Bangers and mash is one of our fall-back dinners when we really need to go food shopping; we nearly always have some sausages stashed in the freezer and a few last potatoes. So on one such occasion this week, I had my first chance to try out the potato ricer from OXO.

I have never used a potato ricer before, Dave is king of mashers, so we’ve never really needed one. So for the sake of research, we tried it out for our banger & mash. On first impressions, I expected it to be heavier but it felt sturdy all the same. The ricer has grips on the base handle which mean you can rest it on the pan without it slipping when you apply pressure. The upper handle also has a grip to help you press it down. I really liked the grips, they meant I could use both hands to squeeze the press (yes, I’m a weakling), instead of using one hand to keep it steady.

I filled up the ‘reservoir’ with my boiled potatoes and squished down the press. It reminded me of a giant version of my garlic crusher. I found a fair bit of resistance to begin with but it rapidly got easier and we ended up with velvety smooth potatoes. The whole process was a little messy but the ricer is dishwasher safe, so no washing up required!

I have to be honest and say I really like what the potato ricer does, but I’m not sure we’d use it a lot, there’s not a lot more involved in just grabbing the masher and using a little elbow grease. I can however see huge benefits to mums weaning their babies, a whole variety of foods can be mashed through the ricer and it can be just added to the dishwasher to save time and hassle. A handy tool and maybe a unique present for a new mum!

Click here for my review of the hand held Mandolin slicer.

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