The Brand Of Instant Mashed Potatoes We Ranked The Best Tastes As Good As Homemade

Mashed potatoes are easily one of the best comfort foods out there. And sometimes you just want a delicious bowl of it without having to put in any of the work that comes with making the dish at home. This is where a box of instant mashed potatoes comes in — but some of those store-bought options are better than others. To help you pick out the brand that is going to taste the closest to homemade, Daily Meal tasted and ranked eight brands of instant mashed potatoes. Our favorite option? 365 by Whole Foods Market Instant Mashed Potatoes.

While going through the ranking process, our tester considered the taste, texture, and smell, with each batch of potatoes — after making them according to the box instructions, only seasoning with a bit of salt and pepper. With all that in mind, 365's instant mashed potatoes were a hit.

The tester found them to be "light and fluffy, with a smooth, creamy mouthfeel" — and, overall, very similar to what you would get with homemade mashed potatoes. Further, the taste was creamy, rich, and potato-y with a "warm and buttery" smell. All in all, the 365 by Whole Foods Market Instant Mashed Potatoes are basically as close to a homemade taste as you're going to get without, well, making buttery mashed potatoes at home.

If you want your instant mashed potatoes to taste somewhat like they were made from scratch, then you'll need to start with the best brand — which is 365 by Whole Foods, according to our taste testers. Beyond the store-bought box, however, there are other things that you can do to upgrade the instant mashed potatoes. With just a few extra add-ins, you can serve them at a dinner party, and your guests may not even be able to tell the difference.

For example, we have a whole list of ingredients that will make your instant mashed potatoes taste way better. These additions include cheese (such as cheddar or gruyere) for extra flavor, as well as brown butter for an infusion of sweet, nutty richness. Other delicious options include bacon, roasted garlic, or fresh herbs. Or, if you're someone who likes a kick of spice, mix in a bit of chili powder or cayenne pepper. With the right pairings, you'll end up with an extra flavorful dish — that once started with just an instant mashed potato mix. 

But before you add any extra ingredients, you'll notice that many boxes of instant mashed potatoes call for you to add water — some require just water, while others may instruct you to add water alongside butter and/or milk. You can replace the water for something like chicken broth, which will make the dish richer overall, especially when combined with milk. And speaking of the dairy product, it's best to use whole milk — again, the richer taste, the better.