potato ricer?

[chaostrulyreindeers]

Shall I get one?

Are they worth it?

If so, which brand would you recommend?

We love mash potato but I've heard that if you rice them they are so beautiful they don't need butter or cream. Bit skeptical but hey will give it a go if you lot recommend.

What do you all think?

I got one as a wedding present, think it was a Tefal one, but it was from John Lewis anyway. White plastic with three interchangable metal plates with different sizes of holes.

True, it makes lovely smooth mash, although I still found you needed a bit of butter and / or milk or it was a bit dry and difficult to spread out over things like shepherd's pie.

And yes, you save preparation time in that you don't have to peel the potatoes before boiling them because the peel just comes off in the ricer.

But, if you're cooking for more than about 2 people it is a king-sized faff to then take each potato in turn and put it through the ricer, remove the skin, take the next potato, etc. You either burn your fingers trying to do it quickly or accept that your mash will be stone cold by the time you've finished ricing it.

I gave mine away about 4 years ago and have never once wished I still had it. Personally, I'd save my money and just spend more on really good mashing potatoes. I don't put much butter in mine and just a bit of hot (skimmed) milk, but I think the key is to have good potatoes cooked for a long time and after you've mashed them and put the butter / milk in, beating them like mad with a wooden spoon.

I like mine but Dh doesn't agree. We have fights about how we are going to mash the potato. Not worth the domestic disharmony IMO.

I was given one - like, it's fine, but they're surprisingly expensive (well, the one I saw on Lakeland was) for what they are - and like misshardbroom says, it's a faff. I end up using my good old pound shop masher most of the time and just use the ricer when my mum mashes for me on special occasions (my Mum really likes it, but won't accept it as a present as she feels I should be using it bless her!)

we got one for a wedding present and its a bit of a faff but worth it for the taste/texture. I peel my pots before cooking, boil, drain them, then spoon them from the colander into the ricer back into the pot, a dollop of butter and a bit of cream and lots of s&p. Delish. Esp with other root veggies. But never ever rice a parsnip. Horrible!

Thanks folks but I'm still all of a dilemma.

you lot need to work on your persuasion/non-persuasion techniques!

Be firm with me!

Do not buy one.

Perfectly good mashed potato can be made without one.

The tenner a potato ricer will cost you could be more usefully spent on any of the following:

2 picture books for your beloved children
5 bags of King Edwards to make really lovely mashed potato
about 9 litres of fuel for your car
two bottles of wine (if you're a fairly indiscriminate drinker)
a good piece of meat for a Sunday roast
a whole M&S dine in for a tenner meal
various charitable causes

And think of the space it will take up in your kitchen drawer.

Will that do?

Thank you thank you mhb. I am persuaded!

I shall choose option D) from your list. thankyoueverso.

(h

That was rogue typing.

He's 3!

I wouldn't be without mine. But you do have to add butter/cream/milk to it.

I peel my potatoes before I boil them, so it's not a faff to use at all. In fact I think there's something very satisfying about ricing potatoes!

Now I'm wavering again.

Thinking I should be snuggling up with Nick Clegg at the moment rather than being amazing trivial and thinking about comfort food.

I agree with sprogger.....I LOVE my ricer and couldn't do mash without it. I also peel my potatoes before boiling and its no effort to put them through the ricer. The result is totally yummy.

I'm sure you only want one because its called a ricer and that sounds slightly exotic!!!

A potato masher does not have the same kitchen porn ring to it!

I would never use a potato masher again, but then I don't tend to make more than mash for 4 or 5 at a time.

You can get one in IKEA, nothing fancy but does the job for about a fiver.

Ricer is fab. The differenced between 'riced' mash and 'mashed' mash is incredible.
but i still add tons of butter and quite a bit of milk, and an egg, and loads of s&p, becasue i like it luxurious.

In my humble experience a ricer takes too long, particularly when feeding two rugby playing teenage sons. Mash it and get the food onto the plates and down their necks. Life is too short, especially when they are hungry.

No, no, no - dont listen to the negative people. You will love a potato ricer!!

I got one a few years ago and use it all the time. The mash is lovely - no lumps - but do add some butter/milk or it wont taste as good.

I think someone said earlier about it taking too long putting one potato in at a time but mine is a big one and I can get 3 or 4 potatoes (halves) in at a time.

Also, on a shepherds pie etc, you could rice the potato straight onto the pie and then push down. Gives it a crispier topping.

oohh.... I really hate to admit it but Stirling may have a point about the shepherd's pie. Now I want to try it... but I gave my ricer away .

Mine's from Ikea and does the job nicely. But mash without butter misses the point, IMO.

Awesome tool, we moved just before christmas and when there wasn't one in the kitchen my DH jumped in the car on christmas eve to track one down as it wouldn't have been good enough without one (we are a VERY fussy household when it comes to lumps btw). It only cost a few quid from town and did the job beautifuly. I'm now desperate to try stirlings idea for shepherds pie.

am also considering a ricer... don't you have to heat the potato up again tho? Isn't it cold by the time you've finished fannying around with them?

Nope. Although usually, as I add cold milk to the mash (after the butter has melted into it), I usually zap it in the microwave for a bit, so that it's piping hot when it goes on the table.

Well it's all gone very positive here.

Think I shall go and see John tomorrow and treat myself.

misshardbroom - I won't ignore all your advice - think I'll treat myself to the wine as well!

Now if anyone can tell me where i have hidden my silicone muffin pans I will be a very happy MNetter. ANY ideas?

We have this Lakeland one which is reasonably priced and washes well. We use it every time we have mash and it's just yum.

Found it's very quick to do: butter and milk in bottom of still-warm potato saucepan, whilst potatoes drain in colander, rest the ricer on top of the saucepan and just spoon the potatoes into the ricer, takes about a minute or two to do.