I swear by my potato ricer. It’s not an exciting or sexy kitchen tool, but if you love mashed potatoes, there’s nothing better. I’ve made mashed potatoes with a hand mixer all my life. But, I tried a potato ricer a couple of years ago and that was that, no going back to a hand mixer. The bottom line is that creamy and smooth mashed potatoes are achieved without the danger of over-mixing that can turn your mashed potatoes into an inedible paste with a hand mixer. I’ve done that many times and the mixture turns quickly. The ricer is easy to clean if you soak it right away. And, depending on the brand, you can even place the stainless steel plates in the dishwasher. Ricers are reasonable too, available at most housewares stores for $13 to $30 for a stainless steel version.