The BEST homemade Mashed Potatoes - deliciously rich and creamy, easy to make, and perfect every time.
I’ve been experimenting in the kitchen again, this time with Mashed Potatoes. I’ve been making Mashed Potatoes for years the way my grandmother taught me. I figured it was time for a deep dive into how to make the best - which necessarily involved lots and lots of batches of Mashed Potatoes!
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Here’s what I tested:
- Boiled vs. steamed
- Type of potato
- Potatoes cut in chunks vs. whole potatoes
- Potato ricer vs. food mill vs. masher vs. electric mixer (I didn’t have to try the food processor. I’ve already had that fail years ago.)
- Different amounts of butter
- Milk vs. cream
Here’s what I found:
In a nutshell, it’s pretty hard to mess up mashed potatoes (Unless you put them in the food processor or use the wrong potato). In side by side testing, there wasn’t a drastic difference between any of the tests. They all made a wonderful mashed potato.
Steaming vs. Boiling
I preferred steaming the potatoes instead of boiling them. Is boiling bad? Not at all. That’s how I made potatoes for years and in the side by side testing, there wasn’t a great difference. Cook’s Illustrated uses both methods so I’m sure they’re both pretty good. Serious Eats boils theirs.
I liked steaming for its ease. No draining. No drying the potatoes. They’re easy to check for doneness. There’s no risk of the potatoes turning to mush in the water.
That being said, not everyone has a steamer or wants to fidget with a colander in a pan. Boiling the potatoes is a perfectly fine option. I’ve given tips below on how to avoid waterlogged boiled potatoes.
Potato ricer vs. food mill vs. hand masher vs. electric mixer
Once again, the difference between the methods wasn’t drastic. All resulted in delicious mashed potatoes. I think the best method will depend on how you like your potatoes. I discuss the differences below.
The Best Potatoes for Mashed Potatoes
The best kind of potatoes for mashed potatoes are starchy potatoes, such as Russet or Idaho potatoes, or buttery Yukon Golds. You can use a combination of the two for the best of both worlds.
You can peel the potatoes or leave the peels on for a more rustic texture.
How to cook the potatoes
There are several different views – some strong – on how to cook the potatoes. The ultimate goal is to cook the potatoes evenly, without them getting waterlogged.
Cut the potatoes
Cut the potatoes into evenly sized chunks for even, quicker cooking. Large, whole potatoes may cook unevenly, with the outside getting mushy before the inside is tender.
Steam the potatoes
Steaming the potatoes prevents them from getting waterlogged and mushy. The potatoes also don’t lose any nutrients or flavor in the cooking water. There’s no draining necessary and checking for doneness is quick and simple.
Boil the potatoes
If you prefer to boil the potatoes, keep these things in mind:
Don’t overcook. Over cooking the potatoes makes them waterlogged and mushy. When a knife can be inserted easily with no resistance, they are done.
Dry the potatoes. After draining the potatoes - drain them well - return them to the pan and put over low heat to evaporate any excess moisture for about a minute. Shake the pan occasionally so they don’t scorch.
What’s the best way to mash potatoes
Ricer: Ricing the potatoes makes them smooth, light, and ultra-fluffy. Although they can be a bit grainy, a ricer provides the gentlest touch for the fluffiest mash.
Food mill: Passing the potatoes through a food mill makes them ultra-smooth with no graininess, and almost as fluffy as the ricer.
With a hand masher: For creamy smooth potatoes that are a little denser than riced potatoes. Use this style for chunkier mashed potatoes, or this style with a fine-grid, stainless steel mashing plate to yield smooth mashed potatoes.
Hand mixer: If you don’t have a ricer, food mill, or hand masher, you can use an electric hand mixer, but use it with care. Over working the potatoes makes them gluey.
Avoid using a blender or food processor. These are way too aggressive and can make your potatoes gluey and gummy.
Mashed Potato ingredients
- Potatoes: Russet potatoes or Yukon Golds. Or a combination of the two.
- Butter: The more butter you use, the creamier and richer the potatoes will be. I use 3 tablespoons per pound of potatoes.
- Milk: I use whole cow’s milk in my mashed potatoes, but for extra rich and creamy potatoes you can use half and half or heavy cream.
- Garlic: It’s optional, but I love the flavor a couple of cloves of garlic adds to the potatoes.
- Salt
How to make Mashed Potatoes
Cut the potatoes into evenly sized, one inch chunks.
To steam the potatoes:
Place a steamer insert or snugly fitting colander into a large pot or Dutch oven. Add enough water for it to barely reach bottom of the insert. Put the potatoes and optional garlic in the steamer insert and cover with a snugly fitting lid. Heat over high heat until the water is boiling, then reduce the heat to medium high and cook until the potatoes are soft and tip of paring knife inserted into potato meets no resistance, about 20 to 30 minutes.
To boil the potatoes:
Put the potatoes in a pan and cover with enough cold water to cover them by 1 inch. Add salt and optional garlic. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook until the potatoes are soft and tip of paring knife inserted into potato meets no resistance, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Carefully drain all the water then return the potatoes to the pan. Heat over low-heat until the excess water is evaporated, about one minute. Gently shake the pan occasionally so the potatoes don’t scorch.
Mash the potatoes
To press the potatoes through a ricer or food mill:
Set food mill or ricer over now empty but still warm saucepan. Working in batches, transfer potatoes to ricer or food mill. Rice or process the potatoes through to the saucepan. Stir in butter and salt with wooden spoon until incorporated. Gently stir in milk, little by little, until it reaches the desired consistency. Check the seasoning. Salt and pepper to taste.
To mash the potatoes with a hand masher:
Return the potatoes to the warm saucepan. Add butter and salt and begin mashing. Pour in the milk little by little while continuing to mash until it reaches the desired consistency without overworking the potatoes. Check the seasoning. Salt and pepper to taste.
How to make ahead and reheat Mashed Potatoes
The cut potatoes can be held in cold water for up to four hours before cooking.
To reheat Mashed Potatoes:
- Heat Mashed Potatoes in a slow cooker on high for an hour or until hot.
- Heat in an Instant Pot on warm for an hour or until hot.
- Heat in the top of a double boiler until hot.
- Heat on the stovetop, stirring in a little more milk.
- Heat in a 350° F oven for about 30 minutes until hot.
- Microwave in a covered dish at 75% power until hot, stirring every minute.
With any heating method, if the potatoes are too thick, stir in a little milk and butter.
Perfect Mashed Potatoes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
The BEST homemade Mashed Potatoes - deliciously rich and creamy, easy to make, and perfect every time.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (900g) potatoes (Russet or Yukon Gold)
- 4-8 tablespoons (57-113g) butter (melted)
- ½ - ⅔ cup (114-151g) milk ((or half and half or cream), as needed)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: 2 cloves garlic
Optional garnish:
- Pats of butter
- Chopped parsley
Instructions
- Cut the potatoes into evenly sized, one inch chunks.
To steam the potatoes:
- Place a steamer insert or snugly fitting colander into a large pot or Dutch oven. Add enough water for it to barely reach bottom of the insert. Put the potatoes and optional garlic in the steamer insert and cover with a snugly fitting lid. Heat over high heat until the water is boiling, then reduce the heat to medium high and cook until the potatoes are soft and tip of paring knife inserted into potato meets no resistance, about 20 to 30 minutes.
To boil the potatoes:
- Put the potatoes in a pan and cover with enough cold water to cover them by 1 inch. Add salt and optional garlic. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook until the potatoes are soft and tip of paring knife inserted into potato meets no resistance, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Carefully drain all the water then return the potatoes to the pan. Heat over low-heat until the excess water is evaporated, about one minute. Gently shake the pan occasionally so the potatoes don’t scorch.
To press the potatoes through a ricer or food mill:
- Set food mill or ricer over now empty but still warm saucepan. Working in batches, transfer potatoes to ricer or food mill. Rice or process the potatoes through to the saucepan. Stir in butter and salt with wooden spoon until incorporated. Gently stir in milk, little by little, until it reaches the desired consistency. Check the seasoning. Salt and pepper to taste.
To mash the potatoes with a hand masher:
- Return the potatoes to the warm saucepan. Add butter and salt and begin mashing. Pour in the milk little by little while continuing to mash until it reaches the desired consistency without overworking the potatoes. Check the seasoning. Salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
I’ve given a range of 4 to 8 tablespoons of butter. More butter makes a richer, creamier mashed potato. I use about 6 tablespoons.
I use milk, however for a richer, creamier mashed potato, half and half or cream can be substituted.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: mashed potatoes, side dish, thanksgiving
Enjoy, friends!
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I want to grab a fork and dig in Kelly! These mashed potatoes look delicious! Perfect for the holidays ahead!
Can't have a holiday dinner without mashed potatoes on the table! Thanks so much, Mary Ann!
these look so smooth and creamy kelly. we actually had mashed potato last night. hubby makes them. his secret is lashings of cream and butter! sooo good. you are so dedicated to try these so many ways. good stuff.
They sound heavenly, Sherry! Experimenting with recipes in the kitchen has long been a love of mine. Especially the side by side taste test. You should see my freezer - filled with individually wrapped servings of my experiments! Thanks so much!
I could get lost in those buttery swirls. 🙂 I actually make my mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot all the time now, which is technically steaming them. I think they come out so much better! This is such a handy guide Kelly.
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Such a great idea to make them in the Instant Pot, Marcie! Thanks so much!
That looks incredibly creamy and packed full of flavours, Kelly.
So creamy and velvety smooth! We love them! Thanks so much, Angie!
lord have mercy, ummmmm umm
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Haha! Thanks so much, Cookie Monster!
Oh man, you're back at it with one of your awesome side-by-side comparison posts, Kelly! I love these posts...I always learn so much. First thing I learned here: mixing the types of potatoes together. *mind blown* I always mix the types of apples when I bake an apple pie, but I've never mixed potato types. Totally doing that from now on! Also, this post encouraged me to pull out the food mill this year. (Also, I love using the slow cooker for cooking the potatoes. It's one less thing to worry about when it comes to timing Thanksgiving dinner!) Speaking of Thanksgiving, I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday!
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David, mixing the potatoes is a great idea and a tip I picked up from the New York Times. It's hard to choose between Russets and Yukon Golds. Using a combination of the two gives the best of both worlds. I love using the slow cooker for making mashed potatoes. Hoping to do a post for that in the future! Thanks so much and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Wow! What extensive research you've done for mashed potatoes. I've never tried steaming them before, but I'm going to need to give it a try. I love how creamy these are!
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Kathy, it's a method I picked up on Cook's Illustrated. They actually rinse their potatoes off half way through cooking to rinse off any excess starch. I skip that step with great results. Thanks so much and Happy Thanksgiving!
These look so creamy and absolutely delicious! Now I´m craving mashed potatoes And I really love your photos. Happy Thanksgiving!
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Melanie, I adore mashed potatoes so it was a lot of fun testing all the different methods and seeing (and tasting!) the differences. Thanks so much and hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Oh wow! You did a TON of research and testing for these, Kelly! This is such an informative post!!! And, it looks like you truly have the PERFECT mashed potatoes! These look so heavenly - fluffy, butter and totally creamy-dreamy!! I like to steam my potatoes too (YAY!), but it's good to know there isn't a huge difference if I decide to get crazy and boil them one day. 😉 Cheers and warm wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Pinned!
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Chey, I love how the steamed potatoes aren't water logged and mushy, like can happen when you boil them (especially if you over boil them). All the more space to absorb the butter and cream! Thanks so much and have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Kelly, what a thoroughly detailed, well thought out post. I learned SO much about the different methods. You are truly amazing! I want a big bowl of these with extra butter tonight! YUM!
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Aw, thanks so much, Haylie! I was surprised that the ricer made them a little grainy and the food mill wasn't. I was also surprised to discover that while light and fluffy sounds awesome, I actually preferred the slightly more dense hand mashed potatoes (with the small hole masher). Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
I love mash and these look super duper creamy! Can't go wrong with the addition of cream and butter!
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Thanks so much, Dawn!
What a project to try so many different methods! Thank you for sharing them with us!! I’m with you on steaming... Your mashed potatoes look creamy and perfect!!
I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving! xo
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Marissa, it was definitely a project! I love doing side by side taste tests. That's when the fine differences will show. Sometimes I'm disappointed when the differences aren't glaringly obvious so I can say that such and such method is clearly the best. But in the end, I think it's cool to have good options, then to choose based on convenience. Thanks so much and hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving!
Great post! Love the research you've done. We actually use a stand mixer, but you're right that with a mixer you have to be really careful. Still, if you're making potatoes for a crowd -- we're talking 5 pounds of potatoes or more -- it's the easiest way. Thanks for this. And Happy Thanksgiving!
The electric mixer has always been my go to method. It's the way my grandmother taught me. I was happy to discover that it gives great results as long as you don't overdo it. Ease and convenience definitely plays a big part in which method I would choose, especially when the differences between the methods are so small. Thanks so much, John!
Great tips, Kelly! My hubby and sons love mashed potatoes but I just wing it when it comes to cooking and mashing. Thanks for all your tips. I do dry out my potatoes on the stovetop a bit before mashing, but you've given me some other great ideas.Happy Thanksgiving!
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It was fun comparing the different methods and comparing them to my grandmother's way. One thing that surprised me is that I thought I liked light and fluffy potatoes, but it turns out I like the denser ones better. Thanks so much, Liz!
I've often wondered if I'm doing mashed potatoes "the right way". From all your testing, it looks like it's pretty hard to mess up, though! I'm glad you did the testing for me. I would definitely need my potatoes with some cream and a lot of butter! Yum!
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So creamy and delicious! Thanks so much, Katherine!
Hi Kelly - I also love your comparison posts! They really help us make better decisions. Your favorite method is just like my aunt’s - steamed, riced, mashed. And it will be my method from here on! Hap Thanksgiving!
Thanks so much, David! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
They look amazing - smooth, flavorsome, fluffy. So delicious!!
Thanks so much, Taruna!
Wow. These look beautiful. I never even thought about steaming potatoes. I combined fingerlings and sweet potatoes for my mashed potatoes yesterday. Lots of butter and creme fraiche. I think as long as there’s butter and cream you’re good! I’m too lazy to rice, but that texture is so wonderful.
The fingerling and sweet potato mash sounds wonderful, Mimi! I would love the crème fraiche in mashed potatoes!
This is probably one of the only times of the year that I make mashed potatoes. Put me in the ricer camp! I love how they turn out.
Susan, we're a real meat and potatoes family. Mashed potatoes have to show up on the table at least once a week. The ricer makes them so light and fluffy! Thanks so much!
LOVE, love, love all the research you did into making the BEST mashed potatoes! Totally loved reading this post. I watch all those cooking shows and I always yell NOOOOOO at the television when one of the chefs goes to make their mashed potatoes in the blender or food processor. I guess next year I have no excuse to make the instant mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving like I did this year hahaha. Love this recipe!
Kelly, we grew up on the instant potatoes and stove top stuffing! It sure is easy to put together at the last minute! Happy Thanksgiving!
Dear Kelly - first off, I hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving! From the looks of the amazing dishes that you posted, I don't doubt that you had the most wonderful spread of delicious foods!
Your mashed potatoes look divine - so many wonderful tips and insightful information that you poured into this post! Respect! And I feel inspired to run off into the kitchen and make some right now. Btw the 'potato ricer' method is rather popular with cooks around here and oven-baked potatoes (on a bed of coarse sea salt) for a maximum of flavor. So many different methods, glad you sorted them out for us!
Thank you so much, Andrea, for your kind words. Oven baked potatoes make wonderful mashed potatoes. And thinking of that bed of coarse sea salt is going to make me run into the kitchen and bake some up!
Stunning looking mashed potatoes Kelly! I must admit I make my mashed potatoes for Christmas Day about 3 months before. I find that when I take them out of the freezer on Christmas Day, and reheat them gently in a saucepan they're even more delicious than when I originally cooked them. I have no idea why! Maybe the freezing does something to them?
Neil, that's a fabulous tip and quite the time saver for the holiday dinner! I still have mashed potatoes in the freezer from all the test batches. I'll be sure to heat them that way! Thanks so much!
Who knew making mashed potatoes could be so versatile. Personally, I don't like boiling them because of the water content of the cooked potatoes, Have never tried steaming, but sounds interesting. I actually microwave my potatoes and leave most of he peeking on, I guess one would call that rustic. 🙂 A friend of mine just got a ricer and swears by it. Maybe I should start rethinking my mashed potatoes. Yours look perfect. I just want to take a fork and starting eating. Great post!
MJ, all the different ways I tried the mashed potatoes were delicious - with the exception of the food processor and using the wrong potato. It's nice to know there are many ways to make great mashed potatoes. I love the rustic mashed potatoes with skin on. Learned that at my favorite steak restaurant! Thanks so much!
Talk about "tried and true!" You are so thorough -- I love it. And your results are flawless. I'm a fan of food mill -- love how incredibly smooth they get. (The ricer, too.) Another winning recipe, Kelly. 🙂 ~Valentina
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I was surprised that the food mill got them a little smoother than the ricer. They seem to be very similar physical actions. Thanks so much, Valentina!
I used this excellent reference for making mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving this year. I've never made mashed potatoes before so this was a huge help and my mashed potatoes came out creamy and smooth - the kids at the dinner especially like them! I added some sour cream to mine for a bit of tangy taste. Thanks for the guide, Kelly!
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I'm so happy it was helpful, Geraldine! The sour cream must have added wonderful flavor. Thanks so much!