1001 uses for your Potato Ricer?

[marymwg]

After we rice potatoes, we use them to make lefse, Norwegian flat potato bread. Yum!

 

[Cornelius]

I bought my ricer for one purpose, and it wasn't to mash potatoes. I bought mine specifically to squeeze the moisture out of potatoes that had been grated for hashbrowns. I have never used it to mash (or rice) potatoes. I may have to try it sometime, but it seems to me, since I would then have to dirty another utensil to mix in the butter and all, I may as well just use a masher.

Dedicated ricer users, is the difference between riced and conventionally mashed potatoes enough that guests ask "Ooh, however did you make these delightful potatoes" without any hinting or prompting from you? If it is, I would like to know; I already have the ricer.

 

[Andy M.]

After ricing the potatoes, I mix the butter, etc in with the serving spoon I'm going to use to serve it. You certainly don't need a potato masher to do that.

 

[BreezyCooking]

I inherited one from my grandmother & haven't used it yet. In fact, after our last move, I frankly don't even know where it is. Most likely still in a box in the basement somewhere.

However, my grandmother was famous for her fabulous Czech potato dumplings, & she claimed that they were absolutely impossible to make without a potato ricer.

 

[jpmcgrew]

Can it be used as a spaetzle maker?

I have heard that before but have never attempted to make spaetzle in any way.

 

[jpmcgrew]

I just stumbled across the Idahoan not the Idaho instant potatoes a few weeks ago. I don't normally use instant because they never were that good but these are not bad at all in fact they are very good. Nice to have around when you are in a pinch, feeling lazy or just have no potatoes.

 

[Cornelius]

After ricing the potatoes, I mix the butter, etc in with the serving spoon I'm going to use to serve it. You certainly don't need a potato masher to do that.

Certainly. I meant I might as well have used a masher in the first place, rather than a ricer.

I'm still curious, though. Are your results with the ricer superior to those you get when you use a masher? Yours personally, that is?

 

[jpmcgrew]

I have a ricer but find that if I boil potatoes long enough they whip up nice and creamy and fluffy with a hand held mixer.

 

[Andy M.]

...I'm still curious, though. Are your results with the ricer superior to those you get when you use a masher? Yours personally, that is?

Absolutely better! They are perfectly smooth and fluffy. I never use anything else now.

I grew up in an era when lumps in your mashed potatoes meant you were a failure in the kitchen. I've gotten used to that.

Now folks often say they prefer 'texture' or 'rustic style'. That's OK but not my preference.

 

[Cornelius]

Lumpy potatoes, lumpy gravy... Yeah, I grew up in that era too.
Thanks, I'll have to try it.

 

[Andy M.]

what outher uses does it have

Some other possible uses are mentioned in the earlier portion of this thread.

 

[DramaQueen]

what outher uses does it have

I prefer riced potatoes because the potatoes are broken up smoothly, no lumps but still retain texture. I mix with a fork, add warm milk, cream and butter. Then if I decide to go further, I grate Chedder cheese, blue cheese, or blend horseradish or Philadelphia cream cheese into the mashed potatoes.

What I really like to use the ricer for is to remove all liquid from spinach. It does a great job.

 

[JoeV]

Boy am I glad I found this thread. I was in Bed, Bath & Beyond trying to spend a gift card I got for my birthday, when I came across a potato ricer. I stood there looking at it and could only think it would make lefse authentic, but not necessary. Glad I chose a new traditional potato masher and a 14" x 15" cooking stone instead (my Italian bread was hanging off the old round stone). So many toys, so little time...

 

[AuntieV]

I don't know about other people but when I use the ricer I boil the spuds in the skins and just throw half spuds in the ricer cut side down. No peeling! It alos makes the spuds smoother than a masher but not creamy like the mixer.

It also works great on roasted garlic.

In a pinch I have used mine to pound meat too. (Just put a piece of plastic wrap on the meat and bang away.)

You know when you have something that needs to be strained but not strained through cloth. The ricer will get out a lot of things like seeds, lumps or too large clumps of brown sugar.

How about mashing bananas for banana bread?

 

[EEF]

I heard that you can use a ricer to mash/puree pumpkin for a pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, and a variety of other pumpkin dishes.

 

[Katie H]

I also use my potato ricer to squeeze the juice out of crushed pineapple for recipes that call for well-drained pineapple. Think...cake mix cookies for one.

 

[Lithan]

I only use my ricer for mashed taters.
They are much better than hand mashed, but need to be peeled and have skins added back later (I like skins).

 

[Katie H]

Use mine to squeeze the moisture out of shredded zucchini when making zucchini bread.

 

[KMP]

Uses for a ricer

I use mine to make jellied cranberry sauce. After boiling the cranberries, put them through the ricer to separate the pulp from the skins. I use my Mixmaster to mash potatoes, but that would not separate cranberry skins.

 

[DelicateInferno]

I was going to list some other uses for a potato ricer, such as pressing the water out of cooked spinach, then I thought, "What's wrong with having a specialized tool?!". We are surrounded by specialized tools.

Would your wife feel better about shaving her legs with her razor after you used it to peel some potatoes?

Would she feel better about brushing her teeth after you used her toothbrush to clean the bathroom floor?

Tell her you're waiting for the day you come across a very big clove of garlic. Then you will use it as a garlic press.

Elephant Garlic, which is actually a member of the leek family, should suffice!