We love mash here at lovefood - it's the only accompaniment to a good pie. But what's the best way to make it? Andrew Webb puts three kitchen gadgets to the test.
Budget: potato masher
(cheap as chips)
You've probably got one of these. Argos sell them for £1.99 each. Potato mashers come in a variety of shapes and sizes... this boot one is rather fun. Can leave potato a bit lumpy if you're not careful.
Mid-range: potato ricer
(£10 - £20)
Presses the cooked spuds through a disc with holes in it. Makes very smooth mash. Big hands needed to work it however, and while less frantic than the hand held masher above, still requires strength. Interestingly can also be used to squash oranges for marmalade or juice.
Bling! Masha
(around £29)
A beast of a gadget that makes mountains of mash in moments. Ok it's expensive compared to the other two, but if mash is your thing, this is worth the investment. It takes seconds to blitz the cooked potatoes into mash. A light hand on the tiller is needed, it's that quick. Also the Masha can blitz things like avocado for guacamole, as well as other root veg like parsnips and butternut squash. Handy for making baby food too.
Tips for making mash
Everyone's got their own mash tips and secrets - some add nutmeg, others cream. Team lovefood favour a few knobs of butter, a good pinch of salt, and a mere splash of milk. That's it. However, there's a few other tips we've found helpful.
- Use desiree potatoes - they may have come last in out roast spud taste test, but hell's teeth they're made for mash.
- Boil quickly in salted water - you don't want them sitting around in water getting all soggy.
- Let the drained spuds dry a bit, so they're less waterlogged.
- Don't overwork the mashing process - you'll mess the starch around and end up with wallpaper paste.
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