I Use a Mixer for Fluffier Mashed Potatoes.
What happened to thick mashed potatoes? There’s a lot of hype about the silky, pudding-like variety of mashed potatoes that seem to be the only kind served in restaurants these days, but to me, there’s nothing better than a pile of fluffy mashed potatoes studded with knobby bits of soft, unmashed tubers.
And if you are also a fan of coarse mashed potatoes, you can use a stand mixer to get the best consistency.
Stand Mixer vs. Handmade Mashed Potatoes
There’s nothing wrong with hand pureeing, but I wanted to point out the stand mixer puree simply because after trying it, I couldn’t help but appreciate the difference in consistency. I didn’t even expect to notice a difference in my taste – I was just testing the method to see if it served a practical purpose.
Surprisingly, just by scooping a spoonful into the bowl, I felt the texture was lighter than when I mash the potatoes by hand in the pan. (And I didn’t even use the whisk attachment.) Then I ate this bowl of potatoes and felt a fluffiness that didn’t go away even after they cooled. When I mash by hand, the potatoes are soft, but still firm and hard to set. Not these – this batch was almost whipped, with more uniformly sized pieces of unpuree. (This may be just me, but if I hand mash mashed potatoes because they are chunky, I usually end up with some staggeringly large chunks that somehow make it through my masher.)
For these practical purposes, pureeing with a stand mixer is great if you need to process multiple foods at once, quickly empty the stove after a boil, or if you have limited strength or mobility.
Regardless of your reasons, here’s how I do it.
How to make mashed potatoes with a mixer
1. Boil or steam.
When making mashed potatoes, I prefer to steam the potato pieces because it’s faster, but you can stick to boiling if you prefer. (Steaming only takes about 15 minutes because you only need to boil a half-inch of water, not a gallon.) The type of potatoes is also up to you, but I use russet potatoes because of their high starch content, which can result in a looser mash.
2. Add hot potatoes and flavoring ingredients.
Once the potatoes are tender, carefully (don’t burn yourself) throw them into the mixing bowl. Don’t wait for them to cool; they should still be hot. As America’s Test Kitchen explains in their post on baked potatoes , breaking the potato (in our case potato chunks) while it’s hot allows more steam to escape, resulting in a looser, lighter texture. Add your favorite ingredients: a few knobs of butter, a little salt, pepper and garlic if you like. Don’t add the liquid ingredient yet.
3. Mash
Attach the paddle attachment to the stand mixer and turn the machine on the lowest speed. Let the mixer run for about three to five minutes. You want a smooth texture and complete addition of oil. If necessary, stop the machine to better see how the potatoes are decomposing.
4. Add liquid
During these three minutes, pour the desired amount of liquid (milk, cream, or a combination of both) into a microwave-safe measuring cup. Heat it until steam appears. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the liquid into the puree. Once the liquid is added, increase the speed a notch or two and let it beat for another 20 seconds or until you like the texture. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Pour the gravy over your potatoes and enjoy the fluffiest, chunkiest mashed potatoes you’ve ever tasted.