10 best potato ricers for making the fluffiest mash

This ricer actually works slightly differently from the others. 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. This means it’s a less forceful, more intuitive way to produce smooth and fluffy mash.

The solid plunger sits flush inside the stainless-steel basket so nothing comes out of the top and since it comes apart in two pieces, it washes easily by hand or in the dishwasher. It’s pricey but worth it, and it’s also very stylish, as all Joseph Joseph products tend to be.

One of the lightest potato ricers we tested, but surprisingly sturdy. Apart from the stainless-steel pressing discs, this ricer is made from hard plastic with a silicone grip handle and grooves at one end that let you rest it on the side of the bowl.

Unlike most ricers available, it also comes with two different sizes of pressing disc, so you can make slightly chunkier mashes and purees, as well as ones that are silky-smooth. These discs unscrew easily, making it easy to wash the ricer by hand or in the dishwasher.

One of the heftiest ricers, but with probably the most satisfying action. Rather the standard up-down action of most ricers, the plunger on this ricer sweeps against the pressing disc, scraping the potato against the holes. This does mean some potato might pop out the sides, but it’s all smooth as butter, and it’s such a beautiful steampunk-looking device too. Handwash only.

Though the heaviest rice in the line-up at over 600g, its sturdiness is reassuring, and it uses a clever ratchet system to make pressing the potato easier than most, easily giving you the smoothest mash. It’s also easy to wash, as the stainless-steel basket detaches, and it’s dishwasher-safe too.

The OXO Good Grips has one of the smallest baskets but, as the name suggests, it is comfortable to use with its silicone grip handle, and it gives consistently smooth results.

It also has a large non-slip hook at one end, which means you can hang it up or rest it on the side of the bowl.

The fully stainless-steel ProCook is the sturdiest ricer of all the ones we tested, and also has the largest basket. True to its name, it feels like one that a professional kitchen would use.

The long handles give good leverage, but it was harder to press than expected. However, the holes are smaller than most, which meant it gave the smoothest mash of all the ricers, but also made it the trickiest to clean – thankfully, it’s dishwasher-safe. It also comes with a series of grooves at one end that let you rest the ricer on the side of the bowl.

This ricer is a great choice with long, soft-grip handles and two sizes of disc– the larger holed disc gives you perfect potato for making your own rosti, and the action is smooth. As it’s chrome-plated though, it’s handwash only.

Also made by KitchenCraft for the MasterClass range, this is another extremely sturdy ricer which is comfortable to use,had a larger capacity than most, and gave some of the smoothest results. Again, it features a series of grooves at one end that let you rest the ricer on the side of the bowl. Easy to clean and dishwasher safe too.

The two interchangeable pressing discs,allowing you to make a chunkier mash as well as puree, and the keen price make this by far the best budget choice – in fact, we were surprised by just how good it was. It’s a little less sturdy than some of the other ricers which meant that if you pressed too hard, the handles began to bend a little, but it’s still a best buy.

A great value stainless-steel ricer from Italy. It works as well as it is classically beautiful, and comes with two sizes of disc, the larger of which produces a potato that’s perfect for making your own gnocchi. Hand-wash only.