Food Mill: Love It or Hate It?

November 22, 2008

On a recent episode of Barefoot Contessa, I watched Ina Garten make the fluffiest-looking mashed potatoes. She used a food mill to get the texture of the potatoes perfect.

I've always considered food mills to be old-fashioned and unnecessary, but after watching Garten make her pillowy potatoes, I found myself wanting one.

What do you think? Do you have a food mill?

Love It Or Hate It Holiday Mashed Potatoes Thanksgiving Ina Garten Kitchen Tools Food Mill

19 Comments

Isista 4 years 24 weeks

I've used one, still find it unnecessary. If you have the space, great. I just don't feel that it's needed in my kitchen.

yvettecq 4 years 25 weeks

prefer a ricer. my potatoes come out light, fluffy and lump free. though there are times i like lumpy mashed potatoes...w/a little skin mixed in. yum. ;-)

katejlogan 4 years 25 weeks

You can't make homemade applesauce, tomato sauce, or jam w/ out one in my humble opinion.

puddlesworth 4 years 25 weeks

I don't need it.

puddlesworth 4 years 25 weeks

I don't need it.

BCSJ22 4 years 25 weeks

I wanted a food mill but they are too big and I don't have enough room, so i opted for a potato ricer instead. I still get the same fluffy potatoes and its great for pressing tomatoes into a sauce as well.

lawchick 4 years 25 weeks

I'm with w. I have a small cheap one for making applesauce and it takes too much effort for such a measley amount of applesauce.

LoveSarah 4 years 25 weeks

I've never used one, so I'm really not sure. But, it does seem useful at least!

HappyKate 4 years 25 weeks

My folks have always made the best homemade applesauce with one!

chibarosa 4 years 25 weeks

I just read my post and it sounds so hokie. I'm a city girl, I swear. I guess I'm a bit homesick so close to the holidays!

chibarosa 4 years 25 weeks

My grandparents had one when I was a kid. We would make blackberry jelly from the fresh blackberries we picked on the farm. My granddaddy would put the berries into the food mill to extract the juice and separate the seeds. Whenever I see a food mill I automatically think about blackberry jelly. It's really the best tool for the job since the blackberry seeds are so small - but I really have no use for the food mill otherwise.

ilanac13 4 years 25 weeks

i actually really like the idea of these but i don't know if i would ever get one, unless it's as a gift. it's one of those gadgets that you know would be helpful, but since it's not a MUST HAVE it's not on the list of things for me to spend my limited funds on.

Schaianne 4 years 25 weeks

Newer does not necessarily mean better!! I love a lot of older kitchenware!

krissycake 4 years 26 weeks

i voted "hate it" though that's a little too extreme of an emotion..i just cannot really stand watching the barefoot contessa show & that gadget seems a tad unnecessary in the scheme of things.

w 4 years 26 weeks

I have a small one and it really seems to be a lot more work than it should be! I find the best mashed potatoes are made using a ricer or mouli, not a food mill (which CAN get them a bit gluey if you're not careful) and my stick blender works perfectly for soups (and negates the need for extra bowls to be washed up) so... hate it. Was a waste of money, IMHO.

verily 4 years 26 weeks

Undecided. I've never used one, so I don't know how good or bad it would be. Seems unnecessary though. I like my mashed potatoes just fine mashed by a fork or masher. And a decent hand blender can puree soups easily.

verily 4 years 26 weeks

Undecided. I've never used one, so I don't know how good or bad it would be.Seems unnecessary though. I like my mashed potatoes just fine mashed by a fork or masher. And a decent hand blender can puree soups easily.

tlsgirl 4 years 26 weeks

They seemed unnecessary until I made a soup that called for one. I used a blender instead and it totally didn't work the same way. Of course, my solution is just not to make that soup again, so I guess I still find them unnecessary.

altona 4 years 26 weeks

If I had the room to spare in my kitchen I would totally get it.

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