We tested potato mashers from Dunelm, John Lewis, Lakeland and more, to find out which is the easiest and quickest to use to ensure smooth and creamy mash
Some mashers require a great deal more time and effort to break down all the lumps of potato or vegetable, and they can be a chore to use and clean. The best mashed potatoes are creamy and smooth, but some mashers require a great deal more time and effort than others. In December of 2021, our team of researchers evaluated seven different manual potato mashers in addition to one electric masher to see how the two types of mashers compared to one another. The prices of the manual mashers ranged anywhere from two pounds to eighteen pounds, while the cost of the electric masher was forty-six pounds. Find out which masher impressed us the most, as well as why you might want to try using a potato ricer instead, in addition to our top tips for making the ideal mashed potatoes.
The most effective potato mashers, according to our testing
The Stainless Steel Potato Masher by Jamie Oliver is our Top Pick.
The best deal can be found at Dunelm, where you’ll pay just 14 pounds; it’s also sold on Amazon.
Height: 28cm
In a dishwasher? Certainly!
The handle is well-designed and comfortable to grip; a variety of hole sizes helps reduce lumps; the scraper helps prevent waste; and it is simple to clean.
There are no obvious drawbacks.
Our verdict:
This potato masher from Jamie Oliver’s line of cookware impressed us with its well-designed handle and robust design, which together provide outstanding mashing power. As a result, we have designated it as a very deserving Best Buy.
This masher has a variety of different sized holes that allow it to cut through the potatoes and get rid of any lumps. The mash that was produced by the manual mashers was, without a doubt, superior to that which the electric Masha was capable of producing, in terms of smoothness and absence of lumps. The handle’s rubber grip makes it extremely comfortable to hold, and its overall design makes it suitable for use by people with limited hand mobility as well. If you scroll down to the section labelled “how we tested,” you’ll find more information about how we evaluated these potato mashers while keeping in mind the limitations of our hand movement. On one of the sides of this masher is a handy rubber scraper that can assist you in removing any remaining mash from the bowl after you have finished mashing.
The Oxo Good Grips Smooth Potato Masher is an excellent purchase.
The best deal you’ll find is at Lakeland or John Lewis, where the price is just $14.99.
Height: 18cm
In a dishwasher? Certainly!
Advantages include a well-designed handle, a comfortable grip, a variety of hole sizes that help reduce lumps, and an easy cleaning mechanism.
Cons: Metal sides could scrape your saucepan if you’re not careful
The verdict is in: the Oxo Good Grips potato masher is powerful despite its small size. Because of the way the handle is shaped, you are able to apply more weight to the mashing motion, which gives you more strength and power.
Because it has a pliable rubber grip, the handle is very easy on the hands to hold. Those who have limited hand movement, on the other hand, may have a more difficult time getting a grip. The Jamie Oliver masher and the Oxo Good Grips masher both have a variety of hole sizes that allow for the creation of smooth mashed potatoes. When you use this masher, you need to exercise caution so that the metal sides do not scrape or scratch the interior of your saucepan. Before beginning to mash the potatoes, it is recommended to place them in a bowl first. The results of our tests on the remaining potato mashers are as follows: In alphabetical order, these are our conclusions regarding the remaining potato mashers that we tested.
Potato masher from Dreamfarm named Smood
Lakeland offers the product at the most affordable price of £17.99; it is also sold on Amazon.
The height is 29 cm.
In a dishwasher? Certainly!
The scraper prevents waste and has a comfortable grip in addition to being easy to clean. Pros:
Inconvenient and taxing to use
Our conclusion is that the Dreamfarm masher in the shape of a spiral required a little bit more physical effort to use than the other models, but it produced very high-quality mashed potatoes for us. We liked the design of the handle, which made it simple to grasp and use, as well as the rubber scraper, which made it possible to remove every last bit of mash without scratching the saucepan. Both of these features earned our praise. To press down on this masher, however, required a great deal more strength than the other mashers did. Even though the majority of people are capable of accomplishing this task, those with limited hand movement may have difficulty using this masher.
Dunelm Essentials Stainless Steel Masher
The price of £2 is only available at Dunelm.
Height: 24.5cm In a dishwasher? Certainly!
Easy to maintain and clean
The mixture turned out lumpy, and the handle isn’t particularly comfortable to hold.
The straightforward construction of this potato masher from Dunelm, as well as the way it sways ever-so-slightly when you put pressure on it, are dead giveaways that it was the least expensive option among those we considered.
During our testing, we discovered that the wavy design caused the mashed potatoes to become lumpy after only one minute of mashing. It goes without saying that you can mash for as long as you like in the comfort of your own home kitchen; consequently, you will produce superior mash if you have more time available to devote to the process. This potato masher, along with the others in our test, was straightforward to clean after use. All of our investigators agreed that the handle was simple to grasp, but none of them felt that it was particularly comfortable to hold.
Potato masher from Lakeland for everyday use
The price of $4.99 is only available at Lakeland.
The height is 22 cm.
In a dishwasher? Certainly!
The grip is comfortable, and it is simple to clean.
Negatives: It is prone to bending.
Our verdict is that this low-cost and cheerful potato masher from Lakeland does the job it was designed for, but the build quality may mean that you need a replacement more quickly than you had anticipated.
When we used this potato masher, we noticed that it wobbled quite a bit, and the plastic even bent slightly, which caused the handle to be positioned in an incorrect manner. Having said that, the mash that it produced was pretty good, and it was almost completely free of lumps. Additionally, it was simple to clean.
Masher from ProCook for potatoes
The price of £5 is only available at ProCook. ProCook
17 centimetres in height.
Not safe for the dishwasher
Advantages include a well-designed handle, a comfortable grip, a variety of hole sizes that help reduce lumps, and an easy cleaning mechanism.
Cons: Metal sides could scrape your saucepan if you’re not careful
Our conclusion is that the potato masher offered by ProCook is very much like the design of the Oxo Good Grips masher, and it shares the majority of those product’s advantages as well as its drawbacks.
If you do not have limited hand movement, the design makes it simpler for you to apply more force to the mashing process; however, this only applies if you do not have restricted hand movement. The handle has a cushioned grip that makes it comfortable to hold, and the masher has holes of varying sizes, allowing for both coarse and smooth mash to be produced. When we tested this masher, we discovered that if you are not careful, the metal edges of the masher can scratch the sides of your saucepan.
The Tala Potato Masher is Made of Stainless Steel and Has a Nylon Head
Priced exclusively at Amazon at £6.08 per unit.
The height is 27 cm.
Not safe for the dishwasher
Easy to maintain and clean
The handle is slippery, the plastic bends easily, the masher can be removed, and the plastic underneath is sharp.
Our conclusion is that this potato masher from Tala did not live up to our expectations, and we believe that there are other products on the market that are superior.
When you press down on the plastic portion of the masher, it bends, and the handle, which is made of stainless steel, is prone to slipping. We also discovered that the head of the masher can be removed, which isn’t necessarily a negative feature and can make it easier to clean; however, the plastic that lies beneath the masher on the model that we bought was extremely jagged. There is also the possibility that this joint might warp or break over time, leaving you with a piece of plastic stuck in your mash after some time has passed. However, with this masher, we were able to produce a satisfactory consistency of mashed potatoes.
Would it be beneficial to purchase an electric masher?
To a large extent, it is determined by your preferences and requirements; however, the findings of our research indicate that individuals who have limited hand movement or who tyre more quickly may benefit from using an electric potato masher. You can also use it to puree vegetables and make dips like hummus or guacamole. Of course, it’s also fantastic for people who can’t wait for silky-smooth mashed potatoes, too.
Electric Potato Masher from the Masha Brand
Amazon offers the best deal with a price of £40.64 for this product; it is also sold at Argos, Currys, and Lakeland.
30-centimeter height
The parts that can be removed are safe to put in the dishwasher.
The mash can be made quickly, it is lump-free and smooth, and the handle is comfortable to hold.
Negatives: If you use it for too long, the mashed potatoes will become elastic, and you have to keep pressing the button in order to use it.
Our conclusion is that this device is pricey in comparison to manual mashers, but it might be useful for people who have limited hand movement. This electric potato masher is essentially a hand-held blender, and it was very simple to use. It produced mash that was free of lumps but had a slight elastic quality to it. It works very quickly, and you should take care not to overmash the potatoes when using it because it is easy for the potatoes to become rubbery. We discovered that manual mashers take approximately one to two minutes to complete the task, whereas the Masha completes the task in approximately twenty to thirty seconds, depending on the size of the portion. The Masha comes with two different sets of blades made of plastic that can be inserted into the masher’s end. The other blade can be used to make meringues, cake batter, or whipped cream, while the first blade is used for mashing. The Masha was the most difficult to clean out of all of the potato mashers that we tested. This is because it has the most moving parts. However, this does not imply that it was particularly difficult to clean; rather, it was just trickier than the others. The Masha functions similarly to other stick blenders in that it requires the user to continually press a button in order for the device to remain operational. This worked well for people who had flexible hands and fingers, but it might have been more challenging for people whose hand movement was restricted in some way.
Potato ricer: what exactly is that?
You could try making your mashed potatoes with a potato ricer rather than a traditional masher. The method is well-liked among cooks and entails pressing potatoes and other foods through a sheet with holes about the size of grains of rice. It is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process. It is comparable to a garlic press, but considerably larger. Some people believe that using a ricer will result in fluffier and smoother mashed potatoes, but using a traditional potato masher is the best option if you plan to add additional ingredients to your mashed potatoes, such as herbs or cheese.
The secret to making flawless mashed potatoes
The following are some of the most important things to keep in mind when preparing mash:
Utilize Maris Piper potatoes that have been peeled and cut into uniform chunks. Bring to a boil in some salted water. Don’t overboil. You should boil your potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes, but you shouldn’t add them to the water until it’s already boiling. Beginning after approximately 10 minutes, test the potato’s tenderness by prodding it with a fork. Take them off the heat when they reach the desired consistency. After they have been boiled, the potatoes should be drained and then allowed to steam dry for a couple of minutes. After the potatoes have been processed almost to a smooth consistency, add the butter, milk, salt, and pepper to the mixture. Then, mash the mixture once more until it is completely smooth, and if necessary, add a few more drops of milk to help loosen it. While you are mashing the potatoes, taste them to ensure that the seasoning is to your liking.
