How to do you mash a potato?

[purplepoppy]

Obviously you need a load of butter and cream, that goes without saying. But when it comes to the physical side how do you smash those spuds?

Potato masher

Potato ricer

A veg moulin

A potato mallet

I use dried granules

I've never mashed a potato

[MrOracle]

1. Peel potatoes - typically your standard Russet potatoes, but you can try other varieties too - enough to fill a good-sized pot about 2/3 full.

2. Chop potatoes into approximately 1-1.5 inch cubes.

3. Fill pot with water to cover potatoes and boil potatoes until potatoes easily break apart with a fork.

4. Completely drain potatoes and return to pot.

5. Slice up one stick of butter into potatoes.

6. Use a potato masher to break up large chunks. (You can do this with other tools, but a potato masher makes it easier).

7. Add 1/3 cup of milk (ideally, from a can of evaporated milk, which is thicker, but you can make due with regular milk). WARNING: do not buy CONDENSED milk, which comes in nearly identical cans - condensed milk is sweet. You want evaporated milk.

8. Use an electric hand mixer on slow speed to blend the potatoes, slowly adding more milk and gradually increasing mixer speed as they smooth out. Once you are at the highest speed, whip potatoes for 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste as you whip - go easy if you are serving others though.

9. With potatoes smooth but still firm (not runny or soupy), you can optionally slice up another half-stick of butter.

This gets you smooth and fluffy mashed potatoes that are great by themselves and even better with gravy.

[MrOracle]

Hand mixer for those who may live somewhere that it's called something else.

www.instacart.com/.../...429-8acc-d06bd3246070.jpg
Evaporated milk (water content has been reduced, which allows dishes to be smoother and creamier)

[goaded]

You can just use normal milk, keep the saucepan on the stove and boil it before you mash, then beat with a wooden spoon. The exercise makes up for about 0.2% of the butter.

[SawerBrown]

Russets are very starchy which eill make your mashed potatoes heavy and sticky, rushers sre best suited for French fries or a baked potato. Try Yukon gold they're low on starch and better suited for mashed potatoes.

[goaded]

@SawerBrown Varieties come and go, I grew up on King Edwards. Here, in Germany, potatoes are classified as Mehligkochend (floury), Festkochend (Waxy), or in between.

I just looked it up, and King Edwards would probably be in the last category.

[MrOracle]

@SawerBrown I've made mashed potatoes with Yukon Gold potatoes, and they were great, but MOST of the time, Russets do just fine, and they're by far the most commonly-available potatoes in the US. It's absolutely true that they can vary a lot, and sometimes they're hard or stringy, and that sucks, but, again, that's what most people (here) will have readily available, and most of the time, they're fine. I don't disagree with you, but it's not always practical to use less-common varieties.

[SawerBrown]

Oh ok russet, Yukon gold and red potatoes are all very common here.

[SawerBrown]

The secret to good light snd fluffy mashed potatoes is to keep the starch to a minimum and the water content also to a minimum. Use a low starch potato like Yukon gold and cut them up into small cubes after peeling snd then steam them in a double boiler rather then boiling them. When tender give them a quick rinse and use a potato ricer to fill an empty pot with them add heavy cream and a stick of butter that has been sliced into thin slices to melt quickly sdd salt and pepper to taste and gently fold the butter in to the riced potatoes to not activate any starch which will make them get thick snd sticky instead of light and fluffy you can add a pat of butter to them when served on a plate and then enjoy delicious light and fluffy buttery mashed potatoes.

[DeeDeeDeVour]

I first learned how to mash potatoes (after they're boiled, of course) the "cave man way" with just a metal fork.

Nowadays, a potato masher comes in handy.

[EmmaMary]

@purplepoppy

I've always used a potato masher, and added a "splash" of milk to soften and fluff it up.

[EmmaMary]

Thank you for the MHO.

[mstbooblover]

Just the truth: I use a potato masher, or sometimes a plain fork, depending on the quantity to mash. When I was young though, meaning at least 50 years ago, in my family it was the custom to use a veg moulin. Difficult to forget because after use the moulin's parts had to be cleaned thoroughly, which wasn't very pleasant. A plain potato masher seems the most practical tool to me.

[mstbooblover]

PS: here in Belgium the veg moulin was called "passe-vite", meaning "quick-pass".

[Qwertsy]

If I’m cooking for my family of four, I mash the potatoes with a potato masher.

I like to host larger family gatherings during Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, etc.. During those gatherings I’ll usually use a ricer! I don’t really care for riced potatoes, but my extended family loves them, and fewer potatoes go farther when riced.

Regardless of what you do, make sure you’ve got good gravy! Homemade from scratch, not pre-made powdered gravy!

[PointTaken]

A few rocks right from the garden. No need to wash them, that's called "secret ingredient." Smash them hard on a stump or on another rock. If there's still some lumps, use a baseball bat to even it out. Scoop it all in a bowl and there ya go.

[ZXCwWRQWz]

I prefer with potato masher and not so perfectly mashed. I like it a bit rustic. My secret ingredient though that I got from chefs is mayonnaise. Put a good glob of mayo and you get very fluffy and creamy and tasty mashed potatoes.

[nolabels]

The last time I mashed potatoes, I used a potato masher.

That was about 50 years ago or so, though.

They make really good microwave mashed potatoes these days.

[BoobSlayer]

I call Joe Biden and we play 'Find the Noogie.' You just have to make sure not to use full grown potatoes or he loses interest more quickly than usual.

[humanearth]

Throw it against the wall and it a bitch

Now it's mashed and ready to eat

[exitseven]

I use the masher I do not have any of the other tools.

[PBandJ_Nerd]

We use a potato masher if we do mashed potatoes. But that is not often.

[FunkyMonkee]

You know what the difference is between mashed potatoes and pea green soup?
ANYONE can mash potatoes but...

[Miristheiss]

I don't. My wife always makes those. She uses an electric mixer.

[KateDemee]

Potato masher is the easiest I think but they aren't completely smooth bit close enough :)

[Sparkie460]

We either use the dried flakes or we put them in the mixer.

[HippieVeganJewslim]

I don’t remember mashing a potato, but if I would have have to, I’d use a fork.

[bernhardh]

Poppy, I was going to say something smart like 'blades, obviously', and only the sharp edge

[DJB72]

Masher or fork. Like the idea of the mallet...

[Iron_Man]

I buy them that way

[electromagnetic]

A potato smasher

[Astarlessnightsky]

Potatoes and OatMilk is what i use.

[Nikki1989]

We use a masher.

[springxxx]

I don't use any of the above, I just use a spoon

[LavLavLuv]

I use potato masher

[Frosst14]

With my fists.

[FreyaRed]

Masher

[Ninania]

I use a whisk.