Do you like mashed potatoes? Even if for some reason you don’t there is probably someone in your family who’s into it. And it’s not a coincidence – mashed potatoes are one of the most popular dishes in the world. Soft and creamy, it is a perfect match for any main course.
This dish started appearing in Great Britain in 1747 with an entry in The Art of Cookery by Hannah Glasse. Moreover, you can find mashed potatoes not only as a separate dish but also as a filling in dumplings and gnocchi. The classic mashed potatoes are always blended with adding milk and onion (salt and pepper according to your taste). By the way, you can make it with the mixer.
Of course, the most common way to cook this dish has always been to whip already boiled potatoes with a mixer or blended. But did you know that the market actually has the special potato ricers that will help you to create this course much faster? Moreover, they guarantee you that you ‘re going to get a perfectly mashed product each time.
While looking for a good potato ricer, easiness is the key. This tool must be easy to use, easy to clean and store. In the article down below you will find the best potato ricer on the market, at affordable prices and serving you a long life.
Our Top Pick Potato Ricer
Other great potato ricers
1. OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Potato Ricer
Here we have an item one of the main advantages of which is the fact that it is manufactured by a famous and respectable brand. It has been on the market for more than 30 years, and their products are known for their quality and durability.
It means that buying this particular potato ricer you can be sure you are paying for something worthy. It is made of high-quality stainless steel. Its smooth, polished surface brings an additional feeling of a high-quality product.
The head of the ricer has a soft knob with a slip-resistant texture which will hold the ricer securely onto the bowl in which you want to collect the riced potatoes. It gives you the possibility to stay safe from the mess while you are making your dish. It also prevents the risk of toppling the bowl or the ricer.
The handles of this ricer are worth attention as well. The top and the bottom handle both have a special rubber layer on them to provide you with a comfortable grip and prevents the ricer from slipping out of your hand even when your hands are wet.
And forget about any pain that you feel with your palms when you press the ricer – here the rubber on the handles will make the process very smooth. Even after you have mashed a bunch of potatoes, your hands won’t feel tired.
Another bonus element of this item is that it has received the Arthritis Foundation Design Award. In general, it is a great and versatile tool for your kitchen that is able to make not only mashed potatoes but also making puree, ricing boiled vegetables, and soft fruits, straining boiled spinach, etc.
The only inconvenience that you may have while using this tool is that the potatoes have to be sliced into smaller pieces before ricing. And it has only one size of holes on the porous plate.
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2. Bellemain Stainless Steel Potato Ricer
In case you are looking for a more versatile potato ricer, take a look at this item by Bellemain. Here you will find 3 ricing discs, which allow you to rice your potatoes into three different fineness. It is always an extra convenience to have a tool that can help you to create multiple dishes instead of one.
There is also a knob with which you can secure the ricer while working with it. The handles of this tool have soft coverings so your hand won’t get exhausted. They provide a comfortable and firm grip. And compared to the previous ricer, this one definitely has a bigger basket, where you can place the larger slices of potatoes.
It also reduces the time of the overall processing. Moreover, the ricer body and the discs are made of 18/10 grade stainless which has 18% chromium and 10% nickel in its composition. This high chromium and nickel content makes the ricer exceptionally resistant to rust and corrosion. It means it’s going to serve you a long life.
The one dubious aspect here is that the ricing disc has to be secured into place for ricing and it might seem inconvenient for some users. However, if you often make the mashed potatoes in considerable quantities – this tool is a good choice for you.
3. Priority Chef Potato Ricer and Masher
It is similar to the first ricer in some aspects, but its main distinctive feature is its exceptional design that provides the comfort of usage. If you have extremely sensible hands and you previously hated the manual potato rivers, take a look at this one – it was manufactured especially for those who struggle with tools like this.
In this case, you don’t have to choose whether you want to have comfortable ergonomic handles or decently mashed potatoes – this ricer combines both of these features.
Apart from that, you can find all the things that you would expect from a reliable and efficient potato ricer, including a knob for securing the ricer on your bowl, and a stainless steel body that is safe to be washed in the dishwasher.
The only disadvantage here that can make your hands tired is the weight of this tool. It is much heavier compared to the previous ones.
4. UberChef Potato Ricer Set
And this potato ricer is similar to the one from Bellamain – it also comes with 3 different ricing discs. Thus, here you can choose either you want to rice your potatoes into coarse, fine or medium-sized grains. A very cool feature that this particular tool has is its hopper in which you put in the pieces of potatoes can be removed from the main body.
It also helps to reduce all the hassle with changing the disks and cleaning the ricer. It’s super annoying when you have to scrub the hardened pieces of food from the surfaces of the ricer. Here this process will be much easier.
You will be pleasingly surprised that this ricer is not only versatile but also durable, instead of those low-budget items, breaking after a couple of usages. It is made of the 18/10 grade stainless steel. Thus, this tool is resistant to corrosion, chemical damage and rusting.
When you want to collect the mashed potatoes directly into a bowl, you just need to secure the ricer on top of the container using the soft knob which is attached to one end of it. Like in all good-quality potato ricer, here the handles are covered into soft materials.
This also prevents your hands from slipping when they are wet and gives you a secure grip. Of course, this tool requires a little bit of manual work before actually using it – you need to fix the disc and the hopper into the ricer. It’s the feature that some customers might not like. And remember not to lose the discs! Without them, the ricer is useless.
5. OXO 1129780
Here we have another tool by the OXO brand. This is a perfect item for cases when you need various discs but you don’t feel like you want to change them each time. Moreover, a big number of those discs require that you must hold them in one place all the time in fear of losing them.
It is quite tricky since most of the potato rivers have at least 3 disks to change the thickness of the discs to change the fineness. But this potato ricer by OXO has an innovative design that gives you the possibility to change the fineness using one ricing disc.
Moreover, this item can also act as a dial and requires to simply turn it to go from coarse to medium to fine, which is really a cool feature. In order to make it easier for you to remove and adjust the dial, it comes with indentations to give you a good grip and also an arrow that shows you where to stop and start turning the dial.
Apart from that, this ricer has a groove at the top of it, which will hold on securely to any bowl you are mashing your potato in allowing you to complete your ricing without making the mess. The handles here are covered into soft materials and provide a secure and comfy grip even if your hands are wet.
The only small drawback of this tool is it’s not convenient to store – it comes without a hole for hanging it onto the wall and because of its size, it is difficult to fit into the drawer. Also, it is a little bit more expensive than previous ricers.
6. Norpro Stainless Steel Commercial Potato Ricer
Another great tool for those who are used to making a large amount of riced potatoes at a time. This would be more suitable for professional chefs in the restaurants (but you can acquire that for home usage too). This is a unique potato ricer that can efficiently rice a large number of potatoes to a very smooth consistency.
This effect is achieved because of its smart construction. Instead of a cylindrical hopper with a ricing disc at the bottom which is very common, it comes with a hopper with a large capacity with sloping sides that have numerous small holes on both sides.
Apart from increasing the number of potatoes that can be mashed at a time, this feature also provides a larger surface area with pores. It guarantees, that your riced potatoes will be coming out at a time, and the overall process will be going on much faster.
Comparing to other ricers, here the size of the pores is smaller. It is not a disadvantage, on the contrary – it means you will get smooth and fine mashed potatoes at the end. The parts of the ricer can be easily taken apart by loosening a screw and the whole ricer can be washed thoroughly so no food leftovers are there.
The disadvantage of this ricer is its handles. Since it is more a commercial potato ricer, they don’t have smooth coverage and pretty harsh to grip. In addition to that, because the pores are so tiny, you will need a considerable amount of effort to operate this item.
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7. Metaltex USA Inc. Potato Ricer
If you’re not interested in all those construction things and additional features, and simply want to get the job done then this ricer is your choice. Moreover, if you’re wondering if there is something else but tools made of stainless steel, then take a look at this item.
It comes in a neat white color and it is made of ABS plastic which is rare for a ricer like this. And don’t think that the fact that this item is made of plastic is going to make it less durable – on the opposite, it is a very long-lasting material.
Moreover, some people might worry that plastic can emit boxing and harmful elements. It’s not the case with this one since it’s BPA free. To keep the efficiency of the ricing intact, the discs are made of stainless steel which makes them strong enough to rice your potatoes and also resistant to rust and bending.
This item comes with 3 discs, each of different pore sizes. This means you can rice your potatoes to be fine, medium or coarse – in the way you like. The top end of the ricer has three grooves, which means you can set this ricer on a wide range of bowls regardless of their sizes.
Besides, this ricer is quite versatile. You can make fruit juices, sauces, purees, guacamole, and all the substances that require mashing with this tool. And it is dishwasher safe so you can easily clean it all the time. The only thing it is quite a specific item and it’s not suitable for people who are used to work with stainless steel.
And just like the previous commercial ricer, this one doesn’t have the soft coverage on its handles. However, its price will be a pleasant surprise for you – it’s the most affordable item on our list. Moreover, for the plastic, this item is really sturdy and break-proof.
FAQ for potato ricers buyers
1. Is buying a potato ricer worth it?
A ricer guarantees no lumps, and your potatoes will be very smooth. The only downside is that it can be a bit time-consuming, especially if you’re using unpeeled potatoes, as the skins must be removed from the hopper after each pressing. Otherwise, they can clog the holes.
2. Can you rice potatoes with skin on?
Yes, you can. First, you need to boil the potatoes, then slice them in half and put the potato half into the ricer cut side down. When you smoosh it through, the skin stays in the hopper. If you want potatoes with the skins, you’re better off using red skin potatoes (their skin isn’t as tough) and using a hand masher.
3. How many potatoes do I need to mash for 10 people?
it’s better to plan on 1/2 pound of potatoes per person. That means if you are planning on 10 people, use 5 pounds of potatoes. For 4 people, use 2 pounds of potatoes.
4. What type of potatoes is best for mashing?
Choose higher starch potatoes like Russets or Yukon golds for the fluffiest, smoothest, and most flavor-packed mash. Waxy potatoes such as red or white varieties require more mashing to become creamy, which could lead to the dreaded “potato paste.”
5. How can I thicken my mashed potatoes?
You can thicken your loose mashed potatoes by adding 1 tablespoon of either flour, cornstarch, powdered milk, arrowroot or Pecorino Romano cheese to your potatoes with a wooden spoon to get them smooth. They can add body because they absorb excess liquid.