Holiday Dinner Gadget Suggestion: The Potato Ricer

Making Mashing More Manageable with a Potato Ricer

Michelle Kattler of Penna & C demonstrating how to use the Browne Cuisipro Stainless Steel Potato Ricer, which is their best seller of this type of gadget.

Cooking a holiday feast can be strenuous. With the neverending array of preparations, followed by hours toiling over hot ovens and flour-covered countertops, the last thing many people want to do is spend a good chunk of their precious holiday time mashing potatoes. Often an exhausting process that leaves the victim with a bout of carpal tunnel, mashing that beloved spud can be cumbersome. Unless, of course, you have a kitchen helper that can do all the work for you. No, I’m not recommending that you coerce one of your friends or children into doing all your dirty work (that’s not in the holiday spirit after all). Instead invest in a potato ricer – with minimal effort, this little tool will give you creamy and smooth taters every time.

Simple to use and easy to clean, these gadgets are popular with both professionals and amateurs for all sorts of smooshing, not just potatoes. For a more carb-conscious alternative, you can use your potato ricer to mash any vegetable, including cauliflower, carrots or squash. Just bake or boil your veggies until they’re soft, place them in the porous container of the potato ricer, and push! Now all you have to do is add your signature flavourings and you can check this side dish off of your holiday to-do list.

Where to find potato ricers:

VICTORIA

Penna & Co (130-777 Royal Oak Dr, Victoria BC. 250-727 www.pennakitchen.com): Browne Cuisipro Stainless Steel Potato Ricer $54.99, Browne Tin Potato Ricer $20.00, Oxo Good Grips Multi-purpose Food Mill $69.99

Haute Cuisine (1210 Broad St, Victoria BC. 250-388-9906): RSVP International Endurance Stainless Steel Jumbo Heavy Duty Potato Ricer, Browne Tin Potato Ricer, Oxo Good Grips Potato Ricer

Muffet & Louisa (1437 Store St, Victoria BC.250-382-3201 www.muffetandlouisa.com): Browne Cuisipro Stainless Steel Potato Ricer, RSVP International Stainless Steel and Plastic Spud Ricer

Cook Culture (1317 Blanshard St, Victoria BC. 250-590-8161 cookculture.com): Browne Cuisipro Stainless Steel Potato Ricer, Oxo Good Grips Potato Ricer

NANAIMO

Flying Fish  (180 Commercial Street, Nanaimo BC. 250-754-2104 www.flyingfishnanaimo.ca): Danesco Stainless Steel Potato Ricer

VANCOUVER

Cookworks (377 Howe Street & 1548 West Broadway www.cookworks.ca) Browne Stainless-Steel Potato Ricer, Chef’n FreshForce Potato Ricer