Pretty much the same as you. I don’t like them overcooked either. I think overmixing can make them too starchy so I usually use my old fashioned potato masher and mash by hand. We like a few chunks of potato in ours anyway. I also use lots of butter and a little milk at a time so it doesn’t get too thin. I have sometimes warmed the milk so it doesn’t cool the potatoes.

I throw in a few cut up carrots in with the potatoes. My kids called it orange potatoes! They loved them.

Which potato used is open to personal preference. I too prefer non-russet types but more important I think is the seasoning and the process.

If you want super fluffy mashed potatoes, use a ricer and not a masher. Get a ricer that has holes only on the bottom and none on the sides, the latter can make a mess.

For seasoning, I use salt, pepper, butter but also a little sour dairy instead of milk (whole milk sour cream or whole milk plain yoghurt). Not as much as if you were adding milk. I leave a little of the cooking water to mix in to the final product to thin it out a bit.

If you want to add an interesting flavor, throw in a few parsnips. Or a celery root. Chopped onions can be cooked with the potatoes too but you need to strain them out of the cooking water. Or cook separately and either way mix in when ricing.

My approach is always a head turner with company, who expect bland mashed potatoes but find something different. Good mashed potatoes should never need gravy, that just hides the flavor, like putting ketchup on meat. I never serve it.

I like russets. I rice them and mix in lots of melted,salted butter and pepper. That's it. If I feel fancy then some cream cheese. But not often. Usually just lots of butter. No milk or buttermilk. Enough butter to make them the right consistency. Milk, to me, takes away from the flavor.

I happen to like potatoes. I don't need more than a touch of seasoning and possibly a touch of butter and yes, pass the (good) gravy. I don't want them filled with sour cream, cheese, cream cheese. I do not like my potatoes riced, I prefer them mashed. And maybe it's psychological but I like a "zig zag" style masher instead of the ones with the holes. I just do. I only use a ricer for making lefse. Otherwise, it collects dust.

I use a ricer as well, and enjoy the potatoes mashed with some turnips. Aside from that I use plenty of butter, milk and white pepper.

Elmer, using the liquid from boiling the potatoes sounds brilliant. I will try that.

I use russets and bake them. They fall out of the skins for mashing with hot milk, butter, and I don't have any problems with sogginess.

zalco, it's thinking of the same sort as saving a bit of pasta cooking water (just a small amount) and stirring it into the sauce. For mashed potatoes, it's hot, it has the right flavor, and it helps heat them a bit.

Those of you married to your potato mashers really don't know what you're missing.

For Thanksgiving we add chives/cream cheese/garlic and cream. Everyday is sour cream and milk. Ricer/type of potato is all over my head but I appreciate the information.

It really depends on my mood. Might be russets, salt, pepper, butter and milk through the ricer. Might be red potatoes with garlic added, skin on, with a masher. Might be Yukon gold with a shot of sour cream added.

Every day arcy? Click on link below to see one

Potato ricer - Amazon

Loads of butter!

Butter, cream cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper. I might buy a ricer to try it out. I wonder how long it would take to do 10 lbs like I make at Thanksgiving.

See how long it takes to do 2 pounds, then multiply by 5.

Haha. Sorry. 10 pounds I'm thinking could be 10 minutes, maybe a bit more. It's a job you can give to someone with large, strong hands. It does take repeated squeezing. Not a lot of force is needed unless the potatoes aren't cooked enough.

Sounds like something I can make my husband do. He's the masher now because it's a tough job with 10 pounds!

Russets, boiled in salted water. Butter, little more salt, pepper, splash of milk. I've mashed plenty of potatoes by hand but now use my kitchen aid hand mixer most of the time. I have a ricer and used to use it, somehow its in a bottom kitchen drawer with other things I rarely think of or use infrequently, like my poaching set for eggs, a pineapple corer-peeler.

Russet potatoes in boiled salted water. Drain, add evaporated milk and butter and use an old style potato masher. Mash well but don't overdo it. A few lumps are OK. Mashed potatoes should hold up to gravy. I have always disliked the texture of whipped potatoes. Too creamy for me. I do sometimes use a ricer for plain boiled potatoes to be topped with butter.

I use russets, must be peeled and no chunks or lumps. Put in cold salted water, covered and cooked till tender. Then drained well, put back on the burner to get more of the water out. Then mashed well, then warm whole milk is added and mashed a bit then the butter is last. Pepper is never added to the mashed but when served in a large serving bowl, then pepper is added to the top and a nice pat of real butter. Pepper is not added as it looks like specks of dirt, guess if you had white pepper it would be okay.

Sue

I prefer to use a combination of Russet and Yukon Gold but will always choose the Yukons over any other for mashed. Potato variety really does matter, it's in the cellular structure and base, stand alone flavor.

Rinsed with fresh water using my scrubby gloves but never peeled, then cut into pieces before gently boiling in salted water or chicken broth. I'll often add rutabaga and carrots, as well. Garlic cloves are a great addition but not for every use. Beef, absolutely, but not turkey or chicken, in my opinion.

No ricer here, thank you. I know what I'm missing and am much happier with my final product. My ricer was donated years ago. I've never found it difficult to use a masher, as long as the pot is large enough. My mashed potatoes, with its delicious lumps and flavorful pieces of skin, would make those who are looking for a "whipped" version cringe. I've had too many servings of white paste to ever think that's good.

Warmed whole milk is my preferred liquid. I like to add sour cream (sometimes) and plenty of good butter, but no to cream cheese. I tried it when it became popular, but we both decided never to do that again.

I love good mashed potatoes and enjoy them with or without a gravy. Gravy? That's another subject all on its own, lol.

P.S. I like potato patties made with the leftovers almost as much as the initial presentation. I add an egg, a bit of flour, minced onion or shallot, and a pinch of just grated nutmeg to the cold leftovers.

Yukon/yellow potatoes are the only ones I buy. When I have some sweet potatoes on hand, I like cooking and mashing them with the potatoes. No milk needed with the sweet potato added, just butter.

I have a ricer, I honestly never think of using it. Oh, a few times I've cooked cauliflower as well and mashed it in with the potatoes. A good way of using it up, and it added some more veggies without being noticeable. I couldn't eat mashed cauliflower as a substitute for potatoes though!

We don't eat mashed potatoes often. Usually only at Thanksgiving or when having roasted chicken. When I make them I'll usually include some roasted garlic along with the milk, butter, salt, and pepper.

We prefer loaded twice baked potatoes over mashed so I make a large batch (10 lbs. or more) a few times a year. I flash freeze them on a cookie sheet and then seal with the food saver. Sour cream, bacon, shredded cheddar, roasted garlic, scallions, milk, and butter are the usual ingredients. I have a few dozen Kennebec potatoes from the garden that are probably going to start sprouting soon so I'll be making a big batch of TBPs sometime in the next couple weeks. They warm up in the Air Fryer in about 12-15 minutes.

I usually use russet potatoes. I add a bit of butter, milk and garlic and mash the begeebies out of them. They have to be perfectly smooth though, no lumps.

I've read every entry and would enjoy each and every version (unless that mashed cauliflower taste was apparent). My own preference is yukon golds, peeled, cut into large chunks and boiled until soft. Dump into mixer bowl while they are still hot, add a lot of butter* and a bit of warmed-in-the-microwave buttermilk, and swirl on low speed a few times. Check for moistness and chunkiness, and swirl a few more times should do it. People can salt and pepper their own portion.

*land o' lakes salted butter, brought to a softened room temp so it has a chance of melting quickly.

We love mashed potatoes. Russet are my favorites. Boiled, mashed by hand with melted butter, warm milk and S+P. We do not like thin mashed, they must be thicker so we can put GRAVY on them. I do make Pioneer women's sometimes, they are very good as well.

With roasted garlic, steeped in the milk. Oh my!

I agree about the ricer. It makes a big difference.

A big negative difference for us and many others. We make what we prefer. Final answer.

I love my ricer, and use often. But, if making mashed potatoes for a crowd, it's a much slower way to make them, and the potatoes get cold! At least, that's my experience.

Another favorite way to cook potatoes are Australian Crash Hot Potatoes. We make them a lot in July with freshly dug runt red potatoes from the garden.

ETA: I also sprinkle shredded cheese on them as soon as I take them out of the oven. Cheddar or Parmesan usually.

Well excuse me. I think I misunderstood once again. I thought I was welcome to give my opinion. This is just like real life. I better just button it from now on

Yukon Gold potatoes, just enough salt, warm whole milk, lots of butter and don't skimp on the pepper.

I've never used a ricer but boil the potatoes, after slicing about 1 inch thick, until they almost fall apart with a fork. I think I'll try adding a sweet potato.

I occasionally use a ricer but mashed potatoes just don't seem right without a few lumps. ;) Garlic, S&P, warm milk.

I'm sorry Michele. Does the ricer make a positive or negative difference for you?You didn't say.

The difference for us is negative. We prefer hand mashed, chunky, lumpy mashed potatoes.

About the potatoes getting cold, I scald the milk and melt the butter into the milk to keep everything nice and warm. It would probably help to warm the serving vessel as well, but I seldom remember that at the time.

For Thanksgiving, the only time we make a massive amount of mashed potatoes, after being mashed we keep them in a crockpot to stay hot.

I've never had a ricer... so once you put it thru it, that's it? No other mashing necessary?

So all my life I called them mashed potatoes but we never mash them, We boil them in salted water for 20 minutes , add milk , maybe cream cheese and whip them till they're standing in peaks and then lots of butter, salt and pepper.

I must be the only one to use cream in my mash. I use a large whisk to mash them-not whisk but mash, Cream salt and pepper. I use what ever potatoes I have on hand, sometimes russets sometimes Yukon or reds. For me it is just mashed potatoes. If there is gravy as in pot roast then just mashed with salt and pepper.

Those of you who whip the potatoes remind me of Joel Robuchon's famous mashed potatoes. He uses a food mill, which is similar to a ricer, to mash the potatoes and then uses a wooden spoon and then a whisk to incorporate the butter and milk.

The article here is in English, the video is in French, the images are self explanatory.

https://www.finedininglovers.com/article/joel-robuchon-made-worlds-best-mashed-potatoes-heres-recipe

There is a wonderful mashed potato recipe from Once Upon a Chef that are the best mashed potatoes I have ever had. Instead of boiled potatoes, you bake them and then scoop the potatoes out of the shell, into a ricer or mill. Just add cream/butter/salt. Very light and fluffy. So simple, so divine! Another great feature of the recipe is that it can be made ahead and reheated in microwave without affecting taste or texture. I will never boil potatoes again.

Matti5 thank you! I am going to try this method... not having to peel all those potatoes sounds like a game changer! I have to work the Weds before Thanskgiving so this will definitely be a huge help!

I’ve never tried making them with warm milk or a ricer or even cream, hmmm. I used to have a little hand mixer I’d use, never thought twice about it, but the first time I made them with my Kitchen Aid mixer was a game changer. Also, I didn’t care for pepper in them until I tried finely ground pepper. I actually bought it by mistake but it’s the only kind I use now and is wonderful in Mashed Potatoes.

I prefer russets for our mashed potatoes. Before I cook the potatoes, I heat some half & half in a small heavy saucepan with a clove of smashed garlic, a sprig of rosemary, a few whole black peppercorns and sometimes a small bay leaf. I keep this warm and let the aromatics infuse the half & half. Then I peel and quarter the potatoes - boil in salted water until tender. Drain and return to pan on low heat until moisture evaporates. Mash in lots of butter. Strain the half and half, add a bit at a time and mash until desired consistency is reached. We like some texture to ours and prefer them somewhat stiff.

Russets have more starch and hold up better. I boil them until a fork goes in easily. Do the same as seagrass and Marylin and drain the water then put the pot over the burner until all the water is gone and pot is dry. I break up the potatoes with the beaters while drying out the pot. Add butter, heat milk in the micro. I add in small amounts over a warm burner while beating with my Kitchenaid.

We like light, fluffy mashed potatoes and they are.

I read a few years ago about saving the potato water and using it to water your houseplants. I've done it - have no idea if the plants loved it or not, but they didn't die. : )

I like not wasting all that water.