7 Mashed Potato Hacks for the Fluffiest, Most Flavorful Spuds

Russet, red, gold… there are many potato types out there, and you’re welcome to stick to your favorite. But Yukon gold potatoes tend to make for the creamiest potatoes. This type of potato has a natural flavor that is almost buttery, plus they have a dense, creamy texture. Yukon gold potatoes also don’t absorb as much moisture as some other types of potatoes, which can help keep them from having a gummy texture when mashed.

Make sure that while you are cutting your potatoes to keep the chunks about the same size. This ensures even cooking, so no potatoes are boiling for too long or worse, are underdone. While you are cutting, try to keep the chunks pretty large, too. Smaller pieces tend to take in more water.

Potato skins in mashed potatoes can be a heated debate, but hear us out. At least keep them on while the potatoes are boiling to help keep the potato chunks from absorbing too much water. Then, for extra-creamy potatoes, take the skins off afterward. If you do like the skins on the potatoes, then you may keep them on entirely, but this will add some lumpiness to your potatoes.

If you really want to amp up the flavor, try switching your pot of boiling water to broth. Even better is if you use a homemade veggie or chicken broth to add even more richness to your potatoes.

It’s best to add milk or cream that is warmed up to the hot potatoes to help the potatoes and fats combine easily and prevent overmixing, which leads to that unpleasant gummy texture. So while you have a small pot of milk or cream heating up on the stove, consider adding some herbs, like rosemary or thyme and garlic. This will infuse flavor into the cream, which will make your potatoes even more delicious.

You’ve boiled the potatoes, drained them in a colander, and now you’re ready to start mashing them and adding in butter and milk. Not so fast! Before mashing the potatoes, put the drained chunks back into the pot, no lid necessary and onto the stove over low to medium heat. Let the pot sit for a few minutes as any remaining liquids cook out. Just don’t turn up the heat and scorch the potatoes.

For really smooth potatoes that need little mashing and mixing on your part, use a ricer. With this handy kitchen tool, you can scoop potato chunks into the ricer, push down (and get a little arm workout while you’re at it) and the potatoes come out in fine ribbons. Using the ricer helps keep the starches from being overworked in the potato, keeping the texture smooth and silky rather than thick and gluey.