Whether you’re downing them as homemade fries or in a marshmallow-topped casserole, potatoes are arguably the most popular holiday side. And it’s no surprise why: They’re starchy, comforting, versatile and virtually impossible to dislike. But that doesn’t mean you need to labor over them for hours, especially since you’re already roasting a turkey, baking a pie and entertaining your relatives. Enter these store-bought shortcuts that will make your Thanksgiving (or Christmas) to-do list a little shorter. Here are the eight best instant mashed potatoes to lean on this holiday, according to our taste test.
The 8 Best Instant Mashed Potatoes for Any Occasion, Tested and Reviewed
Your shortcut will be our little secret
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Published Mar 27, 2024
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Sofia Kraushaar for PureWow
The Best Instant Mashed Potatoes at a Glance
Scroll down for in-depth reviews of each.
- Best Instant Mashed Potatoes Overall: Bob’s Red Mill Potato Flakes
- Most Like Homemade: 365 by Whole Foods Market Original Instant Mashed Potatoes
- Creamiest Instant Mashed Potatoes: Hungry Jack Mashed Potatoes
- Fluffiest Instant Mashed Potatoes: Idaho Spuds Classic Mashed Potatoes
- Best Flavored Instant Mashed Potatoes: Idahoan Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Baby Reds Mashed Potatoes
- Best Organic Instant Mashed Potatoes: Edward & Sons Organic Homestyle Mashed Potatoes
- Best Instant Mashed Potatoes for a Crowd: Betty Crocker Unflavored Mashed Potatoes
- Best Value: ALDI Chef’s Cupboard Instant Mashed Potatoes
The Methodology
Before we get into our top picks, here’s how we determined the best instant mashed potatoes for every need:
- Value: Are the instant mashed potatoes worth the money for how they taste and what’s in them?
- Ease of Use: How easy are they to prepare? Are there any fussy ingredients or instructions compared to other instant mashed potatoes?
- Quality: Are the ingredients high quality? Are the instant mashed potatoes loaded with any weird preservatives or fillers?
- Texture: Are the instant mashed potatoes fluffy, light and creamy? Are they grainy or clumpy?
- Flavor: Do the instant mashed potatoes taste good? Are they buttery and like real potatoes? If they’re flavored, do they taste like their name suggests they should?
Bob’s Red Mill/Background: Rawin Tanpin/EyeEm/Getty Images
1. Bob’s Red Mill Potato Flakes
Best instant mashed potatoes overall
- Value: 18/20
- Ease of Use: 19/20
- Quality: 20/20
- Texture: 19/20
- Flavor: 20/20
TOTAL: 96/100
We were so impressed by this pick from Bob’s Red Mill, a brand that’s famous for its natural, whole-grain flours, baking mixes and cereals. Non-GMO, vegan dehydrated potatoes are the sole ingredient, and the flakes are great for so much more than mashed potatoes. They can be used in breads, soups, breading for poultry or fish and even as a thickener for sauce or gravy. But back to the mash: It turned out *so* ridiculously creamy. The potatoes may not be as tall or fluffy as some others on the list, but you truly won’t care once you taste their impeccably balanced, buttery flavor. And how about that mess-free resealable bag?
Whole Foods Market/Background: Rawin Tanpin/EyeEm/Getty Images
2. 365 By Whole Foods Market Original Instant Mashed Potatoes
Most like homemade
- Value: 18/20
- Ease of Use: 19/20
- Quality: 20/20
- Texture: 19/20
- Flavor: 18/20
TOTAL: 94/100
So, you want to use instant mashed potatoes to lighten your load on the biggest food holiday of the year…but you don’t want your guests to know. Look no further than this Whole Foods Market gem made from nothing but dehydrated potatoes. These spuds are light as air and pleasantly fluffy; they literally melt onto your tongue like a cloud. They’re not as creamy as Bob’s, but their firmer texture makes them great for scooping and serving, since the mounds will maintain their shape. Plus, the texture makes it look like you mashed them yourself, so your relatives will have no clue that you took a shortcut. Their flavor is very neutral (you may want to add a pinch of salt to the water, even though the recipe on the box doesn’t call for it), so they’d be easy to zhuzh up with herbs, spices, sour cream or bacon.
Amazon/Background: Rawin Tanpin/EyeEm/Getty Images
3. Hungry Jack Mashed Potatoes
Creamiest instant mashed potatoes
- Value: 19/20
- Ease of Use: 19/20
- Quality: 18/20
- Texture: 18/20
- Flavor: 17/20
TOTAL: 91/100
Looking for a silky, creamy mash that your guests will ask for seconds of? Hungry Jack (yup, like the pancake mix) has your back. Made from Idaho potatoes and a few preservatives, this gluten-free gem can feed up to 20 people in a matter of minutes. The mashed potatoes turned out super smooth, but were still fluffy enough to hold their shape on a plate. Their flavor is solid, nostalgic and satisfying, thanks to butter and a pinch of salt in the mix.
Amazon/Background: Rawin Tanpin/EyeEm/Getty Images
4. Idaho Spuds Classic Mashed Potatoes
Fluffiest instant mashed potatoes
- Value: 19/20
- Ease of Use: 19/20
- Quality: 18/20
- Texture: 18/20
- Flavor: 18/20
TOTAL: 92/100
If you’re all about Insta-worthy potato volcanos that are inches high and spouting a fountain of gravy, this sturdy pick by Idaho Spuds is for you. The ingredients are almost identical to Hungry Jack’s offering (both brands are produced by Basic American Foods), except it uses potato flakes instead of plain dehydrated potatoes. We found that the flakes gave the final product more volume and a chunkier, more voluminous texture. They also somehow taste more potato-y than Hungry Jack’s, which will trick your relatives into thinking you peeled and mashed them yourself.
Idahoan/Background: Rawin Tanpin/EyeEm/Getty Images
5. Idahoan Roasted Garlic And Parmesan Baby Reds Mashed Potatoes
Best flavored instant mashed potatoes
- Value: 18/20
- Ease of Use: 20/20
- Quality: 18/20
- Texture: 18/20
- Flavor: 19/20
TOTAL: 93/100
When you *really* don’t want to do any work, there’s no better choice than Idahoan’s packets of instant spuds. First of all, they only need boiling water to come together, so you won’t have to fuss with butter, milk or salt to make them. Secondly, if you buy a flavored variety, you won’t have to spike the mash with spices or herbs, since the work’s been done for you already. Most importantly, the mix is made with real Idaho potatoes (this one including baby reds) for authentic flavor and texture. This particular variety smells and tastes like real garlic and boasts Parmesan cheese’s signature sharp, salty flavor, but neither overpowers the spuds. The ingredients include dried garlic instead of roasted, but a touch of sugar in the mix mimics the caramelized quality of real roasted garlic. We also liked that there were chewy nubs of potato and bits of potato peel throughout the mash, which gave it a rustic look and feel.
Edward & Sons/Background: Rawin Tanpin/EyeEm/Getty Images
6. Edward & Sons Organic Homestyle Mashed Potatoes
Best organic instant mashed potatoes
- Value: 18/20
- Ease of Use: 19/20
- Quality: 20/20
- Texture: 18/20
- Flavor: 19/20
TOTAL: 94/100
Despite how expensive these are compared to others on this list (about 89 cents an ounce, to be exact), this mix from Edward & Sons tastes so damn good that it’s worth every penny. Its ingredients include organic potato flakes, organic onion powder, sea salt and organic black pepper, so you won’t need to season it yourself (unless you’d like to add herbs, sour cream or cheese). Its flavor is on the sweet side, almost like dumplings or gnocchi. The box only makes four servings of mash, but you may want to stock up and spoil your Thanksgiving guests instead of buying one big box of another brand. Its texture is on the fluffy side, and it doesn’t need much stirring to get there—be gentle when mixing in the potatoes because the mash thickens and congeals in a flash.
Amazon/Background: Rawin Tanpin/EyeEm/Getty Images
7. Betty Crocker Unflavored Mashed Potatoes
Best instant mashed potatoes for a crowd
- Value: 19/20
- Ease of Use: 19/20
- Quality: 18/20
- Texture: 17/20
- Flavor: 18/20
TOTAL: 91/100
You usually turn to Betty Crocker for cookies and cakes. But you can also lean on her for savory dishes (especially if you ever need to feed mashed potatoes to a few dozen people in five minutes flat). This massive box can make 34 servings of mashed potatoes. Not only is it great for feeding a crowd, but its preparation method is also a bit different from others on this list. The recipe on the box calls for the same amounts of butter and salt as its competitors, but less milk and more potato, making for an uber fluffy, extra buttery final product.
ALDI/Background: Rawin Tanpin/EyeEm/Getty Images
8. Aldi Chef’s Cupboard Instant Mashed Potatoes
Best value
- Value: 20/20
- Ease of Use: 19/20
- Quality: 18/20
- Texture: 18/20
- Flavor: 17/20
TOTAL: 92/100
We love a bargain, and we’re basically guaranteed to find one at ALDI. Their in-store brand, Chef’s Cupboard, makes a solid instant mashed potato mix, despite its low price. The potatoes’ buttery flavor shines through, but its flavor is still neutral enough that they’d be great to doctor up with flavorful mix-ins. The mash’s texture is equal parts creamy and fluffy, so everyone at the table will be satisfied regardless of their preferences. For $1.39, you can hook 20 guests up with a side of mashed potatoes—that comes out to only 7 cents per serving, meaning you can splurge on more important menu items…like cocktails.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tips for Making Instant Mashed Potatoes
Instant mashed potatoes are only as tasty as what goes in them. While you can easily make them with nothing but water, they'll be better if you substitute milk or broth. We'd also recommend using high-quality butter for richness, salt and flavor. Garlic (bonus points if it's roasted), miso, sour cream, cheese, chopped chives and fresh herbs are also great additions.
Do Restaurants Use Instant Mashed Potatoes?
Most restaurants use fresh spuds to make mashed potatoes. But some fast food chains and buffets use instant potatoes to prepare big batches in a fraction of the time, in order to keep up with demand.
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