Finally, Silky Mashed Potatoes—A Game Changer for Texture
I have poor arm strength and arthritic hands and have always been too lazy to use a potato masher, preferring instead to whizz potatoes with an immersion blender or, occasionally, the food processor or mixer. The outcome is always gummy and nothing like the silky texture my dad used to make. They tasted basically the same, so I persisted. I'd always wanted to try a potato ricer since it seemed like it would be less tiring on my arms than a masher while still protecting the texture from getting gummy. When I saw this fixed-disc ricer pop up on Amazon Vine, I decided it was a good opportunity to try one.Quality and Construction:This potato ricer is very well made, and the all-stainless-steel parts make it extremely durable. It looks beautiful and has some weight to it, but not so much as to cause excess fatigue. It works flawlessly without binding up.Performance and Accessibility:It doesn't hold a huge amount, but that actually makes it easier to operate. I wouldn't mash more than a few pounds of potatoes with it since doing it in small batches would be time-consuming, but it's perfect for small batches and special occasions. It's definitely easier on my arms than a potato masher (it is basically a lever, after all), but it's still harder to use than I'd like with my arthritis. I made sure to cook the potatoes long enough to really soften them to make it as easy as possible. My spouse had no problems using it—he has better arm strength and no arthritis. There's no doubt it gave the potatoes great texture with no unmashed globs and no gummy texture. (I just ate them leftover for lunch—still yummy reheated!)Pro Tip:Lay it over a bowl or pot with the bottom lever resting on one rim and the top grab tab on the opposite rim. Stabilize the bowl so it doesn't tip, then press the upper lever straight down. Because you're pressing down against a surface rather than squeezing, it's much easier to operate the lever mechanism.Other Uses:As soon as avocados are back in season, I'm going to try this for guacamole—I think it would work very well as long as the avocados are ripe.Cleaning:This is easy to clean—just pop it in the dishwasher. It takes up a little extra space, but in our two-person household, that's not an issue.Bottom line: I rarely buy kitchen gadgets anymore since I don't cook big meals like I used to and I'm old enough to have tried most of them already. But this is useful enough that it will find its way into some of my food prep routines. If you've been settling for gummy mashed potatoes because traditional mashers are too tiring, a potato ricer is the answer—and this is an excellent one. My spouse will probably operate it more than I will due to my arthritis, but I'd choose it over my electric gadgets at least some of the time for the superior texture alone.