Do you expect mashed potatoes to have be smooth or lumpy?

[Atomic Playboy]

Those wire ones can kill my ass.

That sounds like quite the dangerous potato masher.

 

[ockky]

everyone knows it's not how smooth or lumpy they are, it's all about the gravy!

 

[JulesMaximus]

Doesn't really matter to me as long as they aren't from a box.

 

[xanis]

Smooth and creamy. Lumpy mashed potatoes are nasty.

 

[CraigRT]

I like 'em creamy and smooth.
I can take the lumps though. Hah.

 

[etrigan420]

Doesn't really matter to me as long as they aren't from a box.

This. My Thanksgiving plate is usually just a conglomeration of everything available mixed together, so the consistency of the potato(e)s isn't really that important to me.

 

[iGas]

mine looks like this:

Same as mine.

 

[Gothgar]

In between "lumpy" and smooth as cream

There needs to be a good texture to them, but not loads of lumps in there, that is nasty

 

[Jumpem]

Smooth. I view lumps as a sign of the preparer being too lazy to spend time on the potatoes.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

My wife makes them both ways -- super smooth and sometimes chunky/lumpy style like the quote below. I like them both.

Lumpy, with skin still in them, and made using heavy cream.

 

[jteef]

i peel the skin off of about 3/4 of the potatoes before i boil. while they're draining, i start up some butter and minced garlic; add the potatoes back to the pot, mash with a grid masher; add cream cheese, and then go at it with a fork in a whipping motion for several minutes.

 

[guyver01]

Mix in cream cheese

add cream cheese

why are you people adding cream cheese?

 

[HeXen]

i prefer specific brands of instant over homemade.

 

[Brigandier]

why are you people adding cream cheese?

It adds a certain je ne sais quoi.

 

[biostud]

I don't care as long as it's homemade.

 

[guyver01]

It adds a certain je ne sais quoi.

by je ne sais quoi... you mean.. it covers up the fact the cook has no tastebuds and cant discern flavors?

 

[IGemini]

by je ne sais quoi... you mean.. it covers up the fact the cook has no tastebuds and cant discern flavors?

It makes it richer.

Not just cream cheese, but things like heavy cream or half&half does something similar over just using milk.

 

[jteef]

It makes it richer.

Not just cream cheese, but things like heavy cream or half&half does something similar over just using milk.

this; if you're just using potatoes, salt and milk, your product is not going to be very distinguishable from boxed varieties.

 

[SaDiZTiKStyLeZ]

Smooth.
If it has lumps, it should be very soft.

 

[Matthiasa]

this; if you're just using potatoes, salt and milk, your product is not going to be very distinguishable from boxed varieties.

Yes they would be... Its very easy to tell the difference even with just that.
It's only once you start adding stuff that it gets harder to tell since its being covered up.

 

[sleepeeg3]

Whipping breaks down the starch and turns them into glue. Lumps for me.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

I prefer some lumps although it's probably more because the instant potatoes I've had were terrible tasting + smooth and I associate the taste with smoothness now.

 

[440sixpack]

Some lumps and skin but not too much, I'm not looking to eat something that has the consistency of concrete.

 

[Imp]

Smooth, close to having the consistency of water.

Whatever the hell they use in frozen dinners (pre-processed, dried, powder/flakes), I like.

 

[Newbian]

Slightly lumpy as you can not really get all of them out of homemade unless you use a powered mixer but if they are smooth it should still be thick like the lumpy ones are.

As long as it has decent flavor with milk and butter added and not big chucks of bland potatoes it's all good.