# How to use a blender without making a huge mess **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 9, 2004, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-a-blender-without-making-a-huge-mess/278958 "2004-12-09T17:47:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Avumede](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/avumede/32/7235_2.png) [@Avumede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avumede)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-a-blender-without-making-a-huge-mess/278958/1 "2004-12-09T17:47:41Z")
Using a blender strikes me as a no-brainer. However, try as I might, every time I blend something, I end up with some amount of liquid coming out of the top of the blender. If I try to press down on the top to keep it sealed, liquid spurts out anyway, in fact worse than when I just let it alone. I must be missing something. I seem to recall chefs on TV operate their blenders without much trouble. So, what’s the trick? ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-a-blender-without-making-a-huge-mess/278958/2 "2004-12-09T17:54:52Z")
It sounds as if you’re putting too much liquid in your blender. Blend in batches, my friend, and see if that makes a difference. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-a-blender-without-making-a-huge-mess/278958/3 "2004-12-09T19:14:49Z")
One word: Duct tape. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-a-blender-without-making-a-huge-mess/278958/4 "2004-12-09T20:06:01Z")
Are you blending hot liquids? They are very hard to deal with as the heat expands the air in the container, blowing the top open. Making the batches smaller will help, and starting the blender slowly can help too. Start the blender on the lowest speed, then ramp up to higher speeds. Here’s another trick, remove the inner cup thingy in the lid of your blender, you know, where you can pour stuff in. Put the lid on, then put a folded kitchen towel over the hole and hold it down with your hand. The porous towel will let pressure escape so the lid stays on, but will hold in the liquid, even if it gets a mite dirty in the process. ---
**Author:** ![KP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a9adbd/32.png) [@KP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KP)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-a-blender-without-making-a-huge-mess/278958/5 "2004-12-09T21:43:46Z")
While all the above are valid, I find that a few seconds at the lowest speed (until things stabilize), followed by a steady speed-up (pausing if there is, e.g., a shift in the unmixed contents of the pitcher) allows me to reach top speed with a minimum of mess. It won’t affect whatever you are making in the slightest. Watch the contents of the pitcher as they begin to blend, instead of the speed buttons. ---
**Author:** ![Avumede](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/avumede/32/7235_2.png) [@Avumede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avumede)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-a-blender-without-making-a-huge-mess/278958/6 "2004-12-10T13:51:49Z")
Thanks for the replies. I actually do start on the lowest setting, which still makes the mess. I’ll try the towel trick, though, it looks promising. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-a-blender-without-making-a-huge-mess/278958/7 "2004-12-10T17:36:22Z")
I’ll second whoever had the caution about blending hot things - I’d never had trouble with the blender until I made black bean soup, half of which was supposed to go in the blender. I was doing two batches, which seemed like plenty of safeguard against this “blending hot things” problem I’d heard about. You have never, ever seen such a mess as what happened with that blender. Add in the appearance of black beans and it looked like an outhouse had _exploded_ in my kitchen. Took me hours to clean it up and for a week I’d find bits I’d missed. Don’t let it happen to you! ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-a-blender-without-making-a-huge-mess/278958/8 "2004-12-10T19:18:42Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > I’ll second whoever had the caution about blending hot things - I’d never had trouble with the blender until I made black bean soup, half of which was supposed to go in the blender. I was doing two batches, which seemed like plenty of safeguard against this “blending hot things” problem I’d heard about. You have never, ever seen such a mess as what happened with that blender. Add in the appearance of black beans and it looked like an outhouse had _exploded_ in my kitchen. Took me hours to clean it up and for a week I’d find bits I’d missed. Don’t let it happen to you! Use a stick blender. They’re about $25 and great for soups - you can blend stuff right in the pot, I use mine for this all the time. Regular blender is pretty much relegated to margarita duty now. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-a-blender-without-making-a-huge-mess/278958/9 "2004-12-10T19:23:15Z")
Put the top on the blender. 😉