Joseph Joseph Helix Potato Ricer: A Twist on Smooth Mash

You're ready to add the butter, but the potatoes still have stubborn little lumps. Mashing harder turns a simple side dish into one more job. The Joseph Joseph Helix potato ricer takes a different route: cooked potato goes into a perforated cup, then comes out in fine strands as you turn its two handles.

The useful twist is literal. Rather than closing a long hinged lever, you rotate the upper section into the lower one. For someone who wants smoother mash and dislikes a conventional ricer's squeezing motion, that is the reason to consider the Helix—not the promise of an effortless Thanksgiving dinner.

Twist the handles, not a long lever

The Helix has a stainless-steel basket and a separate pressing piece, with white nylon handles. Put cooked potato in the basket, align the two sections, and turn the handles toward each other over a bowl. The spiral mechanism moves the press downward, pushing the potato through the holes.

This changes how your hands work. Both hands take part in the rotation instead of bringing two hinged handles together. It is an appealing alternative motion, but it still requires grip and effort. Anyone who finds wrist rotation uncomfortable should not assume this design will be easier simply because it looks clever.

There is no motor, cord, or countertop base to set up. You can work over the bowl where you will finish the potatoes, then separate the pieces to reload. For a side dish made while the stove is crowded, keeping the tool in your hands has an obvious practical appeal.

Buy it for the texture you actually enjoy

A ricer makes the most sense when you want a smooth base rather than the small chunks a hand masher can leave behind. The Helix is intended for mashed potatoes and cooked vegetable purées. It is not a shortcut for crushing raw potatoes, and it does not cook anything for you.

Start with potatoes cooked until tender and drained well. Press them while warm, then fold in your butter and other ingredients without prolonged beating. Think of the ricer as the preparation step: it breaks the potatoes down, while your recipe and finishing technique still determine the final result.

That distinction matters when deciding whether to make room for it. For smooth mash beside roast chicken, or a topping you want to spread neatly over a pie, the extra step has a purpose. For deliberately rustic, chunky potatoes, the masher already in your drawer may be exactly right. You do not need a new tool just to make a different-looking version of a side dish you already like.

Two pieces make cleanup less awkward

A hinged ricer can leave you working around the joint while cleaning its basket. The Helix separates completely into two pieces, so you can reach the pressing surface and perforations directly. Both pieces are dishwasher-safe, according to Joseph Joseph.

Rinse away the potato residue before it dries into the holes, even when the dishwasher will handle the rest. Being able to hold the basket on its own is the useful part here; dishwasher-safe does not mean food remnants disappear without attention.

Storage deserves a quick check, too. The assembled tool measures about 10½ inches long and 3¾ inches wide. Its chunky basket takes more drawer space than a flat masher, so look at the available depth as well as the length. Separating it helps with cleaning, but does not make the basket fold flat.

Choose the white potato ricer, not another Helix

Joseph Joseph also sells Helix garlic and citrus presses. This white potato ricer, model 20100, is a separate product—not a three-tool set and not a press with interchangeable attachments for those jobs. Check that the selected style says Potato Ricer before buying.

Expect to load, press, and reload rather than process an entire pot at once. For frequent smooth mash in household-sized batches, the two-handed twist and removable basket make a persuasive combination. For occasional chunky mash, enormous batches, or hands that dislike twisting, keep the tool you know works comfortably.