But let’s face it: Making mashed potatoes from scratch can be very time-consuming and tedious.
I much prefer homemade mashed potatoes, so I didn’treallylove any of the instant options.
Still, one brand was leaps and bounds better than the rest.
Photos: Brands. Design: Eat This, Not That!
Here is my ranking of instant mashed potato brands, from my least favorite to the absolute best.
Chef’s Cupboard Buttery Mashed Potatoes
Theseprivate-label Aldi instant mashed potatoesonly call for boiling water.
A four-ounce package cost me $1.05.
Zoe Strozewski / Eat This, Not That!
Once combined with boiling water, however, they became quite smooth and lump-free.
The taste:Intensely buttery, and not in a good way.
Even the texture, while somewhat smooth, was a little gummy.
Zoe Strozewski / Eat This, Not That!
A four-ounce bag cost me $1.69.
Time, however, was Idahoan’s greatest enemy.
The texture became progressively drier and lumpier the longer they cooled.
Zoe Strozewski / Eat This, Not That!
They had an overly strong buttery flavor while also being woefully underseasoned.
And while the consistency was actually pretty close to homemade mashed potatoes, I wished these were creamier.
A nine-ounce box cost me $1.32.
Zoe Strozewski / Eat This, Not That!
The taste:Acutely bland and gummy.
The taste:At first bite, these tasted almost identical to the Great Value potatoes.
And, unfortunately, that means they were pretty bland when prepared according to the package directions.
Zoe Strozewski / Eat This, Not That!
I went the milk and butter route, and a 4-ounce bag cost me $1.39.
The taste:Not amazing, but undeniably superior to the rest.
I did have an issue with the consistency of the mash, which was a little gummy and granular.
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