If you’ve never used a ricer to make mashed potatoes…this thing will CHANGE YOUR LIFE!  BUT…it’s so much more!

Source: Cooking Light / Cooking 101

This kitchen tool is anything but a one-trick pony.

We consider a ricer essential for making the best ever mashed potatoes. Creating the perfect texture of slightly smooth without being gluey, it’s a must-have for anyone regularly serving this comfort-food side. But what about those of us who don’t make mashed potatoes that often? Is a ricer really worth the cabinet space it takes up?

If you’re worried about purchasing a ‘unitasker’ product that only gets used once a year, then you’ll be pleased to learn that a ricer is helpful for all kinds of other kitchen tasks. From peeling veggies to prepping in bulk, this tool will have you covered.

EGG SALAD

Next time you’re whipping up a batch of egg salad, avoid all the dicing (and potentially eggy-smelling hands) by using your ricer. Just put hard boiled eggs into the ricer and get to mashing.

FROZEN SPINACH

While it’s convenient for tossing into dishes for an extra dose of veggies, frozen spinach is notorious for retaining water and potentially watering down any recipe it’s added to. With a ricer in-hand, you can easily avoid that problem—simply add thawed frozen spinach to your ricer and squeeze it hard. You’ll remove way more water than squeezing by hand.

TOMATO SAUCE

Cooked tomatoes, whether they’re chopped or whole cherry tomatoes, can be put through the ricer to easily remove skins. Meaning that creating your homemade marinara recipe just got that much easier.

CARROT OR CAULIFLOWER MASH

Potatoes aren’t the only vegetable that deserve to be mashed. If you’re looking to take a hiatus from spuds, consider mashing cooked cauliflower (which ends up looking eerily similar to mashed potatoes) or carrots for a light and bright side.