How to reduce noise from a mixer grinder

Mixer grinders, also known as “mixies” are very popular appliances, used in many households, especially in India. Mixer grinders can be used to mix and grind: different food ingredients, grate coconut, make puree, powder spices, chop fruits and vegetables and much more.

But you already know that. The problem you’re trying to answer is this; how to reduce noise of a mixer grinder so that it doesn’t bother anyone? Especially in the early morning or at night time when your family and neighbors are sleeping.

I’ve collected the best tips for reducing noise that you can use immediately to your advantage:

1. Move it away from a wall

The sound made by a mixer grinder will resonate on the wall. In other words, the wall reflects the sound and then it bounces around and creates more noise than it has to. By moving the noisy appliance away from the wall you can really cut down on that noise.

2. Hang soft material on the surrounding wall

Placing any soft material on the wall will reduce the resonating noise. You could use a kitchen rag or a towel and simply cover the wall with it while you’re mixing/grinding.

The thicker this material is, the better. The ultimate solution is to hang some acoustic foam on the wall next to the mixer-grinder.

Acoustic foam is pretty affordable and it will absorb all of the echo that is produced. In that case you don’t have to move the appliance away from the wall at all. In fact, you should keep it close to the wall.

3. Place the mixer-grinder on a rubber mat

You’ve probably noticed that a lot of the noise is produced by vibrations. If the mixer-grinder is working on a hard surface, like a kitchen table, the vibrations will get pretty loud.

The solution for this problem is to place some soft and thick material between the hard surface and the mixer grinder when you use it.

While you could use a towel or a rag to do this, the best solution is a cheap anti-vibration mat. It’s thick, looks good and keeps the machine in place when it vibrates.

4. Use your mixer-grinder at a different time

I don’t know your schedule, but when I had problems with a noisy blender I simply used it in the afternoon when everyone was awake. This way it didn’t bother people as much.

When I used it in the morning my neighbors complained about the noise and my girlfriend didn’t appreciate it either! While it’s definitely better to work with fresh produce, keeping the mixed and grinded ingredients in the fridge for a couple of hours isn’t too bad.

5. Soundproof the kitchen door

If your kitchen or bedroom has a door, you’re in luck! Because you can upgrade your door to block sound more effectively. There are some very simple ways to do it such as:

• cover the gaps between the door and the frame with tape
• hang a thick blanket on the door
• place a cheap door sweep on the bottom of the door to cover that gap

I’ve explained the best way to do this (and a few other tips)  in this door soundproofing guide. If you have a sliding door, then this is the article for you.

6. Soundproof the kitchen window

Afraid that the mixer-grinder is waking up the entire neighborhood? Keeping the noise inside your home will be easy if you seal the small gaps in the window frame and cover the window with noise-blocking curtains or similar material.

Here is my full window soundproofing guide with 8 helpful tips that you can use.

7. Purchase a quiet mixer grinder

When you were buying your mixie, you probably didn’t think about the noise it would make at all. But now you know better.

The easiest way to reduce noise by a large margin is to buy a new, quieter mixer-grinder. One that you’ll be able to use at any time of the day without bothering anyone. A silent, dark knight of mixer-grinders. Not the one we deserve, but the one we need!

You may be wondering why would one mixer-grinder be quieter than another? What makes it special? Typically it’s the in-built sound insulation that does the job of blocking the motor noise.

Some appliances have a very thin plastic surface, so the noise resonates and easily passes through them. But some are made specifically to block noise, and that’s why the material surrounding the motor is much thicker and of better quality.

The other reason is the motor itself. Just as a Mustang makes more noise than a Mercedes, here we can observe the same difference. And the final difference is the quality of the blades. Sharper blades will cut through the ingredients more easily and produce less noise.

Those are the 3 major factors that we need to consider. So far, the mixer-grinder that is best when we consider all three of these criteria is the Preethi Eco Twin Jar Mixer-Grinder.

It’s got 550 watts (110 volt) of power, which is enough to grind through the toughest of foods. But it’s still not too powerful to produce tons of noise like other mixies. It has stainless steel blades, and most importantly there is thick insulation surrounding the motor.

There are a few other solid options on the market, but if I was buying a mixie today I’d go with this one.

Final Thoughts

In this article I’ve presented you with 7 different ways to quiet a mixer-grinder. Some involved manipulating your surroundings, others focused on directly lowering the noise from the appliance itself. These are all the best tips I could find that others used and that I could personally think of. Hope it helps!

If you have any questions or soundproof advice, leave a comment below.