If, like me, you learned to mash potatoes with one of those mashers that looks like a thick wire bent back and forth, you probably don't like mashing potatoes by hand. The wire tools don't work very well. This masher does! Spray it with a little non-stick spray, mash a few time, and yum. This is definitely the tool to mash potatoes by hand. I avoided making mashed potatoes before I learned about this type of masher, now I make them frequently. It's small price to pay for a tool that really works.