Suppose a scenario when you have your guests coming over any minute. And you have thrown a potato-themed dinner party. The menu includes Potato cutlets, hash-brown potatoes, potato gnocchi, mashed potatoes, and even potato tarts. And suddenly, you realize that your potato ricer is not working correctly, and you need a potato ricer substitute.
Well, calm down, nothing to worry about!
What if I tell you that there are many potato ricer alternatives that will save your time and energy, especially when you can find these substitutes easily in your kitchen. This post will introduce you to some of these fantastic tools that can quickly help you overcome the absence of a potato ricer.
A little About a Potato Ricer:
A potato ricer is a kitchen gadget usually made in steel material. One just has to insert the boiled potato as a whole or in pieces between that frame of a potato ricer. The boiled potato squeezes out smoothly from the pores, just like noodles or rice. It makes creating recipes like hash browns, gnocchi, etc., easy and fun. That’s why most people can’t go without a potato ricer.
However, it doesn’t mean that we cannot create potato ricer recipes without a potato ricer. We can use everyday kitchen utensils to solve the problem.
Without any further due, let’s check out the top 8 potatoes ricer replacements available within our reach.
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Top 8 Potato Ricer Substitutes:
There is a couple of good potato ricer alternates like mashers, fine graters, food mills, a meat grinder or a fine mince maker, or even a fork that you can use. The secret lies in the texture; either you need your potatoes riced in smoothness or fluffiness or creamy.
Here’s a list of potato ricer alternatives that you can use to gain similar results.
1. A Potato Ricer vs. Masher – Which One is Better?
A potato masher is the most straightforward yet most fantastic kitchen gadget. It’s a steel presser shaped in curves or zigzags. This can help you mash almost every boiled food.
While making mashed potatoes, the closest possible results you can obtain are from a potato masher. Well, having said that, I find a necessity of sharing that you need to put effort while mashing to achieve desired results.
Many people do not recommend a potato masher as the best potato ricer substitute because it doesn’t create that fluffiness to mashed potatoes and leaves lumps behind. But the masher can outweigh the potato ricer if we use it correctly.
I personally use it for making potato cutlets as well. And seriously, it works wonders. All you need to do is make sure that you press the masher over the boiled potatoes steadily until a homogenous mixture is formed.
2. A Fork – Oh, Yes! The Simple Piece of Cutlery Can Do Wonders
Sometimes we don’t have to go that hard on ourselves. And we are looking for things that are far from us, but the golden treasure is placed right next to us.
Well, Maybe I exaggerated here. But a simple fork is something available in every kitchen. And surprisingly, it works like that one essential tool you can use for multi-purposes. It is the most accessible potato ricer substitute.
Use the fork if you don’t have a masher, a grater, or any other complex tool like a potato ricer food processor. Although working with a fork is more time-consuming and takes more energy. But if you need to mash or rice a small number of potatoes on an urgent basis, then a fork can be your go-to option.
3. A Grater – The Great Alternative for a Potato Ricer
The third best alternative I find for potato ricer is a fine grater. It comes in different shapes. But commonly, A fine grater is shaped as a four-sided steel sheet with two sides of different pores. Those pores are designed to cut or smash any soft food into noodles shape as the pores are sharp-edged. The sizes of pores are different on both sides. The third side has a thin slice cutter that you can use for making salads. And the fourth side is usually plain in some graters or has a peeler.
The sharpness of the grater doesn’t require the food or veggie to be boiled. Also it, kind of crushes the veggie in stick shape ideally. The graters should be used by wearing a glove or silicone covering for veggie. This can be safe from any harm to your hand while grating.
The best recipe that requires a fine grater is potato hash-browns. And who won’t love hash browns?
4. A Sieve or Strainer as a Perfect Potato Ricer Substitute – Who Knew!
We have almost enlisted all the simple everyday gadgets available in everyone’s kitchen until now. And if not, then this one, maybe this one, is the most common utensil. Most often used as a tea strained, who knew it could be used as a potato ricer substitute.
Yeah, the sieve in your kitchen can do the job if you are ready to invest your time and energy in it. The size of the potato can be taken according to your Strainer’s size.
If you have a tea strainer, it’s better to use baby potatoes or chop the potatoes. Then put the potato chunks in a sieve and push them gently with the help of a spoon’s back.
This is hectic, but its results are worth it. It will sort the lumps that you fret while using a masher.
5. Food Mill – Who Can Forget the All-In-One Kitchen Tool.
A favorite kitchen gadget of all time is the food mill. It has lots of space in its deep center. Different kinds of food mills are available in the market these days. The most common of all that I own is a multi-purpose utensil. It has three different stencils, including a grater, peeler, and slicer.
The exciting thing about this alternative is that it’s a perfect potato ricer substitute gnocchi maker. The way it grates the potatoes comes out similar to what potato ricers do.
I have personally used the food mill several times to make spaghetti or gnocchi.
6. A Meat Grinder or Fine Mince Maker – Try It Out and Be Amazed!
It is the best tool if you have lots of potatoes to mash. Let us suppose you have to make gnocchi, cutlets, or other cuisines for a party or a large gathering. In that case, the meat grinder or mince maker can get you lots of mashed potatoes within a blink of an eye.
Moreover, the meat grinder helps to make perfect potato cutlets ever. I usually put all ingredients, including large boiled potatoes and boneless chicken strips, along with marination directly into a mincer or meat grinder.
I recommend it because whenever I have a gathering at my place, this tool saves a lot of my time.
7. Food Processor – Workable Hack to Rice Potatoes
Not a perfect option, but if you don’t have any other substitute available within your reach and you are craving mashed potatoes, use your food processor.
Most people avoid using a food processor to make potato-based dishes because it turns the texture creamy and sticky. However, if you can manage the consistency while processing, then it could work.
8. Stand Mixer – Surprisingly Good Potato Ricer Substitute
A stand mixer is not usually available in every home. And commonly, it is used for mixing cake batters and ice creams and stuff like that. But surprisingly, we can use it for different things like mashing potatoes. You can try it too by putting some peeled, boiled potatoes in a stand mixer.
A stand mixer will work only if the potatoes are well boiled. Make sure by pinching potatoes with a fork.
Hence, these are your go-to options if you want to substitute potato ricer. If not the first one, then the second, third, or last one will fit your choice too.
FAQ’s
