The 10 Best Potato Ricers
Editor's Notes
April 30, 2021:
Potato ricers haven't changed in many years, and our rankings basically stayed the same this time around, too. The only minor update was the replacement of a hard-to-find J.B. Prince model with the identical Louis Tellier Mouli. The Mouli is pretty similar to what many professional restaurants and catering outfits use.
Otherwise, we still recommend the Chef'n FreshForce for small-batch use at home, due partly to its high amount of leverage. The Oxo Good Grips Food Mill is ideal for preparing larger amounts, and has some advantages over restaurant-style food mills in terms of clearances and non-stick feet and handle.
March 18, 2020:
Mashing potatoes by hand is not only arduous, it can lead to overly dense results and often leaves a glue-like starch residue on your cooking equipment. If you ever take a trip to the back of a restaurant, you'll see a rotary food mill being used (alongside copious amounts of butter, usually) in order to achieve light, fluffy, creamy, starchy goodness. The J.B. Prince U530ST is very much like the one you'll see in a high-end restaurant, though many home users will be better served by the Oxo Good Grips Food Mill, which is smaller, much less expensive, and sits higher on the pot than the J. B. Prince does. The Granite Ware Deluxe is even less expensive, but it's just not quite as well made, with a few users even forced to slightly modify it to make the crank spin freely. But, if you're handy and on a tight budget, it's worth a look.
On the other hand, a typical press-style ricer works quite well for smaller batches. The Chef'n FreshForce is one of the best thanks to its dual-gear design, which delivers considerably more force than a standard lever setup does. The Bellemain Ricer is another high-quality option, and despite its rigid body and great quality control, it doesn't cost very much at all. The Joseph Joseph Helix is another worth mentioning, as unlike the other non-rotary models, you squeeze its handles inward from each side rather than from the top and bottom.
The RSVP International Spud is a lightweight and also highly affordable option, although because it's plastic it tends to flex a bit, which wastes a little energy and can sometimes leave chunks of unprocessed potato in the bottom. And if you want to make sure you don't lose any pieces, take a look at the Oxo Good Grips Adjustable, which has a built-adjustment system that operates by rotating the body. Also keep in mind that most of these -- especially the press-style models -- require the potatoes to be peeled before you rice them, and it may not hurt to chop them in half first as well.
What Is A Potato Ricer And Why Do You Need One?
A potato ricer eliminates a lot of the work associated with breaking up potatoes.
Mixing, whipping, and mashing things are just some of the reasons many chefs suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome. A potato ricer eliminates a lot of the work associated with breaking up potatoes. It is an extrusion tool that pushes a boiled potato through a plate filled with holes. The holes are tiny and produce pieces of potato about the size of grains of rice. Many might think of the potato as a rather boring, primitive root vegetable that people have been eating for thousands of years.
There has, however, been a new interest in the potato since it started earning a place in the designer vegetable market. If all that is stopping you from eating more of this food is the tiresome task of cutting and mashing it, a potato ricer can be a big help. To use it, one simply puts a whole, boiled potato into the hopper and presses home on the handles. Most levers on these tools are quite strong, so you don't need to exert much energy.
There are multiple reasons that ricers give mashed potatoes that wonderfully fluffy, light texture so many people love. For one thing, they push air into the food as it plunges it through the holes. A ricer will also ensure your mashed potatoes don't have any lumps, which is nearly impossible to achieve when you hand whip them. Hand mashing potatoes also releases too much of the starch from their cells, which tends to result in a gooey and sticky consistency. The less handling the potato goes through, the better, which is why a potato ricer becomes an invaluable tool.
What To Look For In A Potato Ricer
Nutritionists praise the potato for its multiple health benefits, and considering how inexpensive it is, it's worth investing in a tool that makes eating this vegetable easier. If you do like some lumps in your mashed potatoes, look for a ricer with adjustable consistency settings. This will give you the option to choose between the finest, smoothest potatoes, and coarser ones. If you work with particularly large potatoes or want to rice several at once, look for a model with an extra large hopper.
Some ricers have a scoop design that makes it simple to take potatoes directly out of the pot, without using tongs or any other tools. Ideally, one's ricer should be made from food grade silicone or stainless steel; not only are these the safest materials because they don't leak chemicals, but they're also very easy to clean. Since potato can be difficult to clean out of any tool, look for a ricer that is dishwasher friendly. Some ricers are capable of other tasks like making foods that are juiced or pureed, which can be beneficial for people with certain stomach conditions.
If you need to save space, look for a ricer with a loop in the handle so you can hang it up above your counter. Those who prefer their potatoes slightly firmer should look for a ricer with an ergonomic, non-slip grip since they'll need to apply slightly more pressure to push it through the perforations.
Common Dishes Made With A Potato Ricer
A potato ricer is instrumental in the making of several classic recipes with potato filling. Pierogis, an Eastern European food eaten in Poland, Russia, and the Ukraine, are small, semi-circular dumplings filled with a variety of ingredients, from saurkraut, meat, and cheese, to mashed potatoes. They're usually topped with some mixture of fried onions, sour cream, and melted butter. A ricer can achieve the super smooth texture required for potatoes for this dish.
The Irish often serve colcannon on Halloween with little prizes hidden inside, like coins or rings.
A potato ricer is also great for making potato pancakes. These have been eaten for centuries by several cultures, including the Swiss, Germans, Russians, and Jewish people all over the world. In fact, they are a staple of Hanukkah cuisine. The thickness of the potato strips varies depending on the region where one finds potato pancakes, so if you wanted to experiment with the different types, you would need a potato ricer with interchangeable blades. Potato pancakes can be topped with anything from onions and bacon to jams and cinnamon.
Potatoes have long been part of Irish cuisine, but possibly the most important dish made from the vegetable is colcannon. This is a traditional Irish dish consisting of mashed potatoes, mixed with either cabbage or kale, salt and pepper, and some butter or cream. Sometimes it contains additional flavors from green onions or leeks and is served with Irish bacon or ham. The Irish often serve colcannon on Halloween with little prizes hidden inside, like coins or rings. Colcannon is so embedded in Irish culture that there is even a song about it.