diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 1dcb781..bf56388 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 //! let pool = BytePool::<Vec<u8>>::new();
 //!
 //! // Allocate a buffer with capacity 1024.
-//! let mut buf = pool.alloc(1024);
+//! let mut buf = pool.alloc_and_fill(1024);
 //!
 //! // write some data into it
 //! for i in 0..100 {
diff --git a/src/pool.rs b/src/pool.rs
index 05e413e..49a6002 100644
--- a/src/pool.rs
+++ b/src/pool.rs
@@ -56,6 +56,14 @@ impl<T: Poolable> BytePool<T> {
     /// The returned `Block` contains arbitrary data, and must be zeroed or overwritten,
     /// in cases this is needed.
     pub fn alloc(&self, size: usize) -> Block<'_, T> {
+        self.alloc_internal(size, false)
+    }
+
+    pub fn alloc_and_fill(&self, size: usize) -> Block<'_, T> {
+        self.alloc_internal(size, true)
+    }
+
+    pub fn alloc_internal(&self, size: usize, fill: bool) -> Block<'_, T> {
         assert!(size > 0, "Can not allocate empty blocks");
 
         // check the last 4 blocks
@@ -64,9 +72,12 @@ impl<T: Poolable> BytePool<T> {
         } else {
             &self.list_large
         };
-        if let Some(el) = list.pop() {
-            if el.capacity() == size {
+        if let Some(mut el) = list.pop() {
+            if el.capacity() >= size && el.capacity() < size + 1024 {
                 // found one, reuse it
+                if fill {
+                    el.resize(size)
+                }
                 return Block::new(el, self);
             } else {
                 // put it back
@@ -75,7 +86,11 @@ impl<T: Poolable> BytePool<T> {
         }
 
         // allocate a new block
-        let data = T::alloc(size);
+        let data = if fill {
+            T::alloc_and_fill(size)
+        } else {
+            T::alloc(size)
+        };
         Block::new(data, self)
     }
 
@@ -90,7 +105,8 @@ impl<T: Poolable> BytePool<T> {
 
 impl<'a, T: Poolable> Drop for Block<'a, T> {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
-        let data = mem::ManuallyDrop::into_inner(unsafe { ptr::read(&self.data) });
+        let mut data = mem::ManuallyDrop::into_inner(unsafe { ptr::read(&self.data) });
+        data.reset();
         self.pool.push_raw_block(data);
     }
 }
@@ -138,6 +154,41 @@ unsafe impl<'a, T: StableDeref + Poolable> StableDeref for Block<'a, T> {}
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
+    #[test]
+    fn append() {
+        let pool = BytePool::<Vec<u8>>::new();
+        let mut buf = pool.alloc(4);
+        assert_eq!(0, buf.len());
+        assert_eq!(4, buf.capacity());
+        buf.push(12u8);
+        assert_eq!(1, buf.len());
+        buf.extend_from_slice("hello".as_bytes());
+        assert_eq!(6, buf.len());
+        buf.clear();
+        assert_eq!(0, buf.len());
+        assert!(buf.capacity() > 0);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn len_and_capacity() {
+        let pool = BytePool::<Vec<u8>>::new();
+        for i in 1..10 {
+            let buf = pool.alloc_and_fill(i);
+            assert_eq!(buf.len(), i)
+        }
+        for i in 1..10 {
+            let buf = pool.alloc(i);
+            assert_eq!(buf.len(), 0)
+        }
+        for i in 1..10 {
+            let buf = pool.alloc_and_fill(i * 10000);
+            assert_eq!(buf.len(), i * 10000)
+        }
+        for i in 1..10 {
+            let buf = pool.alloc(i * 10000);
+            assert_eq!(buf.len(), 0)
+        }
+    }
 
     #[test]
     fn basics_vec_u8() {
@@ -174,6 +225,7 @@ mod tests {
         let _slice: &[u8] = &buf;
 
         assert_eq!(buf.capacity(), 10);
+        buf.resize(10, 0);
         for i in 0..10 {
             buf[i] = 1;
         }
@@ -198,7 +250,7 @@ mod tests {
         let pool1 = pool.clone();
         let h1 = std::thread::spawn(move || {
             for _ in 0..100 {
-                let mut buf = pool1.alloc(64);
+                let mut buf = pool1.alloc_and_fill(64);
                 buf[10] = 10;
             }
         });
@@ -206,7 +258,7 @@ mod tests {
         let pool2 = pool.clone();
         let h2 = std::thread::spawn(move || {
             for _ in 0..100 {
-                let mut buf = pool2.alloc(64);
+                let mut buf = pool2.alloc_and_fill(64);
                 buf[10] = 10;
             }
         });
diff --git a/src/poolable.rs b/src/poolable.rs
index 23fd0cc..b851e97 100644
--- a/src/poolable.rs
+++ b/src/poolable.rs
@@ -3,16 +3,41 @@ use std::hash::{BuildHasher, Hash};
 
 /// The trait required to be able to use a type in `BytePool`.
 pub trait Poolable {
+    fn empty(&self) -> bool;
+    fn len(&self) -> usize;
     fn capacity(&self) -> usize;
+    fn resize(&mut self, count: usize);
+    fn reset(&mut self);
     fn alloc(size: usize) -> Self;
+    fn alloc_and_fill(size: usize) -> Self;
 }
 
 impl<T: Default + Clone> Poolable for Vec<T> {
-    fn capacity(&self) -> usize {
+    fn empty(&self) -> bool {
+        self.len() == 0
+    }
+
+    fn len(&self) -> usize {
         self.len()
     }
 
+    fn capacity(&self) -> usize {
+        self.capacity()
+    }
+
+    fn resize(&mut self, count: usize) {
+        self.resize(count, T::default());
+    }
+
+    fn reset(&mut self) {
+        self.clear();
+    }
+
     fn alloc(size: usize) -> Self {
+        Vec::<T>::with_capacity(size)
+    }
+
+    fn alloc_and_fill(size: usize) -> Self {
         vec![T::default(); size]
     }
 }
@@ -22,11 +47,32 @@ where
     K: Eq + Hash,
     S: BuildHasher + Default,
 {
-    fn capacity(&self) -> usize {
+    fn empty(&self) -> bool {
+        self.len() == 0
+    }
+
+    fn len(&self) -> usize {
         self.len()
     }
 
+    fn capacity(&self) -> usize {
+        self.capacity()
+    }
+
+    fn resize(&mut self, _count: usize) {
+        // do thing
+    }
+
+    fn reset(&mut self) {
+        self.clear();
+    }
+
     fn alloc(size: usize) -> Self {
+        Self::alloc_and_fill(size)
+    }
+
+    fn alloc_and_fill(size: usize) -> Self {
+        // not actually filling the HaspMap though
         HashMap::with_capacity_and_hasher(size, Default::default())
     }
 }
@@ -42,7 +88,7 @@ impl<T: Default + Clone> Realloc for Vec<T> {
 
         assert!(new_size > 0);
         match new_size.cmp(&self.capacity()) {
-            Greater => self.resize(new_size, T::default()),
+            Greater => self.reserve(new_size - self.capacity()),
             Less => {
                 self.truncate(new_size);
                 self.shrink_to_fit();