This Simple Gadget Gives Me the Fluffiest Mashed Potatoes Every Time — And It’s Almost Half Off Right Now!

If you know me, you know that mashed potatoes are my favorite food. I know, it’s not a typical or very interesting choice, but I will never, ever get tired of them — not even if I ate them every day of the week (which I haven’t done yet, but I know I could). Still, even though I would definitely call myself a mashed potato connoisseur, I haven’t actually made them by hand. I know, I know. But hear me out: I only just graduated college, during which most of my dishes were selected for their ease and speed. I always thought it would take way too long to actually mash potatoes — and why do that when you can get some frozen ones from Trader Joe’s or add water to the microwavable kind? (Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!)

In addition to being obsessed with all things mashed potatoes, I’m also a huge fan of things that make my life easier — and even though I have more time on my hands now that I’m not doing loads of homework every evening, I still love a good hack or nifty gadget. Who doesn’t? Lucky for me, the Chef’n Potato Ricer combines both of these interests, and made my first time making “real” mashed potatoes all by myself a breeze, with very little arm strength required. And, I’ll admit it: They came out way better than all the premade ones I’ve been making over the past couple years.

This ricer truly works wonders, and it’s incredibly easy to use, which I appreciate. As opposed to the traditional potato masher that requires way more force and time, this tool works like a garlic press — you pop the boiled potato pieces into the cup after lifting up the white press piece (I’m sure there’s a better name for that). Then, you place that piece back on top of the opening, and then squeeze the lever until all of the potato has been pushed through the tiny holes in the bottom of the cup. (I have to say, it’s super satisfying to see it come out in the little stringy pieces.) 

It really is as simple as it sounds, and thanks to the faultless design, it takes hardly any effort to press the potato through the holes. In its product description, the FreshForce Potato Ricer claims to be up to 65 percent more efficient than other conventional potato presses and ricers. Granted, I don’t have the most experience with these kinds of tools, but I honestly don’t doubt it. Even as a ricing novice, I don’t think I’ll ever need to upgrade from this durable device — the removable cup is even made of stainless steel, so I’m confident it’ll last, especially if I hand wash everything. You’ll be happy to know it’s dishwasher-safe, though!

Again, I can’t stress enough how smoothly the process went — after chopping two peeled russet potatoes into smaller pieces each and tossing them into a pot of boiling water, I let them sit for about 15 minutes before draining them and placing a few pieces into the ricer. I filled the small cup with about roughly half a potato — you could probably do bigger chunks if you wanted, but I wanted to be extra sure it would work smoothly, and I recommend you do the same. I also filled it all the way to the top of the cup, but I suggest leaving a bit of space to have a bit more control and make less of a mess. Still, though, there was hardly any spillage.

When I pushed the lever down, I was shocked by how little force I had to use to push the potato through. It wasn’t an awkward motion or hard to keep a grip on, either, even though I’m notorious for having the worst hand strength in the world. (Opening jars is not my forte, let’s just say.) As I hovered over a bowl — I had a bigger bowl underneath than I needed, just in case — the thin strands came out in one or two motions before the cup was empty.

And now, the most important part: the end result. My mashed potatoes were remarkably fluffy. I added a bit of butter and milk, stirred for a bit with a spoon, and they were perfectly lump-less, like I prefer my mashed potatoes to be. (If you like yours to have a chunkier texture, this may not be the device for you.) Clean up, as mentioned, is hassle-free because it’s dishwasher-safe. I just rinsed it off with some dish soap, though, and it was good as new in a pinch. Perhaps the only (incredibly minimal) drawback is that it’s not super compact — it takes up quite a bit of space, but for how incredibly it performs, I don’t mind.

I’m already excited for my next meal using this nifty gadget — I’m aiming to make some guacamole with it this weekend, but truly, the uses for this potato ricer are endless. Best of all, it’s nearly half off on Amazon right now, which makes it even better if you love finding a good bargain like me. Mashed potato obsessive or not, I’m positive this device will become a staple in anyone’s kitchen.

Buy: Chef’n FreshForce Potato Ricer Press, $28.38 (normally $54.99)