To use a potato ricer to create ultra-smooth mashed potatoes, you’ll need to prep your potatoes first, then load them into the hopper. Potato ricers are a versatile tool, especially when you get models with interchangeable blades. You can use a potato ricer to make guacamole, gnocchi, applesauce, baby food; mash bananas for banana bread or pancakes; or get the excess liquid out of spinach. Some potato ricers can even make perfect-sized pasta noodles without much fuss. It's best to research your potato ricer before purchasing to confirm the hole sizes of the grater(s). This depends on the type of potato ricer you have. Many potato ricers on this list work with both peeled and unpeeled cooked potatoes, but it's always best to read the fine print to see what each ricer can handle.

These extended handles provide extra leverage and require less force needed from you to mash even full-sized russets—just make sure the potatoes are well cooked. The extra length means more torque on the ends of the handles. Even though they are made of stainless steel, they will bend if you try to squeeze an oversized, al dente tuber. These handles also aren’t as comfortable as others here but there is more surface area to grip, and the design means you won’t have to squeeze as hard. The FreshForce Potato Ricer Press is a must-have for people who struggle with wrist and hand strain. Its unique design includes an extra gear mechanism so you don’t have to squeeze nearly as hard as a traditional press. Plus, the oversized horizontal handles allow for greater torque with less pressure. A similar approach can be used to create silky veggie purees for babies or for use in other recipes. You can also use ricers to squeeze the water out of raw shredded potatoes and cooked greens. These clever tools can even double as juicers for citrus fruit. Size of Holes While its stainless steel design makes it easy to clean, many users mention that it's best to use dish gloves if cleaning by hand as the discs have sharp edges. This potato ricer does best with peeled potatoes and is not recommended for making riced cauliflower. Its 18/10 stainless steel design ensures it won't bend, rust, or stain, but it's still important to thoroughly dry it before storing.This oversized ricer has a large capacity hopper and extra holes to turn that pot of boiled unpeeled potatoes into deliciously creamy mashed potatoes in the blink of an eye. Durable aluminum handles with added rubber padding and a user-friendly design easily set this ricer above the rest. 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!

You can use ricers for a lot more than making fluffy mash potatoes. But just how versatile your ricer is will depend on the size of the holes in the hopper. Like a cheese grater or garlic press, cleaning a ricer can be a bit of a chore. The larger the ricer, the more holes there will be to scrub. But smaller ricers aren’t much easier to clean. Getting a sponge or washcloth into a small hopper can pose a bit of a challenge. Depending on the consistency you want your mashed potatoes or foods to be, you'll want to pay attention to the hopper's hole sizes. Some potato ricers come with interchangeable discs that make them more versatile and able to mash more foods. Others only come with one disc and can be more limiting in what you can use your potato ricer for if you're looking to make more than mashed potatoes or to mash softer foods. Medium holes work best for creating homemade spaetzle or for mashing hard-boiled eggs for egg salad. If you prefer chunkier mashed potatoes and pulpier citrus juices, these larger holes will work better for your needs. Due to its size, this potato ricer is on the heavier side and is not the best option for those with small hands or hand pain issues. Some reviewers noted that due to the basket having holes on all four sides, it's essential to close the handles slowly to prevent mash from squeezing out the top.There are a lot of potato ricers out there, many with fun extra features. But when it comes to a reliable, easy-to-use product, we prefer the Norpro Deluxe Jumbo Potato Ricer. 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. T​hat 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’ve looked at a lot of different uses for potato ricers in this article. But people are finding more and more ways to use these handy gadgets every day. Here’s a relatively comprehensive list of all the things you’ll be able to do with your new potato ricer: 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 Some potato ricers come with interchangeable discs with multiple hole sizes. This is a great feature if you hope to use your ricer for a wide variety of jobs. But if you have only a specific use in mind, hoppers with a fixed hole size are often less cumbersome to use and easier to store. Size of HopperIn fact, the texture you get is quite smooth and uniform. This is one reason potato ricers make such delicious mashed potatoes. To get this same consistency from a masher, you’d have to pulverize the potatoes. All this force works in tandem with the stainless steel basket to create perfectly riced potatoes or other root vegetables. The small holes with extra sharp edges are the perfect size for turning pounds of potatoes into fluffy mash. But this press also works wonderfully to create smoother potatoes for shepherd’s pie and airy potatoes for perogies. Press the potatoes into a pot . Or mixing bowl if you won’t be reheating them right away. If you’re using unpeeled potatoes, you’ll have to stop frequently to remove the skins from the hopper. Overall, this potato ricer is a great lightweight option that helps easily make delicious mashed potatoes. The stainless steel construction of the FreshForce Potato Ricer Press basket is built solidly into the sturdy plastic of the contoured handles. This creates a comfortable grip without compromising strength.

Size: A masher with a large head may make short work of your mash, but it could be more cumbersome to use for smaller batches and harder to store. Most mashers have rounded heads for a good reason — most pots and bowls are round! Wired ones can still get into corners, too, but for the easiest usage, we recommend a potato masher with a curved edge.When choosing your ricer, try to strike a balance between how much prep you’ll have to do to fit items in the hopper and how much physical exertion it will take for you to mash what you can fit in there. Handle Strength and Comfort Looking for a well-made potato ricer but don't want to spend a fortune? Nurch Potato Ricer is the perfect option. The ricer is made from plastic and comes with three interchangeable discs (fine, medium, coarse) to make a variety of dishes, including pasta and baby food. Even better, this potato ricer has a gear design on its handle that makes it easy to rest the tool on a pot or bowl when reloading. Even though this potato ricer is made mainly of plastic, several users note that it is sturdy and not easy to break when using. Material: Stainless steel | Dimensions: 12.8 x 4.8 x 4.2 inches | Weight: 1.7 pounds | Hopper Capacity: 1 cup | Dishwasher-Safe? Yes Many reviewers rave about the smooth consistency this ricer makes, though some note that every so often they need to run a batch through again to work out additional lumps—but this seems to be a common issue in most potato ricers.