Credit:
Reviewed / Timothy Renzi
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Credit:
Reviewed / Timothy Renzi
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Made very little mess and created an equally low amount of waste. One of our favorite ricers to use for both peeled and unpeeled potatoes. Read More
Because of extra features and\ exceptional performance, we named the RSVP as our Best Value pick. Read More
Has soft, ergonomic handles and can push potatoes through with ease. Easy to clean, and its low-profile design makes it easy to store. Read More
Quickly and easily transforms potatoes into an airy, lump-free pile. Overall, we had no problems using it, but it's a bit larger and heavier than other models. Read More
Creates a moderate amount of waste and requires some force to push potatoes through. The one thing we truly didn't like was the silicone grip, which fell off if we pressed down too hard. Read More
I don’t know about you, but I’m a little obsessed with mashed potatoes. They look so unassuming on the plate, but somehow fluffy mash potatoes always ends up being my favorite part of the meal. I get a little sad, though, if I’m greeted with a lumpy, gummy, overworked pile of spuds. They’ll still taste great, but their texture leaves something to be desired. I’ll let you in on a little secret: If you ditch the hand masher, food processor, or stand mixer and use a potato ricer instead—like our top-rated Chef'n FreshForce Potato Ricer Press (available at Amazon) —you’re almost guaranteed to get perfect mashed potatoes, every time.
You see, a potato ricer pushes the boiled potato through tiny little holes, breaking it up into the smallest pieces possible without disturbing the starch molecules. That means fluffy, airy mashed potatoes. And, these gadgets aren’t unitaskers, either! We’ll talk more about the mountain of ways you could use your ricer in a minute, but let’s get to the main event first: Our winners.
We're looking for the best overall potato ricer—one that is easy to use, not a pain to clean, and doesn't require the force of two suns colliding to press the potato through. So, we chose eight top-rated ricers and put them through a series of tests. While none of them failed to make lump-free potatoes, some were certainly easier to use than others.
Easy to clean
Low profile design
Sturdy construction
None that we could find
Great for unpeeled potatoes
Creates little waste
Large and heavy
Bulky design
Easy to clean
Three different disks
Requires some force
Slippery silicone-lined handle
Unique design
Easy to use
Rices potatoes fast
Creates a ton of waste
Difficult to clean
Budget price
Stainless-steel construction
Hurts your hands
Difficult to clean
Creates a ton of waste
Hi, I’m Lindsay Mattison, a trained professional chef and mashed potato fanatic. I was such a picky eater as a kid; it wasn't unusual for me to eat nothing on the plate but the potatoes! Over the years, I’ve perfected my mashed potato technique: Peel your potatoes, boil them whole, and run them through the ricer while they’re still piping hot. Then, briefly whip them with melted butter, warmed cream, and your choice of spices. The key to my secret technique: A good quality potato ricer, and I want to help you find one.
Testing the potato ricers was relatively straightforward: We pressed unpeeled and peeled potatoes through each ricer and monitored the results. Ultimately, we were looking for a ricer that was both easy to use and created the least amount of waste. The ricer got bonus points if it came with additional disks (for a coarser or medium-sized mash).
Some ricers required serious brute force to push the potato through—those models fell to the bottom of the pack. Others were effortless to use but a pain to clean. I mean, all potato ricers are annoying to clean, so if one stuck out as being particularly difficult, that definitely meant there was a problem! We also paid attention to the quality of the pressed potatoes and determined whether the number of holes in the disk played a part in the final texture or yield (which was monitored by weighing the potatoes before and after pressing them through the ricer).
If you’re thinking that you already have enough gadgets in your kitchen and you don’t want to add another one, think again. These giant garlic press-looking devices prevent your mashers from becoming gummy because of the way they break up the potato. Potatoes are full of starches, which are released as soon as you start mashing ‘em up. If you overwork those starches, they essentially turn into glue, gumming up and creating an unpleasant mouthfeel.
Unfortunately, there’s no way to fix the potatoes once you’ve gotten to that point, but using a ricer means it’ll never happen! Instead of breaking up the potatoes via mashing, a ricer gently pushes each potato through the disk’s tiny holes, creating the smallest pieces possible with the least amount of motion.
Earlier, we promised that a potato ricer isn’t a unitasker: It’s not just used for mashing potatoes. A ricer is essential for making great gnocchi or perogies, or you can use it to make tomato sauce, puree soft fruit for jam or baby food, or squeeze out excess water from frozen spinach. It can even be used as a citrus juicer in a pinch!
Lindsay is a professional chef, recipe developer, writer, and developmental editor. After years of working in restaurant kitchens, she turned to writing to share her passion for local, organic, and seasonal ingredients with home cooks and food enthusiasts.
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