PickfolioPick a ricer if you want very smooth, lump-free potatoes and don't mind pressing in small batches and washing a few more parts. Pick a masher if you like rustic mash, cook with skins on, or want one simple tool that also handles yams and carrots. A ricer presses food through a perforated disk into small rice-like pieces; a masher crushes it in the pot.
Good fit if
- You're deciding between the two before a holiday meal
- You have limited drawer space and want only one tool
- You care more about texture than speed, or the other way round
Not ideal if
- Large batches for a crowd, where a food mill may suit better
- Baby food or very fine purées, which usually call for a blender
On this page
The difference in one sentence
A masher crushes cooked potatoes in the pot; a ricer presses them through a perforated disk, producing small, rice-like pieces — which is why ricer mash tends to be smoother 1.
Side by side
| Potato ricer | Potato masher | |
|---|---|---|
| Texture | Smooth and fluffy, few lumps 1 | Rustic to fairly smooth, depending on the plate 1 |
| Skins on? | Usually left behind in the hopper | Fine — a classic masher handles mash with skins 1 |
| How it works | Fill the hopper, squeeze the handles over a bowl or pan 2 | Push down repeatedly in the pot |
| Batch size | Small loads, one hopper at a time | Whole pot at once |
| Other jobs | Pressing water out of cooked greens, tomatoes for sauce 3 | Yams, carrots and other root vegetables 1 |
| Cleaning | More parts: hopper, plunger, disk | Usually one piece |
| Storage | Bulkier, longer handles | Fits most utensil drawers |
Choose a ricer if…
- Lumps are the thing you hate most about homemade mash.
- You make gnocchi or other recipes that need dry, even potato.
- You'll use it for more than potatoes — OXO lists squeezing cooked greens and pressing tomatoes among the uses for its adjustable ricer 3.
Choose a masher if…
- You like a chunkier, home-style texture or keep the skins on 1.
- You cook in non-stick pots: a nylon masher is the safer pick there, and OXO rates its nylon version heat-resistant to 400 °F 1.
- Drawer space is tight and you want a single, simple tool.
And if you cook for a crowd
OXO's own guide points out that a food mill gives a similar texture to a ricer but handles larger batches 1. If you regularly mash pounds of potatoes at once, that's worth a look before either tool.
Checklist: getting good results with a ricer
- Cook potatoes until fully tender — a ricer only presses what's soft 2.
- Cut pieces small enough to fit the hopper 2.
- Rest the ricer on the rim of a bowl or pan before squeezing 2.
- Press while the potatoes are still hot; add butter and milk after ricing.
- Rinse the disk right away so starch doesn't dry in the holes.
What this comparison can't tell you
Which tool feels better in your hands, or holds up after years of use, is something only long-term use reveals. We haven't run that kind of test, so we don't rank specific models here.
Sources
- OXO — Good Tips blog — The 5 Best Tools For Making Delicious Mashed Potatoes. Checked Oct 21, 2026.
- OXO — 3-in-1 Adjustable Potato Ricer — Use & Care (PDF). Checked Oct 21, 2026.
- OXO — official product page — 3-In-1 Adjustable Potato Ricer. Checked Oct 21, 2026.
How this page was made
Comparison, evidence level E1: Based on maker documentation, manuals and public guidance, each linked with the date we checked it. This is not a hands-on test. Research and drafting were AI-assisted, then every factual claim was matched to the sources above before publishing. No brand paid for or reviewed this page. How we research · Editorial policy