The texture of mash: For a smoother mash, you should look for a plate with smoother holes and a curved edge that gets close to the edge of the pan. Wider gaps or those with a single wire design may compress well, but require more twisting and rotating to achieve the desired texture. For super smooth stress-free mashing, you may want to consider an electric masher or ricer instead of a traditional potato masher. Boiling: Boil a pan of water, add salt, and place the cauliflower florets in. Simmer for about 10 minutes on medium heat or until tender. Scoop the florets into the hopper of the potato ricer, close the plunger, and press gently at first to remove extra water. Then squeeze the handles together until all the cauliflower has extruded. When it comes to comfort food, you really can’t beat a generous helping of mashed potato. Whether you’re serving up a homely sausage and mash supper, a classic Sunday roast or a delicious topping for your homemade shepherd’s pie, mashed potato is a filling and satisfying accompaniment to a wide range of family meals.

All of the mashers we test are used on freshly boiled and drained chunks of potato that are cooked for 10 minutes until tender. These are mashed without the addition of butter, until the potato begins to form a mass. Mashing without the addition of butter and milk ensures we can assess how efficient the masher is without help. First, you should peel and chop the potatoes into similar-sized pieces before bringing to the boil and cooking for around 15-20 minutes or until tender to the touch.

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If you’ve never made homemade applesauce before, you won’t believe how easy it is! My recipe starts with 5 simple ingredients: Applesauce Ingredients Easy to clean by hand or with the option of simply popping into the dishwasher after use, it also comes with an OXO Better Guarantee for peace of mind. Pros A potato ricer, on the other hand, uses a hopper and plunger style design similar to a large garlic press, plunging down to push the potatoes through small holes and resulting in finer, smaller pieces of potato, similar to grains of rice. Electric mashers, whilst obviously having a higher price tag than manual mashers, can produce smooth and lump-free mashed potato in literally seconds, saving significant time in your meal preparation. They’re also ideal for those with mobility issues or those who struggle with a traditional masher, as they require very little in terms of physical effort. What to consider when shopping for potato mashers

The recipe for the perfect mashed potato is also a topic of much debate, but as a general rule, the majority of mashed potato recipes involve just a few basic ingredients - potatoes, unsalted butter and milk. Ease of use: Some potato mashers are easier to use than others - look for mashers with a shorter handle or design that spreads the pressure to prevent wrist or hand pain when mashing. Ground cinnamon– Who doesn’t love apples and cinnamon together?? Its warm, cozy flavor is delicious here. If you like, feel free to add other warming spices like nutmeg or ginger, or replace the cinnamon with apple pie spice. Mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food: a staple at holiday meals and weeknight suppers alike. Martie Duncan, cookbook author and host of the Homemade Podcast, makes them often using a classic potato masher she inherited from her mother. “But if you want an extra-smooth mashed potato for the holidays or another kind of special occasion, you might want to use a potato ricer,” says Duncan. She has both in her kitchen. Whether you want to invest in an electric masher will ultimately depend on whether you’re willing to justify the additional expense and how often you would be using it.Though it may look like a large whisk, this is actually a uniquely designed potato masher. The basic idea is that food chunks get trapped inside the "cage" and the coils compress as you push down, resulting in a mash. That motion is supposed to reduce the number of times needed to punch the potatoes, making this tool a little easier on the wrist. A potato ricer is a bit like a large garlic press that turns boiled potato into small grains of mashed potato with a rice-like consistency. If you use a ricer you won’t get any lumps—all of the potato will be very finely riced. However, it takes longer to use a ricer than a potato masher. For example, metal mashers are typically heavier than their plastic counterparts. This means that you can rely on their weight during mashing. Also, metal mashers are a bit easier to clean than plastic ones. Tip: The softer the apples are, the smoother the sauce will be. If you like a chunkier homemade applesauce, cook the apples for less time. If you like yours super smooth, cook them longer.