, power comes at a cost, and part of that cost is noise.
Hey, I’m Joey. I’ve been cooking since I was a little kid and love everything about it. You can find my writing about food, kitchen appliances (such as blenders) and much more. Thanks for stopping by!
