mashed potato? cookery advice needed please!

[nickb]

OK not exactly cookery advice-I know how to cook spuds hehehe-but its the mashing and hms I just can't do it!!! Thrown the lumpy mash in the bin today and went and bought ready done from sainsburys!

Please has anyone found a good way to mash? Some fantastic gadget that actually works?

[Blaadyblah]

Nat05 suggests a potato ricer (I use the man shaped thing, myself).

[butterfly81]

Electric whisks do the job well, loved mine til it broke. Must get a new one. It makes lovely creamy mash with no lumps!

[hannah]

Mum has always done mashed potatoes in the Kenwood Chef - using the K-beater. this is probably related to having to feed a considerable army of growing lads

[amber_m]

after i drain the water i carry on cooking the potatoes for a few secounds, while stirring,to get rid of extra water then i chuck then in a blender with a bit of butter

[Stone]

I can still just about manage the masher but it's definitely a lot easier if you cook the potatoes for longer than you normally would - you want them to be soft and falling apart anyway so you might as well make it easier for yourself. Also I don't know how you normally prepare your mash but after draining the spuds I always put a generous knob of butter (give it a few seconds to melt) and a splash of milk in with them before mashing - it makes it a lot easier to mash than just the potatoes on their own, and it's dead tasty Possibly not so good for the waistline though...

Stone

[cavemonster]

heehee - thats' just one of those jobs reserved for the hubby but a potato ricer would definitely work - my brother has one, they're great.

[nemonie]

There's a new kitchenware company called joseph and joseph who do funky and useful stuff for the kitchen. They have a spring loaded masher that is supposed to make it easier and quicker to mash potatoes. I've included a link to it from their website but you can get their stuff other places too (like amazon - remember to use the hmsa link-y thing to raise money for the charity when you buy stuff from amazon)

http://www.josephjoseph.com/kitchen-tools/smasher

[cracker]

lol..... my dad mashes the spuds i heard hand blenders are good tho

[mazza111]

I use the man shaped one too Haven't found one I can use otherwise. Might have a look at the joseph thing tho

[Superstottie]

I find a mouli really good and easy to use as you just spin the handle and don't need to put any pressure on anything - you don't get the gluey mash that you can get using a blender etc either. If you have to make large amounts of mash, a ricer can take a lot of time and get a bit tedious with re-filling! You can get a mouli attachment for the kenwood chef too to make it even easier!

[Looby62]

I have to get hubby to drain and mash the potatoes most of the time these days.
Thanks for that link nemonie, looks like it may be a good option

[Ashbags]

If you use softer vegetables along with one or two potatoes (with a potato like texture), such as pumpkin and butternut (along with the butter, milk and salt), it is easier to mash and SO much tastier than just potato. Also a healthier option. Even delicious on top of cottage pie and the like.

[Looby62]

See now for me, Ashbags, that would be a great alternative, but hubby and daughter would not even try it!

[thalia]

I always use a hand held blender - I got one really cheap in my local Tescos a few years back and it's been a life saver. Great for making healthy veggie soups too. Admittedly it makes creamed potato rather than the consistency of your traditional mash, but I personally prefer it