I have an odd affinity for "unitaskers," a term coined by Alton Brown to describe single-use kitchen tools. Boiled egg holders, those little corn-shaped holders you can use to 'hold' hot corn-on-the-cob, those serrated, jagged grapefruit spoons and the like — they were designed for a singular purpose and are perfectly effective and efficient at that and just that.
It reminds me a bit, albeit in a much more kitchenware-coded capacity, of that Einstein quote: "Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." There’s something to respect about something that does its intended duty and nothing less and nothing more.
There is one tool, though, that belies this entire argument. Its primary purpose, which it does exceptionally well, is the focus of its invention, but since then, it’s become capable of doing much more in the kitchen.
I’m speaking about the potato masher, of course.
I know this might invite some hate mail, but I’m not a mashed potato person, generally. Of course, I eat it on Thanksgiving and Christmas and occasionally throughout the year, but if I’m looking to whip up a side dish for a random dinner on a Tuesday, I don’t think “mashed potatoes" has ever immediately come to mind. Food-wise, I’m too much of a texture-based person to passionately love something that is entirely devoid of it. (I also wrote about this in 2022, so it’s by no means a new development. Sorry, mashed potatoes!)
When I make mashed potatoes, I boil the potatoes in water that’s been heavily salted, along with some peeled garlic cloves. When fully tender, I drain the water, return the potatoes to the same pot, keep the heat incredibly low, and then mash away. After a full mashing, I add cheddar, cream, butter and more salt, along with labneh or mascarpone, and re-mash and stir all together. In this way, I use the masher as both a mashing vehicle and stirrer. I don't even really ever take out a spoon when mashing — until I need to try my final product, of course!
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Growing up, I recall my parents using a hand mixer to effectively mash boiled, softened and peeled potatoes. I know some also use a food mill or a ricer. However, maybe 15 or so years ago, I picked up a potato masher haphazardly because it was cheap and a tool I didn't have on hand. During the holidays, I quickly realized that it is the ideal tool for properly-mashed potatoes devoid of lumps and I've used it for that purpose since.
This is especially important because, despite their overall adaptability and relative ruggedness, potatoes are actually a pretty finicky thing. I once tried to make potato-leek soup and threw the whole mixture in a VitaMix and blended it. If you’ve never done this, I implore you to not follow my mistake. The end result was supremely tacky and sticky, as if I poured a bucket of industrial grade glue into a bowl and ate it for dinner. It was, suffice to say, very unsatisfying and a real waste of money. The reason for this is because of the starches in the potato. When they meet the blades of a mixer or food processor, especially if you run the machine for a long time, the end product is — not good.
Hence another reason why I stick with my handy dandy masher.
That said, I find that I use the masher more so for guacamole than I do for potatoes at this point. I like to cut my avocados, remove the seed, scoop the flesh into a large bowl and mash, mash, mash. I then add the other ingredients and whip it all up that way. It’s perfect. It's also a great tool for applesauce, banana bread, egg salad, crushing crackers or cookies, or making refried beans. I'm not a baker, but it's also said to be used for pastry blending and it also makes for a great indentation maker on anything from cookies to gnocchi (and, per a colleague, it’s also great for making homemade baby food!).
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Of course, there are things that the masher can accomplish outside of the kitchen, too, especially if you’re a DIY kind of person, which I am not. Regardless, the uses are endless.
I also just generally dig the ease of using the tool; it fits in the hand so easily and barely any physical exertion is needed. You’re not going to have to resort to calisthenics to mash that avocado or that potato. The tool does it for you.
So, no matter if you’re using it for its originally intended purpose or something else entirely — I once read that a masher is a great tool for sauerkraut making — be sure to have at least one potato masher on hand in your kitchen. You never know when it might come in handy. For potatoes, maybe, but probably for something else decisively outside of the tuber realm. The masher might go in the drawer with the unitaskers, but it’s so much more than that.
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