Features of choosing a potato grinder

Mashed potatoes are a fairly simple dish to prepare. However, to make the side dish tender, you need to try. A potato grinder helps to knead the product until a homogeneous and airy mass. How to choose such a device will be discussed in this article.

The potato maker is a special kitchen accessory. It allows you to turn boiled tubers into a single soft mass. The device is easy to use and easy to clean. Regardless of the variety, the cost of the products is low, which is good news. The disadvantages of using hand tools include only large time-consuming processing of the product.

Modern manufacturers offer various options for potato mills. The pressure surface is solid or has holes. In shape, it is usually a circle, semicircle, square, rectangle, zigzag. It can also be a metal spiral. The last option resembles a whisk for beating.

In order to choose a suitable device from a wide range, it is necessary to consider each option in more detail.

The wooden potato crush, familiar to many, is correctly called the potato grinder. The product is a one-piece piece. Juniper pushers are considered the best specimens. This tree hardly absorbs moisture.Wooden products can even be used for very hot tubers. The fixtures do not deform and do not damage the dishes. Even if you knead the potatoes in a brittle ceramic bowl, it will not be damaged.

The disadvantage of such models is small work surface... This item will not work if you need to knead a large amount of root crops. Also worth noting the ability of wood to absorb odors. This problem can be dealt with by soaking the crush in a baking soda solution.

Aluminum products are lightweight and inexpensive. However, they have a big drawback. In the process of interacting with the product, the metal enters into a chemical reaction with it. To prevent this, the product is covered with a protective spray. Over time, the top layer wears off. This makes the item unusable.

There is one more thing. The potato grinder itself will not spoil even on contact with very hot potatoes. But if you knead the tubers in a ceramic or Teflon dish, you can damage it.

Medical grade stainless steel is a great material. An excellent option would be a product made of material marked 18/10... If you are cooking just for yourself or your family is small, you can choose a compact potato grinder with a small pressure surface diameter. If you often have to process a large volume of product, the option with a zigzag plate will suit you.

The main advantage of stainless steel is resistance to temperature extremes and a neutral effect on the product. (it does not affect the taste of the dish at all). One has only to remember that such an object can damage the fragile glass and Teflon coating of containers.

Teflon-coated metal products allow you to puree right on the stove. Such devices do not deform at high temperatures. They are also suitable for handling large portions of potatoes. However, it is worth remembering that the coating is easily damaged mechanically. Besides, it is negatively affected by aggressive detergents.

Lightweight and inexpensive plastic kitchenware comes in a wide variety of shapes and colors. They can be used on any surface. They will not be able to damage the non-stick coating.

However, there are still more disadvantages. With such a device, you can knead only a modest portion of the product.... Plastic does not tolerate high temperatures (it deforms and releases toxins). Also material prone to scratches, breaks easily.

Silicone and food grade nylon are safe materials. They do not affect the taste of the dish at all, do not give off foreign odors. They are durable, oxidation and heat resistant. Such kitchen appliances dishwasher safe. They can be used even if the potatoes are in fragile ceramic or Teflon dishes.

Only one minus - the shelf life of such products is 5 years. After that, they cannot be used. When heated, the material will begin to emit toxic substances that are dangerous to humans.

If manual processing of potatoes seems tiresome to you, you can pay attention to a special kitchen tool - a press. The device resembles a large garlic press. It can make mashed potatoes easier thanks to its elaborate mechanism. With it, even the hardest root vegetables easily turn into a tender homogeneous mass.

The classic version of the press includes several elements. This is a lever, a kneading piston and a container with perforations in the bottom. There are also 2 holders.Due to them, the device is fixed on the container in which it is planned to place the finished dish. Some models have replaceable inner discs with a different number of holes of a certain diameter.

The second option is equipped with a revolving handle. This design resembles a mill. The principle of operation is slightly different here. The device has a container with holes in the bottom. In the middle there is a flywheel with blades. To make the mechanism work, you need to start turning the handle.

Manufacturers offer presses in cast iron, stainless steel and aluminum. Plastic is sometimes used, however, such models are considered unreliable, because they quickly break down. The best option is stainless steel. It is durable, resistant to heat and mechanical damage, does not oxidize.

The advantages of the device are obvious.

• Perfect result. The puree is airy, without lumps. The uniformity of the mass is achieved thanks to the small holes in the housing. They divide the potatoes into identical, very small particles. At the same time, air enters the mass, due to which the finished dish turns out to be especially tender.
• Speed... You can have a whole serving of an impeccably tasty side dish with one easy movement. In this case, the water flows independently through the holes in the device.
• Ease of use. You just need to put the potatoes in a press and press the lever or twist the handle. Sophisticated ergonomics minimize physical effort. The main thing is to fill the device not completely, but by 2/3.
• Versatility. The press can be used not only for processing boiled potatoes. With its help you can easily make any vegetable and fruit purees, mousses, jellies, juices.

In order not to be disappointed in the purchase, it is better to give preference to the goods of well-known brands that have earned the trust of buyers. it Gefu, WMF, Rondell, Vitesse, Tupperware, Tescoma. There are also several important criteria for a good kitchen fixture.

• Quality. The working surface must be perfectly flat and free from any damage. If it is a press, the levers and discs must be securely locked. The sides should be cast, without gaps. Also, no chemical odors can emanate from the object.
• The size. This parameter depends on the volume of the processed product. If you cook for two, a tool with a working surface of about 8 cm in diameter is enough for you.The optimal length of the potato grinder is from 30 to 36 cm.
• The weight. The product should be lightweight and easy to use.

For an overview of the Smood Dreamfarm potato grinder, see the next video.