Food mill can't handle potatoes?

[pcieluck]

I just bought a food mill that I can't keep from falling appart simply trying to mill a potato. Tried different sized dices, definitely soft enough. It just keeps making mash potatoes into the bottom of the mill and eventually falling apart. Am I friggin stupid or is this thing a useless piece of junk?

 

[kyheirloomer]

What sort of mill did you get, and how are you using it? I've used Foleys for years, and never had a problem.

Frankly, for mashed spuds I much prefer a ricer. And I start with baked potatoes rather than boiled. But that's a different issue.

 

[chefedb]

A good food mill or ricer  has no bottom, whatever is being processed, goes into something else

 

[kyheirloomer]

Ed, my impression is that the OP is getting a build-up in the hopper, and not pushing the potatoes through the screen, and, eventually, the torquing pressure cause the mill to dissassemble.

This would indicate, to me, that either the mill isn't assembled properly, or that the handle is being turned in the wrong direction. Or, maybe, the mill is just defective. That last is the least likely, seems to me, because there aren't a whole lot of parts, and not much to go awry.

 

[byrdie]

I've seen a food mill break down from milling potatoes.  That was a piece of junk, though.  The restaurant, later, bought a better one and never had a problem since.

Frankly, for mashed spuds I much prefer a ricer. And I start with baked potatoes rather than boiled. But that's a different issue.

When I made mashed potatoes from baked potatoes for my mother in law, she looked at me funny. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif  It was a good day.

 

[pcieluck]

yeah i was looking at the ricer, but i figured the food mill would be more versatile.  Hierloomer is right on the money, but i'm certain that it's assembled correctly and that I'm turning it the right direction. It seems like just the spring is way too weak, and that the whole thing is probably too small to do much of anything. Thing only coasted $10. I'll probably take it back and get a drum sieve. doesn't get more versatile than that. 

 

[kyheirloomer]

A good food mill can be very versatile, it's true. But a ricer does the job a little differently. No reason not to have both.

I mostly use my foley mills for "saucing." That is, I run things like cooked pomme fruits and tomatoes through it, so as to recover the pulp and juice, but leave the seeds and skins behind. For making mashes, though, I find the ricer does a better job, even though its size leaves a lot to be desired.