The Best Potato Mashers, According to Our Tests
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These mashers crush the competition.
Food & Wine / Williams Sonoma
While you don’t need a potato masher to make mashed potatoes, they certainly come in handy at times like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Potato mashers help make easy work of more fibrous items like sweet potatoes, but you can also use them to make items like banana bread.
If you decide to buy a potato masher, design matters, especially the handle and the holes that do the work. We typically find that too small holes are less effective. Handles matter, too, because mashing is hard work, and leverage is essential, especially for deeper pots.
We kept all this in mind when we tested a bunch of potato mashers to decide which was best, no matter what you want for your home. We mashed over 20 pounds of Yukon potatoes, sweet potatoes, cans of tomatoes, avocado for guacamole, and ground turkey to find the best. These four are our favorites.
Best Overall: OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Smooth Potato Masher
Pros
The cushioned handle reduces fatigue versus models made with more rigid materials.
Cons
The masher is shorter, so you must reach into the pot more.
The Oxo Good Grips stainless steel smooth potato masher is the best overall potato masher. Its fine, alternating grid pattern produces silky smooth mashed potatoes and can also quickly other ingredients such as mashed root vegetables and fruit. It’s made from durable stainless steel construction and has a conveniently shaped handle for a comfortable grip.
This handle is what gives this masher an edge over the competition. The soft, broad handle provides a comfortable, non-slip grip, even when your hands are wet. Even though it has a shorter handle than others we tested, it was the most comfortable to use and produced the best results. Thanks to the copious cushioning, it was also the best to use for an extended period or with tougher items like lean ground turkey. It is also easy to clean in the dishwasher and BPA-free.
Price at time of publish: $16
Best Splurge: All-Clad Stainless-Steel Potato Masher
Pros
It is sleek and matches all of the All-Clad line of products.
Cons
The price may be prohibitive for some for a single-use item.
The All-Clad Stainless-Steel Potato Masher is the best potato masher for those who want the best. It is made of heavy-gauge stainless steel, and the long handle makes reaching deep into tall pots easy. It has no protective coating, so that it could scratch nonstick pans. If you have All-Clad Aluminum pans, that won't be a problem.
It has a flat, slotted head that gently breaks up and aerates cooked potatoes, resulting in light and fluffy mashed potatoes. The long, slender slots in the head are designed for precise, efficient mashing and produce silky ribbons that rival a potato ricer. The masher is durable, heavy-gauge stainless steel that will last years. The long, thin slots in the head are designed for precise and efficient mashing. The masher is dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup. The All-Clad is a bit more expensive than other potato mashers on the market, but it is worth the investment if you want the best possible masher. It is a durable, versatile, easy-to-use tool that consistently produces perfect mashed potatoes.
Price at time of publish: $48
Material: Stainless steel
Dimensions: 12 inches
Food & Wine / Jennifer Zyman
Best for Nonstick Pans: Tovolo Silicone Potato Masher
Pros
It is silicone-covered so that it won’t scratch your pans.
Cons
The handle could be more comfortable.
The Tovolo Silicone Stainless Steel Food Masher is the best potato masher for nonstick pans. It has a silicone coating on the mashing tines, preventing scratches on your cookware. The curved wire design also mashes your food to your desired texture without over-processing it. The masher is versatile and can be used to mash potatoes, avocados, carrots, cauliflower, pumpkin, butternut squash, and sweet potatoes.
The masher is made of high-quality silicone and stainless steel, so it is durable and will last for years. It has a comfortable grip and is easy to use, although we wish it had a bit more traction on the handle for when things get slippery. The overall construction makes it a sturdy contender that will be kind to your cookware. It is also dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup.
Price at time of publish: $18
Material: Stainless steel and silicone
Dimensions: 5.38 x 5.25 x 0.94 inches
Best Compact: Joseph Joseph Delta Folding Potato Masher
Pros
It folds for easy storage.
Cons
It only has one size and shape of hole in its masher plate.
You know when the wires of your potato masher get caught, and you can't even open your drawer? That can't happen with Joseph Joseph Folding Potato Masher. The masher's durable nylon mashing plate folds flat, occupying minimal space in your cabinets or drawers. The plate fits neatly into curved bowl edges when unfolded, making it easy to mash potatoes to your desired consistency. The masher also features a stainless-steel shaft with a locking collar, ensuring the plate stays securely in place.
The comfortable, non-slip handle makes mashing effortless and even enjoyable. And because the Joseph Joseph Potato Masher is dishwasher safe, cleanup is a breeze. Toss it in the dishwasher and let it do the work for you. Whether mashing potatoes or a batch of guacamole, it's compact, versatile, durable, and easy to use.
Price at time of publish: $11
Material: Stainless Steel and plastic
Dimensions: 1.57 x 3.94 x 11.89 inches
Our Favorite
We chose the OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Smooth Potato Masher because it was the easiest to use and the most comfortable. Our hands can tire quickly when mashing our way through so many pounds of potatoes, but the Oxo provided enough relief with its cushioned handle. We also love the All-Clad Stainless-Steel Potato Masher, but the price and limited retailers gave the Oxo the edge.
Factors to Consider
Design
There are many styles of potato mashers. Each model has different holes the potato or mashed ingredients pass through. The size and style matters because they yield vastly different results. For instance, simple holes seem inferior to a mix of holes and lines in items such as the All-Clad. There is also the classic wavy wire pattern many of us grew up using. They are great for breaking up ground meat but yield rather lumpy mashed potatoes without the extra work. We prefer a design with holes.
Material
Potato mashers can be challenging to clean, so we prefer ones that can go in the dishwasher so we don't have to clean them by hand, hole by hole. Most are metal with plastic parts such as handles or silicone-covered mashing elements. Choose one that fits your aesthetic and needs. Also, pay attention to the handle material. If you have sensitive hands, you’ll want something cushioned so your hand doesn’t hurt or quickly tire during major mashing sessions.
Price
A potato masher should be relatively inexpensive since it is a tool many of us rarely use. If you use one often, consider splurging. However, spending a lot should make less of a difference in performance.
The Tests
To find the best potato mashers, we compared models that fit our criteria: comfortable to use with minimal hand fatigue, the size, and the design of the holes that extrude whatever you are mashing. We mashed over 20 pounds of Yukon and sweet potatoes to evaluate which yielded the silkiest and lumpiest results. We also used them to mash tomatoes for tomato sauce, help break up ground beef and turkey in a sauté pan, and mash bananas for banana bread.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between a potato masher and a ricer?
A potato masher uses force to crush potatoes and other items into semi-smooth or chunky consistencies. Potato ricers use pressure to push potatoes through small holes, producing fluffier results than mashers.
What else can I use my potato masher for?
You can also use a potato masher to mash avocado for guacamole, help separate ground beef in the pan, make baby foods, or even macerate berries for desserts.
Others Potato Mashers We Tested
The KitchenAid Gourmet Stainless Steel Wire Masher is traditional-looking, but we still gave it low marks. The handle material is too rigid and has a large diameter. If you have mobility issues or smaller hands like some of us, your hands might tire quickly. The Chef Craft Select Sturdy Masher was our least favorite. It felt flimsy, and we didn’t like it felt in hand when mashing.
Our Expertise
Jennifer Zyman is a Senior Commerce Writer for Food & Wine and a recovering restaurant critic with a culinary school degree and over 15 years of food writing experience. Her work has appeared in Atlanta Magazine, Bon Appetit, Eater Atlanta, The Kitchn, Local Palate, National Geographic, Simply Recipes, Southern Living, and Thrillist. To write this story, she used market research and tested numerous potato mashers.
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