Use Ina Garten's Tried And True Method For The Perfect Mashed Potatoes Every Time

Everyone who cooks has a technique for making the best mashed potatoes. There are so many tips and tricks, in fact, that we put together a list of 13 hacks for making mashed potatoes, which just scratches the surface. But, let's be real — well-cooked, fluffy potatoes and rich butter are always going to be pretty darn good together, unless you make a real rookie mistake. To elevate the spuds, however, we suggest turning to the pros. And who better than Ina Garten? The Barefoot Contessa has taught us that sometimes "store-bought is fine," and has helped many Americans gain confidence in the kitchen with her effortlessly fabulous recipes. So, yes, we trust Garten when it comes to her method of making mashed potatoes.

Ina Garten's mashed potato recipe differs from others in a few important ways. Firstly, she uses a food mill to mash her soft, boiled potatoes for a smooth, fine, and even texture. Secondly, she heats the milk and butter before adding it to the just-milled potatoes for easy mixing. Finally, Garten adds buttermilk, an ingredient that you should be using in your mashed potatoes for extra creaminess and a deeper flavor. 

The Food Network Queen has a tip for keeping mash warm, too. She swears by placing the bowl of potatoes over a pot of gently simmering water and stirring as needed for up to 30 minutes. This super simple hack truly makes serving big, family-style meals much easier, as timing is often the trickiest part of the process. 

Ina Garten isn't the first person to swap the classic potato masher for something a little less routine. However, usually home cooks turn to the potato ricer rather than the food mill. While ricers are totally fine, they only mash one or two potatoes at a time and are built for a single task. Food mills, on the other hand, are larger, making the mashing process quicker. The tool is also a jack of all trades as it can be helpful in making tomato sauce or stewed apples, along with Ina Garten's buttermilk mash, and so much more. 

Food mills are the dated kitchen tool that is a must-have for Ina Garten, and honestly we think she's onto something. You can make perfectly smooth spuds using a ricer or a masher, but it will take longer. This is a real issue because temperature can impact texture when you're mashing potatoes. Hence, why Garten also gently heats the butter and the milk. Creating a warm dairy mixture ensures both ingredients can be mixed easily and evenly into the potatoes. It also keeps the spuds warmer for longer. This means you won't have to deal with lumps of cold butter, and you probably won't need to reheat the potatoes before serving. The buttermilk (which isn't heated) might cool the potatoes slightly, but if you use Garten's double boiler hack to keep mashed potatoes warm, it shouldn't be a big issue.