These Are the Best Potato Mashers for Smooth and Fluffy Spuds

Our Top Pick

Tovolo Silicone Potato Masher

Orig. $18 $17 at Amazon Orig. $23 $19 at Walmart $24 at Wayfair

Thanks to this Tovolo masher's silicone design, you don't have to worry about waiting for your potatoes to cool before mashing. It's heat resistant up to 600° Fahrenheit, so you can put it directly into boiling hot ingredients and right in the pot or pan they were just cooking in.

Available in green, blue, or gray silicone, this masher is an attractive choice for all your smashing needs. It can be used to mash other vegetables, such as cauliflower, carrots, squash, or avocado, and the ergonomic handle ensures a grip that remains comfortable throughout your use.

The Details: 10 x 4. 5 x 2. 75 inches; stainless steel, BPA-free silicone; dishwasher safe

Best Value

OXO Potato Masher

$13 at Amazon

There's no better choice for a budget-conscious masher that won't ruin your favorite cookware than this simple OXO Good Grips potato masher. As with all of the line's tools, the handle is easy to grip, comfortable, and soft. The nylon material is heat resistant up to 400° Fahrenheit, so while it won't stand up to the same temperatures as the Tovolo masher, it can still withstand fairly high heat.

Ideal for soft vegetables, this masher is a bit less heavy-duty than some others. However, it's a great option for anyone who doesn't need their masher to perform many other functions—or who regularly uses nonstick cookware.

The Details: 11 x 4 x 3.38 inches; nylon; dishwasher safe

Best for Large Quantities

KitchenAid Stainless Steel Wire Masher

$20 at Amazon

When you're making potatoes for a crowd, like most people nearly every Thanksgiving, you want a masher that will make your job faster and easier. The wide head on this KitchenAid masher provides a larger coverage area, meaning you'll mash more each time you press down.

Because it's large and sturdy, this masher can also be used for tougher tasks, like mashing hard squashes, apples, or combining ground meat with herbs. It comes in a lovely variety of color options, so you might even be able to coordinate with your KitchenAid stand mixer if you have one.

The Details: 4.92 x 3.15 x 10.43 inches; stainless steel, chrome plating; dishwasher safe

Best for Small Batches

Sur La Table Stainless Steel Mini Masher

$13 at Sur La Table

If you usually prepare smaller batches of mashed potatoes, the Sur La Table mini masher is all you need. And because of its small size, it gives you more control over the consistency.

Not only is this tool great for potatoes, but it's also an excellent gadget for mashing a single banana for a batch of muffins or an avocado for homemade guacamole. It has the same standard style of construction as larger versions of this tool, so it should be as comfortable in your hands as a bigger masher would be.

The Details: 7.35 x 2 x 2 inches; 18/8 stainless steel; dishwasher safe

Best Ricer

OXO Good Grips 3-in-1 Adjustable Potato Ricer

$37 at Amazon $46 at Walmart $37 at Williams-Sonoma

The built-in disks on this OXO Good Grips ricer mean that you don't have to swap out blades to get a different consistency. Simply rotate the dial instead to go between fine, medium, and coarse grind. You can also use this ricer to squeeze water out of cooked greens, make ultra-smooth applesauce, or purée tomatoes for marinara.

If you like your mashed potatoes to be as light and airy as restaurants make them, this ricer will help you achieve that fluffy texture. Combined with the act of whipping in milk or cream, a potato ricer is an industry secret most of us didn't know about; now that you do, you can level up your mash.

The Details: 5 x 5.5 x 16.62 inches; stainless steel; dishwasher safe

Easiest to Store

Joseph Joseph Potato Masher

$12 at Amazon

The more kitchen utensils you have, the harder they become to store. Enter this Joseph Joseph masher that flattens down to take up as little space in your drawers as possible.

The tiny holes of this masher make it more of a ricer than a typical masher with wavy metal wire. Because of that, you'll yield a finer texture of the end product than you would with a standard masher. For anyone who wants the delicacy of a ricer without the effort, this masher is a sound option.

The Details: 1.57 x 3.94 x 11.89 inches; nylon and stainless steel; dishwasher safe

Most Versatile

Farberware Nylon Heat Resistant Masher

$17 at Amazon

The Farberware masher works differently than standard mashers. It takes the opposite approach of the Joseph Joseph model above: Instead of fine holes, it has blades to work through cooked potatoes and break them down. And thanks to the blades, it can also be used to break up meat (both raw and cooked).

The nylon construction makes this a heat-resistant choice, and it's safe for use up to 450° Fahrenheit. The angled blades are useful for scraping the sides of bowls and pans as you cook, which means you can rely less on a spatula and more on one single tool—who doesn't love that?

The Details: 10.71 x 2.48 x 2.17 inches; nylon; dishwasher safe