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Mashed potatoes are a magical dish you can make in many ways, but what is the best way? Whether it is a holiday meal or quick weeknight roast chicken, mashed potatoes are an instant comfort food that will make anyone at your table feel right at home.
Some people swear by potato mashers, while chefs with plenty of cabinet space say a food mill is the move. My go-to for mashed potatoes is always a potato ricer because it creates silky potatoes that you can use for mashed potatoes or gnocchi. A potato ricer looks like a garlic press for giants, except you put potatoes in the chamber instead of a garlic clove. You can also use it for other things, which we’ll get to later.
After testing potato mashers last holiday season, I was intrigued about the results I would get during these tests. Which method would reign supreme? This test’s results reinforced my belief that a ricer is the best tool for home cooks to make mashed potatoes. After testing ten models and making mountains of mashed potatoes, I found one for every kitchen, and all three of my favorites are easy to use.
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The All-Clad stainless steel potato ricer is a little expensive, but that is one of its only drawbacks. During testing, I appreciated its long, slim handles, which were great for any hand size. They were also easy to leverage, especially when using the built-in pot hook. The potato ricer made the most even and smooth strands of potatoes. When they were extruded, they looked like slender steaming spaghetti.
The ricer was also easy to clean because it had few places for potato pieces to hide. Thanks to its primarily stainless steel construction, it was also one of the most durable. It is pricier, but it should last for many years. Thanks to its relatively slimmer design, I also found it fit the best in my kitchen drawer organizers.
Material: Stainless steel | Handle length: 14 inches | Weight: 1.87 pounds | Dishwasher-safe? Yes
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The Norpro potato ricer might be awkward to store for slimmer kitchen drawers because it is so big. However, the size was one of my favorite things about it. This is a two-piece potato ricer with a pointed compartment for potatoes that helps direct the potatoes down more during ricing. I could fit numerous potatoes into the chamber, cutting my ricing time in half. It was a big plus when making my way through big batches.
Even though this is the largest ricer on the list, it was one of the easiest to use. There wasn’t a potato, and it didn’t glide through like a hot knife cutting butter. My only qualms about this are its size and that it has some cast aluminum parts. I hand-wash anything with aluminum, so the extra step isn’t my favorite with this.
Material: Cast aluminum and Stainless steel | Handle length: 15 inches | Weight: 2 pounds | Dishwasher-safe? Yes
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The Oxo was one of my favorite potato ricers for many reasons, but primarily because of its adjustable textures. You can twist the bottom of the potato reservoir to switch between fine, medium, and coarse. The fine is great for potatoes, the medium is suitable for spaetzle, and the coarse setting is good for dishes like applesauce.
The Oxo has a pot hook, which helps add force to each press, and its handles are comfortable to hold. While the adjustable features are a selling point, they can lead to more frustrating clean-up sessions. Potato pieces sometimes get stuck between the rotating layers, so take care when you clean them.
Material: Stainless steel and plastic | Handle length: 16 inches | Weight: 1.4 pounds | Dishwasher-safe? Yes
Our Favorite Potato Ricer
I awarded Best Overall Potato Ricer to the All-Clad Stainless Steel Potato Ricer, exclusive to Williams-Sonoma. This ricer gave me the best results and was super easy to use. I also like the Norpro Deluxe Jumbo Potato Ricer for its size and ability to attack multiple potatoes simultaneously.
How We Tested Potato Ricers
Testing potato ricers was pretty straightforward. I bought enormous bags of potatoes from Costco, peeled them, boiled them, and used the models as directed. But first, I evaluated them to see how they were designed. I wanted to gauge how awkward they might be to hold when balancing boiling potatoes and a slightly larger kitchen tool. I also measured how long it took to get through batches of potatoes. Did the models require one push, or did they need a readjustment to complete the task? These things matter.
Aside from how well they riced potatoes, what also mattered was how easy these potato ricers were to clean. Some models I tested were overcomplicated and had too many nooks and crannies where potatoes could get trapped. While one of my picks is not dishwasher-safe, cleaning was significant since these things have so many holes. We also tested how easy they were to store in average drawers in cabinets since these are larger-than-average kitchen utensils. In other words, ease of use was paramount throughout all steps, from use to storage.
Factors to Consider
Material
Potato ricers come in various configurations and materials. Most are made of plastic and stainless steel, which is desirable since both can go in the dishwasher. Some are made from aluminum, but we prefer stainless steel when given the option.
Design
Since a potato ricer is a large item, design is super important. You need something with enough leverage to get the right amount of force for pressing potatoes. However, it should also be light enough to hold with one hand since mashed potatoes are a kitchen job that requires both hands.
Clean-up
Most potato ricers are dishwasher-safe, which is a blessing because all those openings are a bear to clean. There are some, however, that need to be hand-washed, so that is something to consider when choosing the right one for your kitchen.
Other Potato Ricers We Tested
Williams Sonoma Potato Ricer, ($70 at Amazon)
I enjoyed that it didn’t take much force, but I felt others performed better. Another detractor is that it is only available at Williams-Sonoma and is pricey.
RSVP International Potato Ricer, ($20 at Amazon)
This felt incredibly heavy-duty, but it was made entirely of plastic, which I usually avoid.
Priority Chef Potato Ricer, ($20 at Amazon)
This potato ricer is also incredibly heavy-duty and reasonably priced. The edges of the handle are too sharp for my liking, though.
OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Potato Ricer, ($29 at Amazon)
This was easy to clean, but I didn’t like the sharp edges of the metal handles, especially when exerting force.
Joseph Joseph Helix Potato Ricer, ($22 at Amazon)
This potato ricer comes apart for easy cleaning. However, it requires two hands during use, which makes it awkward when ricing potatoes. It is also made from a lot of plastic.
Chef’n FreshForce Potato Ricer Press, ($50 at Amazon)
This felt sturdy in hand and during use. However, it was made primarily of plastic, and we like more metal for this heavy-duty tool.
Bellemain Large Potato Ricer, ($20 at Amazon)
This is a good price point and works well, but the metal edges are too sharp for my soft hands.
Our Expertise
Jennifer Zyman is Food & Wine’s Testing Editor, and her work focuses on finding the best new products for all sorts of cooks. She’s vetted hundreds of products, including side-by-side testing of essential kitchen gadgets like kitchen torches, nonstick pans, potato mashers, and tortilla presses. She’s written about food and restaurants for over 15 years and is a proficient home cook with a culinary school degree who is always on the hunt for the latest and greatest kitchen technique, trick, or tool. She probably orders something on Amazon every day, and that is for something other than work.
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