Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

First you read the instructions, then you open the box and............

I generally use a ricer, which gives the same results as a food mill. But sometimes I'll use a regular masher. The texture is different. I'm not going to say one is better than the other, but it is different.

I've never tried steaming them. Maybe I'll try it next time.

My "secret ingredient" when I'm feeling decadent, is sour cream or something similar.

I boil, then put them through my ricer which I love, love, love; add room temp. butter and warm milk, s&p and whisk them up. You can do them up a bit ahead of time and hold them over a pan of warm water. My favorite add in is roasted garlic but that's a no go with hubby.

Don't have a ricer so I use the potato masher at home. At work I make vast quantities I use the industrial mixed that works great. I use cream or half and half, salt, white pepper, butter, mayo, and sour cream. Now if I am making a certain type of mashers then I add whatever that may be ex: garlic, or sage, or cheese, ect. I usually boil them. P.S I like to keep the skin on as well.

My 11 year old son LOVES mashed potatoes of any kind. He asks for them for breakfast, so I make extra to reheat for him the next morning. My husband is a big fan of red potatoes boiled with a bay leaf, skins on, smashed chunky with butter, cream cheese and lots of chives. It's the only kind he'll eat without gravy. I've been thinking about playing around with some Boursin cheese the next time I make them.

I boil them, but in very little water, which actually partly steams them. they tend to cook way faster as if I totally submerge them in water.

I like to mash them only adding olive oil and garlic salt. I also add buttermilk and horseradish and lately, I boiled them in half/half with a few cloves of garlic and they were delicious.

I boil the hell out of them in a salted heavy stock, chopped into quarters or smaller, with the peel on, then mash them with a huge knob of butter, white pepper, and creme fresche or sour cream. The secret ingredient? A goodly amount of grated mature cheddar...it adds a lot of texture and flavour, without making them taste of cheese. You can also add caramelised onions if you so desire.

I do also always say the gravy makes the potatoes. Fresh gravy is not that hard. I use carrot peelings and whatever veg I have around simmered for hours with drippings and herbs and then sieve. And of course, more butter.

Does anyone know if the food mill will remove the skins if I leave them on to boil or steam? That would save me a good deal of peeling time--but I am looking for a very smooth potato today, no rustic skins.

Pressure cooker: cut potatoes in half place about a 1/2 cup of water in pan with rack and cook about 8 minutes. Cool pan, peel potoatoes and mash with butter, milk and cheese with a hand mixer. Yummmmmmmmmm

Anyone who doesn't have a ricer but does have a food processor – put your cooked potatoes through the grater blade. Makes 'em nice & smooth. Then take them out and stir in butter, salt, pepper, and whatever else you like. Learned that from a 1970's food processor cookbook by Roy Andries de Groot.

Boiled or steamed? I dunno. Never tried steamed.

We've always boiled, steaming the potatoes never even crossed my mind. May have to try this.