Potato masher

From ArticleWorld

A potato masher is s device that breaks down cooked potatoes, beans, and other foods eaten in as near-purees. A typical potato masher consists of a 10-inch-long handle attached to a radiator-shaped thick guage wire. Another common, but more labor-intensive potato masher consists of a handle at the business end of which is a metal plate with large holes or slits.

Mashers are considered a less-than-optimum way of preparing perfectly smooth mashed potatoes, because the repeated pushing down on the cooked potatoes causes the starch cells to break down, making the end result gummy or pasty. Too little mashing results in lumps, not really desirable in mashed potatoes. While the ricer produces the smoothest mashed potatoes, blenders destroy most of the starch cells in potatoes, leaving mashers as the middle-of-the-road option.