Features of choosing a potato masher

Mashed potatoes are a fairly simple dish to make. However, to make the side dish tender, you need to try. A potato masher helps to mash the product until smooth and airy. How to choose such a device will be discussed in this article.

Potato masher is a special kitchen utensil. It allows you to turn boiled tubers into a single soft mass. The device is easy to use and easy to clean. Regardless of the variety, the cost of products is low, which is good news. The disadvantages of using hand tools are only time-consuming product processing.

Modern producers offer various options for potato maslers. The pressure surface is solid or has holes. In shape it is usually a circle, a semicircle, a square, a rectangle, a zigzag. It can also be a metal spiral. The last option resembles a whisk for whipping.

In order to choose a suitable device from a wide range, it is necessary to consider each option in more detail.

Familiar to many, a wooden pusher for potatoes is correctly called a potato masher. The product is a solid item. The best examples are juniper pushers. This tree almost does not absorb moisture.Wooden products can even be used to process very hot tubers. Devices do not deform and do not harm the dishes. Even if you knead potatoes in a bowl of fragile ceramic, it will not suffer.

The disadvantage of such models can be called small work surface. This item is not suitable if you need to knead a large volume of root crops. Also worth noting the ability of wood to absorb odors. This problem can be dealt with by soaking the crush in a soda solution.

Aluminum products are lightweight and inexpensive. However, they have a big drawback. In the process of interaction with the product, the metal enters into a chemical reaction with it. To prevent this, the product is coated with a protective coating. Over time, the top layer is erased. Because of this, the item becomes unusable.

There is one more thing. The potato masher itself will not deteriorate even when in contact with very hot potatoes. But if you knead tubers in ceramic or Teflon dishes, you can damage it.

Medical stainless steel is an excellent material. A great option would be a product made of material marked 18/10. If you cook only for yourself or your family is small, you can choose a compact potato masher with a small diameter of the pressing surface. If you often have to process a large volume of product, the zigzag plate option is right for you.

The main advantages of stainless steel are resistance to temperature extremes and a neutral effect on the product (it does not affect the taste of the dish at all). It is worth remembering that such an object can damage fragile glass and the Teflon coating of containers.

Teflon-coated metal products allow mashed potatoes to be cooked directly on the stove. Such devices do not deform at high temperatures. They are also suitable for processing large portions of potatoes. However, it is worth remembering that the coating is easily damaged mechanically. Besides, aggressive detergents adversely affect it.

Lightweight and inexpensive plastic kitchen utensils come in a wide variety of shapes and colors. They can be used on any surface. They will not be able to damage the non-stick coating.

However, there are still more shortcomings. With this appliance you can mash only a modest portion of the product. Plastic does not tolerate high temperatures (it is deformed and releases toxins). Also material prone to scratches, breaks easily.

Silicone and food grade nylon are safe materials. They completely do not affect the taste of the dish, do not give odors. They are durable, resistant to oxidation and heat. Such kitchen appliances can be cleaned in the dishwasher. They can be used even if the potatoes are in fragile ceramic or teflon dishes.

Only one minus - the shelf life of such products is 5 years. After that, you can’t use them. When heated, the material will begin to release toxic substances that are dangerous to humans.

If manual processing of potatoes seems tiring to you, you can pay attention to a special kitchen tool - a press. The device resembles a large garlic gadget. It can make mashed potatoes easier thanks to a carefully thought out mechanism. With it, even the hardest root crops easily turn into a gentle homogeneous mass.

The classic version of the press includes several elements. This is a lever, a kneading piston and a container with perforations at the bottom. There are also 2 holders.Due to them, the device is fixed on the container in which it is planned to place the finished dish. Some models have interchangeable internal discs with different numbers of holes of a certain diameter.

The second option is equipped with a rotary handle. This design resembles a mill. The principle of operation here is a little different. The device has a container at the bottom of which there are holes. In the middle is a flywheel with blades. For the mechanism to work, you need to start turning the handle.

Manufacturers offer cast iron, stainless steel and aluminum presses. Plastic is sometimes used, however, such models are considered unreliable, because they break quickly. The best option is stainless steel. It is durable, resistant to heat and mechanical damage, does not oxidize.

The advantages of the device are obvious.

• The perfect result. Mashed potatoes turn out airy, without lumps. The uniformity of the mass is achieved due to the small holes located in the housing. They divide the potatoes into identical, very small particles. At the same time, air enters the mass, due to which the finished dish turns out to be especially tender.
• Speed. In one easy motion you can get a whole portion of an impeccably tasty side dish. At the same time, water flows independently through the holes in the device.
• Ease of use. You just need to put the potatoes in the press and press the lever or twist the handle. Sophisticated ergonomics minimize physical effort. The main thing is to fill the device not completely, but by 2/3.
• Universality. The press can be used not only for processing boiled potatoes. With it, you can easily make any vegetable and fruit purees, mousses, jellies, juices.

In order not to be disappointed in the purchase, it is better to give preference to products of well-known brands that have earned the trust of customers. it Gefu, WMF, Rondell, Vitesse, Tupperware, Tescoma. You can also highlight several important criteria for a good kitchen appliance.

• Quality. The working surface must be perfectly flat, not have any damage. If it is a press, levers and discs must be securely locked. The sides should be cast, without cracks. Also, no chemical odors can come from the subject.
• The size. This parameter depends on the volume of the processed product. If you are cooking for two, you will have enough tools with a working surface with a diameter of about 8 cm. The optimal length of the potato planter is from 30 to 36 cm.
• Weight. The product should be lightweight and easy to use.

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