During her time at Wirecutter, she reported on various topics including sports bras, board games, and light bulbs. To bring back any lost richness, add a few pads of butter to the cold mashed potatoes so that they can melt into them as they reheat.

However, if you prefer lighter, airier mashed potatoes then you'll want a ricer, as that is what gives potatoes an extra aerated texture. Mercedes Cardona is a New York-based journalist and a former Assistant Business Editor of the Associated Press.For the ricers, we portioned out about 1 pound of boiled potato chunks for each and filled the hopper about two-thirds full (filling to the brim causes potatoes to overflow from the top), using the option with the smallest holes when the tool came with interchangeable disks. A masher is less fussy to use (no assembly required and easy to clean), and you can also whip it out to make guacamole, refried beans, or chunky applesauce. You have several ways to mash potatoes and other foods, but we’re focusing on mashers and ricers for this guide. The heads vary: Pick from perforated or tined designs for a finer and smoother consistency, or single-wire, which makes a more coarse, rustic mash. The fermentation process preserves a tomato’s flavor, color, and vitamins for an extended period of time.

She cooked in countless homes during her days as an in-home private chef, and always heartily enjoyed exploring the small gadgets in each.

When it comes to taste and consistency, any masher will still leave you with a few small chunks, which some people may prefer. But we had difficulty aligning the hopper with the top part of the ricer, and the resulting potatoes were coarse. They produce a fluffy mash, which means airier mashed potatoes – just don't overmix and you'll get a very smooth, even consistency.

Although it still has a plunger like the rest of them, the helix design means instead of using your hands to squeeze handles together from above and below, you use your arms to bring the handles together from the sides. A perforated plate can cut through potatoes more quickly and can produce a smoother mash, while the zigzag design creates a chunkier mash. We know Oxo for its high-quality kitchen tools, and the ricer, an updated version of the original Oxo good grips stainless steel ricer, was no exception. After your area has seen the last expected spring frost date, you should start seeds about 6 to 8 weeks before the last expected spring frost date, and you should plant the seeds outdoors about 2 weeks after that date.If you seed or not seed your tomatoes, you may need to make a few changes to a recipe if you intend to use seeded or unseeded tomatoes. Now let me introduce you to a potato ricer, a versatile tool which lets you have perfectly-made mashed potatoes in just minutes. When using the ricer to crush tomatoes for sauce or canning, make sure to cut the tomatoes into manageable chunks rather than trying to rice a whole tomato.