As we often have 10-20 people for Sunday dinner and make mash, we use a 7 litre stock pot for the potatoes and its nearly full. Mashing the potato with a normal kitchen masher means you tend to burn in the hot steam and touching the top as its that deep. It also takes A LOT of effort to mash that lot - which made me wonder what restaurant/cafe/school kitchens do for making mash ?

Steve

A large potato ricer may help. Ricers are not cheap, but give perfect mash.

Thanks Mamta but I think ricing 10lb of potatoes might turn quite painful and slow...:-) (when we are having shepherds pie for 10-20 people etc)

Steve

A big washing up bowl and gloved hands then LOL!

When I worked in kitchens we always did it in batches by hand. If it was a choice of making sandwiches for 300 or mashing potatoes...I always opted to do the potatoes. Great init LOL!! I'm so glad I'm not a chef any more.

You could try an electric paint stirrer lolol

Asked a chef friend for a simple answer but it seems never has such a seemingly simple dish caused such controversy.

He was taught to bake the potatoes then push the flesh through a sieve before adding copious amounts of butter. Perfect mash but sounds like hard work to me if making industrial quantities.

Seems there is a lot of science about the type of potato to be used regarding starch levels etc, Maris Piper seems to be the current order of the day.

Sid's training to batch the boiling of the potatoes is perhaps the best idea! At least you won't blister your elbow doing the mashing!

Otherwise Heston Blumental's idea of boiling the potatoes even a few days ahead, refriderating then mashing and adding hot milk on the day of consumption might help?

Winton

Personally, I'd do them in batches in a food processor, with a splash of milk, butter and salt/ pepper added to each batch. Need to be careful not to blitz for too long as brings out the gluten and makes it too gloopy but short sharp bzzzz works well.

My brother in law used to serve up the most perfect mashed potatoes. Neither chef nor foodie it perplexed us how he got such great mashed potatoes. He ushered out of the kitchen whenever he cooked as he wanted to be alone & in-charge! Anyway one way or another we found out that it he used a double electric balloon whisk on boiled potatoes, adding whatever was needed for the recipe.

So I agree totally with Kavey.

Regards to all,

Martin