10 Best Potato Mashers and Ricers of 2020

This potato masher’s perforated head has smaller holes in the center and larger ones around the edges, which the manufacturer claims makes mashing faster. It has a wide handle with soft grips so you can get a good, comfortable grasp and a scraper along the side that can clean the bowl as you go. 

This is a good budget option, or a good starter masher, for a low price under $3. Unlike many cheap mashers, this one has a stainless steel body. It also has a substantial handle to make mashing easier, and it’s dishwasher safe. The head is a bit smaller than other models, so the job could take longer. 

If your hands need ergonomic design, but you’d rather have a single-wire masher, OXO has another option with the cushy non-slip handle of Good Grips, but with a stainless-steel wire head that can get into corners more easily than a round perforated head. GHI testers liked how it prepped potatoes quickly and how easy it was to clean, but the same open spaces in the head that make it easy to clean mean it takes longer to get a smooth mash. Testers warned it could turn a lumpy, uneven result. 

Most ricers require some elbow grease, but this one has a gear mechanism that gives the plunger a boost. Thanks to the leverage, you need less force to work it, which makes it good for the best ricer for cooks with arthritis or other hand issues. The basket is removable and dishwasher-safe, so it’s easier to clean. The design is sleek, but like many ricers, it’s a space hog in the kitchen drawer. Another downside is the price: It’s pricier than a masher or even some basic ricers. 

This tool solves the old problem of how to stash a bulky masher in your kitchen drawers because the head folds flat for easy storage. Our experts said that it made lumpless, fluffy mashed potatoes in no time and its rounded mashing head doubled as a bowl scraper. 

This potato masher with nylon head is ideal for nonstick pans; it’s sturdy, heat-resistant, and dishwasher-safe. Testers found it a little tricky to use and said it left lumps and made mash that wasn’t as fluffy as  stainless steel models. Coming from the OXO Good Grips line, it has the same ergonomic features that make it comfortable for arthritic hands. 

This attachment for the Philips immersion blender will make mash in no time with little effort. The perforated head turns your stick blender into a motorized ricer. It makes mashed potatoes and performs all the other possible uses of a masher, but with no effort, so it is the best choice for cooks with limited mobility, and they don’t need to buy yet another kitchen appliance.  

The ergonomic design of this potato masher reduces stress on hands, especially when making large batches. The wide horizontal handle and the broad mashing plate absorb and distribute pressure evenly and lets the user mash down, instead of pounding down with a vertical handle, so it eases the strain on weak hands. The oval shape lets the mashing plate get more easily into corners, but the six-inch handle can be a bit short when working with large bowls or reaching inside a deep pot.

This one-piece masher is similar to the OXO Smooth Masher, but it’s a one-piece stainless-steel design that looks good out of the kitchen drawer, too. It has a large perforated head and horizontal handle, but is slightly larger than the OXO. Its taller, extra-wide handle can be used with both hands to ease the pressure and also makes it easier for kids. The one-piece design makes it sturdy and easy to clean, but the steel handle can be slippery when wet. 

This masher has a large head that may not fit in your kitchen drawer, but no matter; the handle comes in colors like red, aqua and tangerine, to match KitchenAid’s small appliances. This is a popular seller on Amazon, where reviewers note the handle is not just nice to look at, but also comfortable and doesn’t slip off wet hands.  The head is large, so it does the job fast; it’s also study and reviewers say it’s very easy to clean.