Cookbook | Recipes | Ingredients | Cookbook/Equipment | Kitchen tools A potato masher is a food preparation utensil used to crush cooked food. Its name comes from its most common use: crushing cooked potatoes for mashed potatoes. The potato masher consists of a handle connected to a mashing head. The handle can either be upright or sideways.
What tool is used for mashing potatoes?
Potato ricer – A potato ricer is widely regarded as the best tool for mashed potatoes that are smooth and fluffy. Built like a big garlic press, it works by pushing cooked potatoes (one or two at a time) through a perforated grate, creating stringy, broken-down potato bits without releasing a ton of starch.
As noted in the intro to this super-creamy recipe, a potato ricer will also catch the skins of the spuds as it works, which means you don’t have to peel anything before you start—a time-saver when cooking a whole holiday spread. The fine print: A potato ricer is best for the home cook who plans to make mashed potatoes with some regularity, but never in too large a quantity.
It’s a relatively small tool, but it has just the single use, so it would need to earn its keep to warrant taking up precious storage space.
What is the potato masher called?
A potato ricer (also called a ricer) is a kitchen implement used to process potatoes or other food by forcing it through a sheet of small holes, which are typically about the diameter of a grain of rice.
Do you need a potato masher?
Fork – If you like a chunky mashed potato, Greg says use a fork, preferably a larger one. “If you have a serving fork that’s faster and easier because you can break down more potatoes at one,” he says. However, he does note that with this method you’re never going to get totally smooth mashed potatoes,
How do I make mashed potatoes without a masher?
More Easy Ideas for Mashing Potatoes Without a Masher If so, then you can actually use a large fork on cubed, freshly boiled potatoes drizzled in warm cream and melted butter to break and fluff them up until they’re as smooth or as chunky as you like them.
Why is it called a potato masher?
Cookbook | Recipes | Ingredients | Cookbook/Equipment | Kitchen tools A potato masher is a food preparation utensil used to crush cooked food. Its name comes from its most common use: crushing cooked potatoes for mashed potatoes. The potato masher consists of a handle connected to a mashing head. The handle can either be upright or sideways.
Why do potato mashers have holes?
3. Key Differences Between A Potato Masher And A Potato Ricer – 
| Attributes | Potato Masher | Potato Ricer |
| Consistency | Potato mashers are traditional kitchen tools that are used to puree potatoes. But, they have a reputation to leave behind a lot of lumps. | A potato ricer works by clumping boiled potatoes together, and then forcing them out through small holes, giving them a rice-like texture and consistency. |
| Texture | With potato mashers, you need to stir in liquids like milk or water in small quantities to avoid lumps. So, even the best potato masher like a Zyliss potato masher can be a lengthy process for a rather simple dish. A potato masher usually has a mashing plate with small holes on it. This helps in achieving better consistency and texture with very few lumps. | Since potato ricers use air to press the boiled potatoes together, you get the fluffiest and lightest texture of mashed potatoes that is possible. |
| Time Consuming | Even if you use the best potato with a smooth potato masher, such as Zyliss potato mashers or Oxo good grip, there is only so much you can achieve. You will have to be patient and steady with this tool. The handle can also give you arm fatigue. They also aren’t built to deliver fluffy or light mashed potatoes. | A potato ricer ensures little to no lumps in the mashed potatoes. However, the downside of a potato ricer is that it is incredibly time-consuming as well. If you’re looking for a fluffy texture instead of a rugged one, you need to keep ricing. |
| Ergonomic & Good Grips | Potato mashers have a bad reputation for causing hand cramps and arm fatigue. If you set aside a few good minutes dedicated to mashing, arm fatigue can be avoided as these mashers have a soft touch handle to help you avoid arm fatigue and cramps. | Potato ricers have a better handle on them and are more convenient to use and offer comfortable grip. With ricers, you don’t have to oscillate up and down to mash potatoes like you would with a traditional potato masher. |
| Price | Potato mashers range between $9 to $120. The professional ones like the Tovolo potato mashers can be priced at anything above $20, and some go up to $200. | Potato ricers range between $19 to $120. Professional and heavy-duty potato ricers like the ones by Food Mill are priced at $39, but some go up all the way to $89. |
What can you use a potato for?
Food Uses: Fresh, Frozen, Dehydrated – Fresh potatoes are baked, boiled, or fried and used in a staggering range of recipes: mashed potatoes, potato pancakes, potato dumplings, twice-baked potatoes, potato soup, potato salad and potatoes au gratin, to name a few.
But global consumption of potato as food is shifting from fresh potatoes to added-value, processed food products. One of the main items in that category is frozen potatoes, which includes most of the french fries (“chips” in the UK) served in restaurants and fast-food chains worldwide. The world’s appetite for factory-made french fries has been put at more than 7 million tons a year.
Another processed product, the potato crisp (“chips” in the US) is the long-standing king of snack foods in many developed countries. Dehydrated potato flakes are used in retail mashed potato products, as ingredients in snacks, and even as food aid. Potato flour, another dehydrated product, is used by the food industry to bind meat mixtures and thicken gravies and soups.
How do you squeeze water out of a potato?
Remove Excess Water Before Cooking – Most recipes will tell you to rinse your shredded potatoes and dry them before baking or frying. If you’ve ever wondered why, it’s because the rinse removes most of the starch from the potatoes. Starch-free potatoes won’t clump together, which allows potatoes to get crispy quickly in the oven or stove.
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Just throw your shredded potatoes into your salad spinner and crank it to get all of the extra water out. If you enjoy salt, pepper, or other seasonings, add it to the salad spinner after the initial spinning and spin a few more times. The salad spinner distributes the spices evenly and saves time.
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How do I choose a potato masher?
To decide, think about whether you want your masher to leave larger chunks for some texture or if you want a finer mash with smaller pieces. The handle really comes into play when you’re working with a larger amount of food.
Can I mash potatoes in a blender?
DronG/Shutterstock Mashed potatoes are the perfectly puffy white clouds that frame a picturesque plate heaped with food. Beyond looks, they are all about texture — but mouthfeel is a tricky arena to fight in. A darling dollop of mashed potatoes done just right can produce the most wonderful fluffy effect, while a drab gob of messed-up mash can leave a strange feeling in the mouth and a disastrous dinner experience.
Of the many preparation methods you will find on YouTube, in countless blogs online, and in your grandmother’s old recipes, using a food processor or blender is a relatively new one. On the surface, it sounds wonderfully quick and easy; surely, it’s the perfect way to prepare mashed potatoes. Unfortunately, this is not at all the case.
According to Kitchn, using a blender or food processor to make mashed potatoes results in a sticky, glued-up, incredibly viscous mess that is not at all like the fluffy mashed potatoes you would want. Because food processors break down the potatoes so quickly, the starch from the potatoes breaks down as well — and binds the mash together into something more reminiscent of cement than a cloud.
What is the difference between a potato masher and ricer?
For the fluffiest mashed potatoes, the goal is to use the gentlest touch possible to avoid bursting the potatoes’ swollen starch granules. Once released, the sticky gel inside will turn the mash gluey. We’ve found that the vigorous action of a food processor guarantees glueyness—and although a potato masher is fine for producing a rustic chunky texture, it yields a mash that’s far from fluffy.
- In tests, we’ve zeroed in on the ricer as the best tool for producing a fluffy texture.
- But is a ricer really the top choice if your goal is not only a fluffy mash, but a supremely smooth one as well? We made two identical batches of our Fluffy Mashed Potatoes (see related recipe), putting one through a ricer and the other through a food mill.
While tasters found the riced potatoes a tad fluffier, they were also a bit grainy. The potatoes that passed under the food mill’s sweeping blade were almost as fluffy and boasted a far smoother texture. We still stand by the ricer as the most effective tool for fluffy potatoes, but there’s no need to rush out and buy one if you have the more versatile food mill in your cabinet.
How do you mash potatoes with a whisk?
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- Want to know the secret to perfect mashed potatoes every time? Well, you’ll have to watch this amazing food hack video to find out.
- Once you’ve mastered this technique, you’ll never look at a potato masher the same way again.
- Step away from the potato masher, it’s time to try something new.
This nifty food hack is going to boggle your mind and make you never look at a potato masher the same way again. Meet the electric whisk. Your new best friend when it comes to whipping up mash and making a perfect creamy bowl of goodness every time. This easy technique is going to change your life.
All you need is a little butter, a dash of milk, boiled potatoes and an electric hand whisk. Add the butter and milk to your boiled and drained potatoes and hold the electric whisk firmly in the centre of the potatoes and pot, turn it on and whisk! You’ll have creamy mash in a matter of seconds. A bit of salt and pepper and ta-dah! You’ve got one of the best, creamiest, lightest, fluffiest bowls of mash – ever.
Serve with sausages and gravy or fish fingers and beans or fish and mushy peas. Jessica Dady is Senior Content Editor at Goodto.com and has over 10 years of experience as a digital journalist, specialising in all things food, recipes, and SEO. From the best food hampers to cookbooks, from the best cake stands to baking sets, Jessica has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to must-have food products.
Can you use a stick blender to mash potato?
Spend more time with loved ones and less in the kitchen. – Published on November 1, 2021 We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process, If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.
Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos Why does it seem like simple always ends up being the best answer? Every year when the temperature finally dips into chilly territory, my father likes to make his “famous” tomato soup. We pair it with bacon grilled cheeses on the griddle and soak up every last cozy drop.
And until the past two years, my father has complained about making the soup every single time, until our constant begging leaves him no choice. Why? Because he was doing it the hard way. After cooking down all the delicious herbs and vegetables, he would then use our old food processor to purée small batches of his rather large batch of tomato soup until it was all smooth.
Altogether, the process was long, messy, and not his favorite thing to do. So, the next time he was in the midst of making his family-loved specialty for dinner over the holidays, I said: “Why haven’t you tried the immersion blender?” He had no answer. For some reason, the thought hadn’t crossed his mind, though he uses the immersion blender for his favorite cream cheese mashed potatoes.
Here’s a similar recipe. You really can’t beat how smooth and fluffy they get. Really, using an immersion blender is the only way to make wonderfully creamy mashed potatoes. And before you ask, this man only cooks from his head, not a cookbook. Therefore, he wouldn’t have seen any sort of instruction guiding him to use an immersion blender for soup.
I know, crazy. Right then and there, he pulled it out, and the soup was puréed and silky smooth in less than two minutes. He was quite literally dumb-founded at how the idea had never occurred to him. Needless to say, his once-a-year tomato soup has now become much more accessible for all of us, whenever we’re in need of a comforting childhood meal and a grilled cheese sandwich to go with it.
Thank the heavens for that. Not only does an immersion blender cut down so much time and mess when making puréed soups like our Roasted Tomato Soup with Cheddar Cheese and Coconut-Curry Butternut Squash Soup, but it also makes very quick work of holiday favorites like mashed potatoes.
You can even use it when whisking eggs to make scrambled eggs for a big group or when whipping cream for a dessert (without having to take out your stand mixer). Basically, it can help cut down stress whenever you’re hosting or are too busy to waste any minutes. Spend more time with your loved ones and less over the kitchen counter.
Simple really is sometimes the only way to go, even if you don’t realize it. Just like my dad. If you don’t have one already, stock up on an immersion blender below. (Your mashed potatoes will thank you.)
Can I make mash with a hand blender?
Pull out your hand blender – The debate about making the perfect mashed potatoes never ends. Some people insist that you should use a food mill or a ricer to make mashed potatoes. For me, this method is too much trouble and it involves a LOT of work if you’re cooking for a crowd.
- My secret weapon for making restaurant style mashed potatoes is a hand mixer.
- NOTE: Not a hand blender! A hand blender (immersion blender) will release too much starch from the potatoes and result in heavy and gummy mashed potatoes.
- When you use a hand mixer, you can whip in much more liquid and fat without releasing too much starch from the potatoes.
It also results in a very smooth and creamy texture. 
That’s it! Once you have followed these three tips, you can create your own restaurant-style mashed potatoes by altering the ratios of ingredients and adjust the seasoning to your taste. In the recipe below, I’ve added the tips of how to cook non-dairy and vegan mashed potatoes in the footer. 
What is your favorite mashed potatoes recipe? Do you like your mashed potatoes to be a bit lumpy or smooth? Leave a comment below to share your thoughts! This post is for Day Four of the #PotatoPalooza event co-hosted by Bowl of Delicious, Panning the Globe and Omnivore’s Cookbook,
Is it worth buying a potato ricer?
We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process, If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. The Spruce Eats / Renu Dhar Tested & Approved The OXO Good Grips 3-in-1 Adjustable Potato Ricer is our best overall winner for its versatility and user-friendly performance.
- We also recommend the Priority Chef Potato Ricer and Masher for its silky smooth results, perfect for airy gnocchi.
- Mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food: a staple at holiday meals and weeknight suppers alike.
- Martie Duncan, cookbook author and host of the Homemade Podcast, makes them often using a classic potato masher she inherited from her mother.
“But if you want an extra-smooth mashed potato for the holidays or another kind of special occasion, you might want to use a potato ricer,” says Duncan. She has both in her kitchen. Many cooking experts recommend ricers for the fluffiest possible mashed potatoes,
The way they process cooked potatoes through a screen guarantees a lump-free side dish. If you spend a lot of time in the kitchen, you may want to consider having both a masher and ricer, After all, though they’re known as potato mashers and ricers, they both have uses beyond the humble spud. Mashers, which come in either a perforated or wave design, come in handy for quickly breaking down avocados for guacamole and bananas for banana bread,
Ricers have a multitude of uses including making homemade baby food, applesauce, and even fresh fruit juices. They’re also ideal for squeezing excess water from greens and other veggies. To help you find the best tools for perfectly creamy mashed potatoes and more, we sent top-rated potato ricers and mashers to our experienced product tester, 
Courtesy of Williams Sonoma What We Like
- Interchangeable size settings
- User friendly
- Versatile
What We Don’t Like
Loses sheen in dishwasher
Who else recommends it? Best Reviews also picked the OXO Good Grips 3-in-1 Adjustable Potato Ricer.