Review: 5/5
Very Good Ricer, Works Well, Mashed Potatoes Good But Have Drawbacks.
As a ricer, this is well built, seems large enough, and works well. Any firm items must be cooked first (such as potatoes or carrots), and then fairly easily presses through with two hands. Obviously the smaller hole settings take more work than larger settings. It easily rotates between the 3 size settings, and sticks there so it doesn't slip out of position. The plunger that pushes food through makes a good seal (a good as I would expect), but not water tight, so a very small amount of potato ends up on the top rim over time, which you just brush off into the bowl. It is large enough that you have plenty of leverage to squeeze the food through. I can nearly do it one handed, but it is easy with two hands. It starts out a little firm, then easily squeezes once it starts pushing through. The hook to lay on the bowl edge works fine, except most of my pots are only just slightly deeper than this device, so you have to lift it up to squeeze so the food has somewhere to go as it piles up. So I end up just setting it on top of the pile as I fill it, which works well. Removing the outer plate when cleaning is easy enough, but takes a little wriggling back and forth. The plates seem thick enough that I wouldn't worry about something like cooked potato. Just remember you have to cook firm items first to make them sufficiently soft. Cleaning takes some work just because it is a larger contraption, but would be no different than any other ricer. As a ricer, I am happy with it.
For mashed potatoes, it works well, but it is easier to make them with a good strong wire potato masher. This makes creamy mashed potatoes of more consistent consistency, but depending on the hole size can still have enough chunkier tiny bits so that you know it isn't instant potato flakes. You have to peel the skin from the potatoes to easily work with the grate. But it does make quick work extruding the potato with ease, a few scoops at a time. In my video, I actually made them with the middle size setting. However, for mashed potatoes, I still prefer my good strong wire potato masher for several reasons. (1) The masher makes chunkier mashed potato of more irregularity (like many restaurants) depending simply on how much and how evenly you keep mashing. (2) The masher can doubly mash and mix flavorings (butter, milk, cheese or sour cream, salt, pepper) all at the same time as mashing instead of a separate mixing step. (3) The masher is much simpler to clean, just a small tool that is easy to clean compared to this whole contraption. (4) The masher can work with skin left on the potato (which I prefer). But make sure you have a good sturdy wire masher (like my Kithenaid wire masher). I have a plastic one that is terrible in comparison due to holes that clog, that bends, and takes more work. So as a mashed potato maker only, I would rate this a 4/5, but I will use my wire masher due to combined steps, ease of cleaning, result consistency, and skins on. But it is a preference, and many might prefer the ricer result.
But a ricer has multiple applications, it isn't just for one kind of mashed potatoes. I think it is a very good ricer overall.
Product Title: OXO Good Grips Adjustable Potato Ricer
Model: 1129780
