Ankarsrum and Mashed Potatoes

I have always understood that potatoes should never be machine mashed.  The ideal tool is one of a variety of manual tools and the milk and butter should be heated (if being added).  That way provides the lightest mashed potatoes supposedly.  Having said that I can see that there can  be a very good reason for some people to use a hand beater.  I know there are days that my hands would not like to do the hand mashing but I don't think I'd ever use a stand mixer or a food processor.  

Echo Jane Dough: 

Overcooked or insufficiently drained potatoes can become sticky, as can the wrong kind of potato. But the main problem is overworked spuds. The science is simple: Boiled potatoes develop swollen starch cells. When ruptured during mashing, the cells release starch. The more cells are ruptured, the gummier the mashed potatoes. So if you use an electric mixer or food processor to mash your potatoes, you'll probably beat them mercilessly and end up with wallpaper paste. Instead, use a potato masher, or even better, pass the potatoes through a ricer or food mill before mixing them with butter and hot milk—these devices are gentler on the starch cells, and they'll also prevent lumps. (source article) 

Once I got my Oxo potato ricer I haven't looked back :) A friend made mashed potatoes for me as well and used my stand mixer and they were, sadly, like the described wallpaper paste. 

I use a food mill. 

Potatoes made in a mixer are usually "whipped" rather than mashed, though the roller in the Ankarsrum may have different ultimate effect.

And riced potatoes are also NOT mashed.  I don't care for russets when riced.  I should try something less grainy I suppose.

Personally I like whipped potatoes.  I like mashed potatoes.  I like them fried, boiled, scalloped, and hash-browned.  Maybe the Ankarsrum won't turn out "mashed" potatoes, so ... I'll just rename them "smooshed", LOL!

Why us a mixer if you have this:

http://i01.i.aliimg.com/img/pb/831/839/333/333839831_596.jpg

Dries

Lately I've been considering using it for that very thing and have been thinking about how I would do it.

I think I'd use the grater and nut grinder that goes on the end of the food grinder (meat grinder) to "rice" my cooked potatoes. I have yet to try that, but it would produce a potato product much like a ricer. Proceed from there to make your mashed potatoes.

If I didn't do it that way I would use the multi wire beaters and the plastic bowl. Just go easy or you might wind up with glue.