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If you enjoy fluffy mashed potatoes, then a potato ricer is the right tool for you. This kitchen gadget looks and acts very similarly to a garlic press, and these tools come in a variety of styles and levels of complexity.
A simple ricer may consist of a small plate made from plastic or metal that has multiple holes drilled into it.
After cooking your potatoes, place them into the hopper and squeeze the handles to extrude the mashed potato through the perforated disk.
These units are designed to mash unpeeled potatoes, leaving the skins behind. Not having to peel the potatoes before boiling them saves a lot of time in the kitchen.
Features to Look For
The best ricers available will produce a mashed potato that is evenly textured, light and smooth. Once in the bowl, the potatoes can then be stirred by hand with the addition of some milk and butter for extra creaminess.
The quality of materials used and the basic design of this gadget will contribute to the ease of use. Some varieties will require you to use more force than others. The number of perforations on the hopper is a major factor when it comes to the tool’s efficiency.
The size of the holes does not matter as much as the amount of holes. Having more openings at the bottom of the hopper helps to make the job easier, since more of the food can travel through once it is mashed.
A nonstick pot hook to hold the tool steady is another important feature, and ergonomic handles bring added comfort to this task. Interchangeable disks to customize the finished mash texture are a nice touch offered by some higher end ricers.
Foodal’s Best Ricer Reviews
Note: Listed below are four very good quality potato ricers. We are normally able to identify one or two devices in our various reviews that stand out above the crowd. However, in this particular case, all of these products perform the same job and all of them do it equally well. Of course, we did prescreen what we would look at and removed the obvious clunkers. Bottom line – we think you would by happy with any of them in your cupboards.
OXO Good Grips
All you need to do is place a potato into the hopper and squeeze the handles for smooth mashed potatoes every time. Don’t buy this product if you like lumpy potatoes – virtually no lumps will remain with the use of this tool.
If you are looking for more healthy options in the kitchen, you can also use this gadget to mash other types of vegetables and fruits.
We have found that this model is especially handy for making homemade baby food.
The nonstick knob will help to hold this tool in place as you use it to mash. The ergonomic handles are soft and comfortable in your hands, while maintaining a superior grip. OXO Good Grips tools are especially useful to those who may have arthritis or who experience hand weakness.
OXO Good Grips Potato Ricer available from Amazon
The stainless steel body is strong enough to withstand repeated use and washings, even in the dishwasher.
Highlights:
- Durable stainless steel construction with soft handles
- Non-slip knob holds the ricer in place on bowls
- Creates smooth mashed fruits and vegetable
What Others Are Saying
Other reviewers are universally in love with this tool. One user on Amazon stated, “This gadget succeeds at doing the job for which it was designed better than just about any other kitchen tool I have tried.” Users talked about how this device could do the same job as a food mill, but required less effort to pull off the shelf, assemble, use, clean, and disassemble for storage.
They also liked the fact that you can use it similarly to the way you would use a cheese cloth bag – for squeezing water out of cooked greens like spinach, or shredded potatoes for making hash browns. Normally, when squeezing water of ingredients, it requires a lot of hand power (not good for arthritis or joint issues) but this OXO gadget does the work for you. Check out all 450+ consumer reviews on Amazon now.
Priority Chef
This kitchen tool is not only sleek in appearance, but it is easy to use. This versatile tool will allow you to enjoy mashed potatoes, vegetables, or fruit purees in an instant. The nonstick knob is handy for resting on the side of the bowl, making the process even more convenient.
This tool is constructed from one solid piece of metal. It is lightweight but securely attached at all the joints, making for a sturdy ricer you can rely on. The basket is quite large, and can accommodate two potatoes or other vegetables at a time.
Priority Chef Potato Ricer and Masher, 18/10 Stainless Steel,
There is no need to peel your potatoes ahead of time, but be sure to clean out the hopper after each press to prevent the peels from clogging the holes.
Highlights:
- Perfect mashed potatoes every time
- Ergonomic non-slip design
- Great tool for making homemade baby food
- Premium quality SS304 (18/10) stainless steel
- Dishwasher safe
What Others Are Saying
The Priority Chef model is very similar to the OXO offering. Users loved the silicone handles and were quite impressed by the size (it’s bigger than it looks in the photo). One user even reported mashing 35 pounds of potatoes in one session! A couple of reviewers did find the size to be a bit of handicap–- it’s nearly a foot long, making it a challenge to fit into drawers and cabinets.
All in all, users seem to be happy with this product and many reviewers on Amazon have given the Priority Chef high marks. as of the time this article was written. Just be aware that some of the reviewers were given a free model in exchange for their testimony (although most seemed to rate it fairly).
Pucelli Brothers
The extra-large hopper allows for larger quantities to be mashed at a time, saving time and energy. This professional grade gadget features longer handles, to help increase leverage. Silicone inserts help to cushion your hands as you prepare your meal.
Highlights:
- Eliminates the need for a vegetable peeler
- Longer handles increase leverage and provide cushioned support
- Large enough to comfortably fit over mixing bowls
- Dishwasher safe
What Others Are Saying
“Kick ass mashed potatoes,” as one reviewer put it. Simple as that. Most of the users on Amazon report similar experiences to that of the of the Priority Chef and OXO users.
A quality product that does what is says it will do, for a decent price. Easy to use, easy to clean, and it can assist with mashing other vegetables as well as making baby food. And like the two previously reviewed potato ricers, it works to remove water from various ingredients like shredded potatoes for making hash browns.
Acutos
This stainless steel press is easy to maintain and keep clean. With three interchangeable disks (Fine, Medium & Coarse) this unit brings added versatility to your menu planning. These disks offer different hole sizes, giving you the ability to choose the overall consistency of the finished product.
From mashed potatoes to gnocchi, this tool easily helps prepare the potatoes for your favorite recipes. It also great for making applesauce or to mash fruits when preparing jams or preserves.
Acutos 100% Stainless Steel Potato Ricer – Potato Press
This tool is also useful for pureeing baby food, and you can use this kitchen tool to strain water from cooked spinach.
Highlights:
- 100% stainless steel
- 3 interchangeable disks (fine, medium & coarse) for added versatility
- Dishwasher safe
What Others Are Saying
Users loved the all-stainless construction and the three interchangeable plates. Other than that, it performs similarly to the three models previously listed.
Also, with Acutos being a very small company, they are nimble enough in the customer service department to very quickly fix and correct any issues that customers may encounter. There were only a couple of defective unit problems noted in the Acutos reviews on Amazon, but the company sent out brand new units without delay.
Conclusion
A potato ricer is an essential tool for making fluffy mashed potatoes. This tool presses the cooked potatoes into tiny particles, creating a smoother product than whipped potatoes, with their gummier texture. While you may enjoy your potatoes covered in butter or gravy, the lighter consistency is an added treat.
About Jennifer Swartvagher
Jennifer is an experienced journalist and author. Her work has been featured on TODAY Parents, The New York Times Blog, BlogHer, Scary Mommy, and scores of other parenting and cooking publications.
I have never heard of a potato ricer but now I really want one! It looks like it would save me so much time in the kitchen and I am definitely going to look into the Oxo Good Grips since I just had a baby and I really want to make my own baby food at home, that tool looks like it would be perfect!
It’s well worth buying one. They remove all lumps from your mashed potatoes and make the process really quick and easy. They are fabuous for making carrot and swede mash too so I imagine a ricer would be very helpful when it comes to making baby food.
I’ve seen them but never used one, but can see they would save a lot of time. I never even knew there were different types with different hole sizes. I do love my mashed potatoes so I will consider investing in one. I might need to try a few in store first though.
I haven’t used a potato ricer in years, but I like the idea of not having to peel the potatoes ahead of time, particularly since I have hand and wrist limitations. Because of that, I would probably select the OXO ricer, due to the good grips aspect. I have several of their products, and they are quite helpful. Other than that, I love the idea of the interchangeable plates available with the Acutos ricer, and would love to see OXO incorporate that into their design in the future.
I have a potato ricer nad have to say that nothing beats it for making perfect mash. My only gripe it that it’s a nightmare to wash up! It does take up a fair mount of cupboard space but it is frequently used so I can live with that.
Mashed potatoes are wonderful, but I rarely get to eat them because I don’t have the proper tools to prepare them. I’d never heard of a potato ricer before this post either. Obviously, haha. I really like the idea of the Pucelli Brothers model, since it’s a multi-tasker.
It’s a long time since I last owned a potato ricer and they haven’t changed much other than gaining even longer handles and the site of the container no longer also having holes in them. It is good to hear that the best ones don’t need you to peel the potato first but I guess that means you have to clean the skin of each time you put a potato through? The OXO Good Grips Potato Ricer looks really good from my point of view with a bad wrist. It will get added to the list of useful gadgets that reside on my Amazon wish list for birthday present ideas!
My grandmother in Romania used to do it old school, by hand. With a knife. Piece by piece. I got to ship her one of these because I’m fairly sure she doesn’t know, haha. However, I don’t really mind the bigger pieces that get in when you make some potato salad or something so at the moment, don’t really feel the need of a ricer!
I don’t think I would ever use a ricer for potato salad. The chunks are what make the potato salad! I would, however, use it on mashed potatoes. I don’t mind mashing them manually but I like how smooth a ricer makes the mash. I also love the changeable heads for one of those ricers.
The oxo ricer just went on my wish list. I prefer lumps in my mashed potatoes, but when I’m cooking for the in laws, and one of them doesn’t have teeth, lumps aren’t an option. Same with when I cook for a small kid. Ive never used one before so I can’t wait to see how much easier this makes my life. 🙂
This is just perfect. I really love fluffy mashed potatoes. They need to be nice and smooth with no lumps or grainy bits. I hate using a mix though. I have tried everything else. I have an excuse to buy a new kitchen toy now at least.
After I was introduced to a ricer, I could never go back to making mashed potatoes any other way. I would love one with a larger hopper so that I could get the job done faster. Thanks for the suggestions!
First time I’ve ever heard of this device. It looks kind of cool. You can never have enough gadgets in the kitchen, Gold potatoes, purple, sweet or whatever these are such a great add on to any meal. The little purple ones would be interesting to make into mashed with this.
Call me old-fashioned, but I’ve been using the good old wooden spoon for mashing potatoes. It’s a bit hard on the arms and wrists though, so I might pick up a ricer for Christmas. Thanks for sharing!
I have to get one of these!!! I have been just dicing my potatoes up in very small pieces. This would save a lot of time. I am a mashed potato fanatic, so I would definitely invest in a potato ricer! By the way, here is an awesome easy mashed potato idea: add some garlic, turmeric, butter and salt!! Talk about good!!!
WHAT! Potatoes are my favorite food, and I had no idea potato ricers existed until today. Putting the Pucelli Brothers one on my wishlist right now — I like making big batches of mashed potatoes and heating them up later, since mashing them is such hard work. I guess I won’t have to worry about that anymore 🙂
A tip for anyone reading, unsweetened plain almond milk is much better than soy milk in mashed potatoes. I’ve tried both, and almond milk makes it creamier without giving it a sweet taste. All of the soy milk I’ve used has made my potatoes sort of sweet.
Riced vegetables popping up all over in the freezer at the grocery store, Green Giant to mention one, way too expensive, I just had cauliflower peas and carrots all riced together, no sauce, healthier and very good! I’ll be purchasing a ricer very soon with so many uses for it it definitely won’t just sit there, I’ll be using one every day!!
Don’t buy a cheap one. The metal is inferior and bends!
For those who say the handle is too long for their gadget drawer, store the ricer with your pots.
Gnocchi. Essential for making them. Easy and delicious. With pesto or tomato sauce. Look like a superstar at your next dinner party! Ikea ricer is v good too.
Great article, but three of your four choices are now unavailable on Amazon.
Thanks for letting us know, Chuck! Unfortunately, many items are currently unavailable from many vendors. But we have an update to this review in the works.
The Acutos with multi disks, all-stainless steel, and over-the pot/bowl-anchor, is very useful for pressing noodles over a Pot of boiling water. The Vietnamese use different disk sizes to make various kinds of noodles. Most own more than one ricers.