Impress Your Guests With the Fluffiest Spuds—Here Are the Best Potato Mashers

Top Pick

KitchenAid Stainless Steel Wire Masher

$18 $12 at Amazon

This wire masher by KitchenAid is a classic for a reason; it’s well-built and gets the job done. “You can’t go wrong with this style of potato masher,” says Allstar Ashley Schuering, who tested mashers for us. “It performs exactly as you would hope.” 

Made of thick stainless steel, this masher makes quick work of pulverizing a big batch of potatoes thanks to its nearly 5-inch width. The handle is ergonomically designed for easy handling and feels very balanced in the hand. Ashley found it to be particularly sturdy, and the nonslip grip made it comfortable to hold.

One caveat is the wire design. The wide gaps might mean spending more time mashing smaller foods, like beans, to achieve a very smooth consistency since the squiggle can leave chunks behind. Aside from that, its simple construction makes it easy to clean by hand, and the entire unit can also be placed in the dishwasher. I also really appreciate the affordability of this masher and that it comes backed by a 1-year warranty.  

The Details: Stainless steel, ABS plastic; 10.24 x 4.5 inches; dishwasher safe

Our Other Top Pick

Loisa Masher

$25 at Amazon View on Loisa.com

Though I’d owned the KitchenAid masher for years, I was thrilled to switch to this masher by Latin kitchen goods purveyor, Loisa. Available in four cheerful colors, this masher was designed specifically for staples of the Latin-American kitchen like brothy frijoles, mashed yucca, and plantains for mangu. 

The slightly curved, round base is made from stainless steel, and its shape makes it easy to use in a bowl or pot. I also love the silicone handle, which gives it a cushiony grip that prevents hand fatigue. One note is that the mashing grid is only 3.25 inches wide, which is quite small if you’re working through a large amount of food, but it makes it easier to store. This is very easy to clean by hand, but it’s dishwasher-safe too.

The Details: Stainless steel; 9.5 x 3.25 inches; dishwasher safe

Most Ergonomic

OXO Stainless Steel Smooth Potato Masher

$16 at Amazon $16 at Target

If ergonomics is a concern, this version from OXO has a horizontal handle that helps to absorb downward pressure on the wrists and alleviate strain. Its 4-inch width can accommodate nearly every size hand, and it also has a cushioned, nonslip grip for extra comfort and safety. Ashley can attest to its durability as well since she has owned an earlier model of this masher for over a decade.

The new version is a little bit taller, a little bit wider, and there are different-sized holes. “The variation in hole sizes means you can definitely get a super uniform, creamy consistency if you want or leave it a little chunky if that’s your style,” says Ashley. She discovered that this can quickly work through large batches of potatoes or whatever you’re mashing, and the rounded curves fit snugly into your pot’s curves. 

It’s dishwasher safe for easy cleaning, but its design also makes it possible to clean by hand with a sponge and warm, soapy water. “The only issue is the sharp metal holes tend to shred regular sponges and Scrub Daddies—it’s better to use a brush-style sponge to get it,” says Ashley. “The only thing to be aware of is the inside of the connecting metal pieces, which are slightly concave at the base and can hold onto some of the potatoes if you don’t pay attention.”

The Details: Stainless steel, rubber; 6.13 x 4 inches; dishwasher safe

Best Budget

Farberware Nylon Heat Resistant Masher

$10 $6 at Amazon

A masher isn’t exclusively for vegetables and this budget-friendly model by Farberware offers lots of versatility thanks to its unique shape. The head of this tool has five angled blades that can be used to chop up ground meat as it browns on the stove (it’s heat-resistant up to 450°F), or to separate chunks of canned fish for making tuna salad or salmon cakes. The edges can help scrape the sides down while its round head makes it easy to get into every curve of a pot, pan, or bowl. 

Ashley agreed that this is more for cutting than mashing. She enjoyed using it to make chunky applesauce, and she had to pay attention to where she was mashing to create a uniform mash. She found herself having to keep her thumb on top of the handle to maneuver it better. Its BPA-free nylon construction makes it very lightweight and suitable to place in the dishwasher for easy cleanup, but it becomes a bit slippery during use.

The Details: Nylon; 11 x 2.5 inches; dishwasher safe

Easiest to Store

Joseph Joseph Potato Masher

$12 at Amazon

Even though I’m in a larger kitchen than my last one, I still struggle with having enough storage. This Joseph Joseph potato masher’s collapsible design is one of my favorites for space-saving purposes, especially if you have shallow kitchen drawers. 

It features a stainless-steel shaft with a grippy handle that Ashley felt was every bit as comfortable as the others. More importantly, the BPA-free nylon mashing plate stayed in place while working through a batch of potatoes. While it did mash uniformly, the smaller mashing area and smaller holes meant Ashley exerted a significant amount of pressure while using this, which led to some fatigue. Due to that, she recommends this for smaller, two to three-pound, batches of potatoes or other root veggies. 

This is easier to clean in the dishwasher than by hand. The bottom half of the masher isn’t the problem—rinsing out the holes was effortless—but some potato got up the handle and under the grip. Ashley ended up using a toothpick to get under there, but placing it in her dishwasher’s top-rack would’ve been much less annoying.

The Details: Stainless steel, plastic; 11.89 x 3.94 inches; dishwasher safe 

Best for Nonstick Cookware

Tovolo Silicone Potato Masher

$18 $17 at Amazon $19 at Walmart $24 at Wayfair

Similarly shaped to our best overall pick, this masher by Tovolo is made of stainless steel, with the added touch of a silicone coating on the tines making it suitable for use with your favorite nonstick cookware.  The coating also makes it heat resistant up to 600°F, so you can use it to break up hamburger meat while cooking bolognese sauce or mash fruit as it stews. 

Ashley was able to quickly work through a large batch of potatoes, though the squiggle design did allow a few larger chunks to remain behind. She did find that the lack of a coating on the handle can lead to a slippery grip. “To solve the problem, I added a few rubber bands to add grip—not the most comfortable,” she says. “My musician husband then had the brilliant idea of adding some gaffer tape, which was much more comfortable.”

Though slightly shorter than our pick, it’s still tall enough to reach into deeper pots so you don’t have to transfer foods to a bowl before mashing. Once you’re finished mashing, you can put it straight into the dishwasher for cleaning. “This one is even easier than the KitchenAid to clean on account of the silicone coating,” says Ashley.

The Details: Stainless steel, silicone; 10 x 4.5 inches; dishwasher safe