I have a potato ricer that works great (besides being slightly messy) but the other day I was making broccoli mashed potatoes and I decided to use my immersion blender and boy did it work great! Totally smooth, really fast and minimal clean up!

I used a food mill last year for Christmas mashed taters. My dad made a fuss because there's more clean up with the food mill but he ultimately gave into my idea. A week later, he called to tell me that they were the best mashed potatoes he's ever had. Ha! Soooo good. Can't beat the smooth texture that a food mill provides.

I'm a fan of whipping my taters with a hand mixer.

The only thing that makes mashed potatoes better is MORE OF THEM. Hand mixer-whipped or hand-mashed--love 'em.

My bf uses a hand mixer whereas I use a hand masher or a fork.

I always dump my mashed potatoes into my stand mixer, and then just give them a turn or two. Breaks them up a bit, not too much, pour in the melted butter and cream - delicious every time.

I also put mine in my stand mixer, just for a few seconds. Add some cream cheese and duck fat instead of butter and you've got the most amazing mashed potatoes I've ever had.

I have the OXO food mill that is linked here. It creates perfectly smooth mashed potatoes. They have a rich texture but are never gluey because the potatoes are not over-worked. It's a bit tough to clean up, but it's an obvious case where putting a little more work in yields superior results.

I have the potato ricer from WS. I can't wait until Thanksgiving!

I have the potato ricer from ikea (£7.99) which I got because even though I'm average sized ish for a woman I find I'm too short to use a masher on a countertop. I LOVE IT.

It's almost impossible to buy a normal masher in France because every pretty much has a food mill for potatoes (or at least, this was my experience in two different cities). If you make massive batches I'd say go for this instead of the ricer.
The outcome is exactly the same, it's slightly less physical effort to do but more effort to wash up.

ps. the potato ricer from ikea looks better too (i hang it on my pot rack) as it's stainless steel.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/76114285 (they call it a potato press and it's $9.99)

I used to use a potato ricer, but thought it made potatoes too fluffy. Food mills are annoying; I think I still have one gathering dust... I never found one with a really comfortable mechanism. (if I need that sort of effect, I just purée something, and pass it through a sieve)

Now, I use a hand mixer, and the potatoes are perfect.

Of course, the real secret to great mashed potatoes is using the right variety of potatoes; here in Europe the variety is amazing! Wish we had the same back home.

My Ikea ricer is my second ricer and I have to say it is poorly designed. There are holes on the side and it has happened that the mash has sprayed out the side over the countertop. I'm going to upgrade it one of these days. Probably to an angled press or a decent foodmill that will be good for soups.

mashed potatoes != riced potatoes

They're quite different.

yikes, the first two implements look quite complicated to wash. i think i'll just stick to the third, and work on my muscle tone while i'm at it.

that first thing looks like a nightmare to clean. i use a hand mixer.

Maybe I'm weird, but I hand whip mine. Yes, with a regular whisk and good, old-fashioned elbow grease. If you boil them properly and add just the right about of butter and milk they come out super smooth and tasty.

I've tried very hard to rid my kitchen of unnecessary small appliances and gadgets over the years. When I first had my own place I went crazy. But now I realize that the tried and true instruments of our great-grandmothers are not only efficient multi-taskers, but MUCH easier to clean. I can't imagine trying to scrub a ricer. *shudder*

I love mashing potatoes by hand. I don't just pound down on them but down then lift up, incorporating what was just mashed into the next bit... iono... mine always come out very smooth and rich.