Store-Bought Instant Mashed Potatoes Ranked From Worst To Best

We love mashed potatoes — who doesn't? What we don't love is making them. Making mashed potatoes from scratch takes a lot of time. You have to scrub, peel, boil, and strain the potatoes, then mash them with cream or milk and butter. The results are delicious, but who has time for that? Not us, and probably not you. 

Instant mashed potatoes may not be quite as tasty as the real thing, but they can come pretty close. Not only do we like the flavor of some varieties of instant mashed potatoes just fine, but we also absolutely love how quick and easy they are to prepare. For some varieties, all you have to do is add hot water. At most, you have to add hot water, butter, and milk. Preparing instant mashed potatoes takes no more than five minutes, making this the perfect side dish for a weeknight dinner. Save the real thing for Thanksgiving. 

In our experience, all varieties of instant mashed potatoes are equally easy to prepare but are not equally delicious. We tried 11 varieties of instant mashed potatoes available at the local grocery store to see which one would reign supreme. Here are the rankings, from worst to best.

Idahoan is a prominent brand of instant mashed potatoes. At our local grocery store, we found several flavors available in multiple sizes, from small pouches meant to feed one or two people to large family-sized bags. Unfortunately, most of the flavors fell flat, with Idahoan Loaded Baked Mashed Potatoes coming in dead last in our rankings.

The pouch of Idahoan Loaded Baked Mashed Potatoes claims that it is "Perfectly Blended with Sour Cream, Cheeses, Onion & Chives with the Taste of Butter and Bacon." However, a quick check of the ingredients shows that these potatoes contain no bacon or butter — good news if you are a vegetarian, but bad news if you were expecting bacon and butter flavor. The potatoes contain cheddar, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses, but the flavors do not come through. We really couldn't taste any of the toppings we'd expect in loaded baked potatoes.

What we could taste was salt. Just one serving of Idahoan Loaded Baked Mashed Potatoes provides 22% of the recommended daily value of salt. The other thing we could taste was not exactly a flavor, and we are not exactly sure what it was. Mixed throughout the potatoes are tiny, crunchy chunks of an unknown substance. Our best guess is that it's fake bacon bits, just without the bacon flavor. These mashed potatoes also have an unnatural orange color. Because of the orange color, strange texture, and salty flavor, this is our least favorite variety of instant mashed potatoes.

Like their loaded baked potato cousin, Idahoan Four Cheese Mashed Potatoes have an unnatural orange color that reminds us of the powdered cheese used on Doritos or Cheetos. Maybe that's what we should expect from dried, mashed potatoes with a long shelf life, but we still found it a little off-putting.

Idahoan Four Cheese Mashed potatoes contain four types of cheese: cheddar, bleu, Romano, and Parmesan. While the pouch proclaims that these four cheeses are "perfectly blended" with the potatoes, we didn't find that to be true. Despite the bright orange cheddar color of the potatoes, we could not pick up on a genuine cheese flavor at all. All we could taste was salt.

The reason we tasted so much salt is that each serving of these mashed potatoes provides 25% of the recommended daily value of sodium. The high salt content here is a point of concern. After all, one serving is only one-quarter cup dry, which we estimate to make about three-quarters of a cup prepared. The average adult could easily consume more than 50% of their recommended salt for the day with one side dish. According to the American Heart Association, nine out of 10 Americans consume too much salt, and most of it comes from restaurant foods and processed foods such as instant mashed potatoes. Consuming too much salt can put you at risk for a variety of health conditions including high blood pressure, heart failure, stroke, osteoporosis, and kidney stones.

We were really looking forward to trying Betty Crocker Sweet Potato mashed potatoes. Not everyone loves sweet potatoes, but we do, and we had never seen instant mashed sweet potatoes before. Unfortunately, not only did we not love these mashed sweet potatoes, but we didn't even like them very much because of their overly sweet flavor and watery texture.

The overwhelming flavor of these mashed sweet potatoes is brown sugar. Eating one spoonful is almost like eating a spoonful of sugar. Of course, sweet potatoes should be sweet, but this is too much. One serving of Betty Crocker Sweet Potato mashed potatoes contains 9 grams of sugar, including 7 grams of added sugar. According to Healthline, added sugars can cause weight gain as well as increase your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.

The other downside of these mashed sweet potatoes is the liquidy texture. Although we followed the instructions when preparing them, our potatoes came out very runny. We made things worse by adding extra milk to dilute the too-sweet flavor. Either way, the texture was more like a thin soup than mashed potatoes.

One thing Betty Crocker got right with these mashed sweet potatoes is the color. The bright orange hue of these potatoes is natural, just what we would expect if we mashed actual sweet potatoes ourselves. If Betty Crocker could cut back on the sugar and find a way to thicken these potatoes, we would try them again.

Like so many of the other Idahoan mashed potato varieties we sampled, Idahoan Roasted Garlic Mashed potatoes are super salty, which really takes away from the garlic flavor. One serving of these garlic mashed potatoes provides 24% of the recommended daily value for sodium. On the bright side, unlike some of the cheesy flavors of Idahoan mashed potatoes, these garlic mashed potatoes have a natural color, and the texture is just fine. Plus, all you have to do is add boiling water. These instant mashed potatoes could not be easier to prepare.

Garlic provides several health benefits, so eating Idahoan Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes might boost your health. According to Healthline, consuming garlic may lower your blood pressure, improve your cholesterol levels, guard against Alzheimer's disease and dementia, and even increase the total length of your life. Of course, you might be better off increasing your garlic consumption in other ways, such as cooking with fresh garlic or taking a garlic supplement.

Baby red potatoes are one of our favorite types of potatoes, so we were looking forward to trying Idahoan Baby Reds Mashed Potatoes. When preparing mashed red potatoes from scratch, you do not have to peel them. Because the skin is so soft, it adds a nice rustic flavor. We were curious to see how this played out in instant mashed potatoes. Sadly, we were disappointed.

The rustic flavor we were expecting from the red potatoes simply did not come through. There were bits and pieces of red potato skin throughout the mashed potatoes, but they were hard and crunchy, even though we followed the directions for adding hot water and allowing the potatoes to soak it up. Maybe the skins would soften if they sat in the hot water for longer, but that kind of defeats the purpose of instant mashed potatoes.

Although these instant mashed potatoes have a more natural color than some of the other Idahoan mashed potatoes we tried (no funky orange color here), the flavor is still overly salty. Each serving of Idahoan Baby Reds Mashed Potatoes provides 16% of the recommended daily value for sodium. The overwhelming flavor is salt, not baby red potatoes.

Of all the varieties of Idahoan instant mashed potatoes we tried, Butter & Herb Mashed Potatoes came out on top. This flavor tastes a lot like the Baby Reds Mashed Potatoes but without the crunchy red potato skins — definitely an improvement.

According to the ingredients list, these mashed potatoes do contain actual butter, but it is the 14th out of 15 ingredients. Any buttery flavor that comes through is probably from the vegetable oil, whey, buttermilk powder, and nonfat milk that are higher up on the list. As for the herbs in the Butter & Herb Mashed Potatoes, we see just one on the ingredients list: parsley. It is also pretty far down on the list, right before butter. Still, the parsley is clearly visible in the prepared mashed potatoes, and the little green flecks add a nice visual touch.

Like other Idahoan mashed potato varieties, the Butter & Herb Mashed Potatoes are high in salt, providing 23% of the recommended daily value for sodium. They are also slightly higher in fat than some of the other varieties we sampled, most likely because of the butter and oil used to create a buttery flavor. One serving of these mashed potatoes provides 4% of the daily value for total fat and 10% of the daily value for saturated fat. According to MedlinePlus, saturated fat can increase your risk of heart disease and weight gain. Watch your portion size when choosing Idahoan Butter & Herb Mashed Potatoes.

Bob's Red Mill Potato Flakes Instant Mashed Potatoes are exactly what they sound like: dried and flaked potatoes. The ingredients list isn't even a list because there is only one ingredient: dehydrated potatoes. While we found that these mashed potatoes were incredibly bland, that's not always a bad thing. Because they contain no added flavorings, Bob's Red Mill Potato Flakes Instant Mashed Potatoes are the perfect base for other potato recipes.

Obviously, you can use these potato flakes to make instant mashed potatoes. Simply follow the instructions on the package and add butter, salt, cold milk, and hot water for classic mashed potatoes. You can also take things up a notch by adding shredded cheese, sour cream, crumbled bacon, or gravy. Use cream or half-and-half for a creamier flavor or use non-dairy milk if you are vegan or lactose-intolerant.

Plain instant mashed potatoes also work well in soup recipes. Make an easy potato soup by sautéing an onion, then adding instant mashed potatoes and chicken stock. Adjust the volume of liquid based on your texture preference. You can also add potato flakes to other soups to thicken the broth without dramatically changing the flavor.

Compared to other brands we tested, the instant mashed potatoes from Bob's Red Mill are lower in calories, with only 70 calories per serving, and they contain no salt or sugar. These mashed potatoes are the best choice for anyone watching their salt, fat, or sugar intake.

Edward & Sons is a new brand to us, and its homestyle mashed potatoes are surprisingly tasty. The overall flavor is solid, although the texture is a little bit off. These instant mashed potatoes might work better as a recipe component than they do as a stand-alone side dish. For example, they would be perfect as a topping for shepherd's pie or for thickening soups.

We found the texture of Edward & Sons Organic Mashed Potatoes Homestyle to be a little bit gummy and the flavor a little bit bland, but neither of these complaints really takes away from the overall good quality of this product. These mashed potatoes are not at all salty, which means you can add your own salt and pepper to taste. We much prefer adding salt to slightly bland mashed potatoes than starting off with overly salty potatoes that can't be fixed.

Edward & Sons is the only brand of organic mashed potatoes that we tried. The verdict is still out as to whether organic foods are healthier than conventionally grown foods, but they do provide certain benefits. According to the Mayo Clinic, organic produce may have higher levels of nutrients such as antioxidants and lower levels of contaminants such as pesticide residue.

For all the garlic lovers out there, these mashed potatoes are for you. Of the three varieties of garlic instant mashed potatoes we tried, Edward & Sons Organic Mashed Potatoes Roasted Garlic have the strongest garlic flavor. We could smell the garlic as soon as we opened the package. Thankfully, the garlic flavor is not overpowering, so you can eat these potatoes without worrying about your breath.

Like Edward & Sons Organic Mashed Potatoes Homestyle, these potatoes have a nice flavor that is not at all salty. Still, the texture is a little bit gummy, which is why they came in third in our ranking and not second. However, the gummy texture does not detract from the overall good taste. These garlic mashed potatoes are a solid side dish that would pair well with pork chops, chicken, or any other meat-based main course, or even with a vegan meat alternative.

Betty Crocker Roasted Garlic mashed potatoes are close to the top spot on our worst-to-best list of instant mashed potatoes. These mashed potatoes have a creamy texture and a great flavor that has the perfect amount of garlic — just enough for the taste to come through, but not so much as to overpower the potatoes. These mashed potatoes are not at all salty and have a slightly buttery flavor, even though they contain just vegetable oil, no butter. Even with the oil, the fat content here is low. One serving contains just 2 grams of total fat when prepared with hot water and nonfat milk. Adding butter, of course, increases the fat content.

Garlic contains many chemical compounds that positively affect your health, and adding roasted garlic to mashed potatoes is a great way to eat more garlic. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the sulfur compound in garlic, allicin, provides many health benefits. For example, eating garlic may lower your risk of colon cancer. But you don't really need a health-conscious reason to eat Betty Crocker Roasted Garlic mashed potatoes. They are so tasty, you'll want to eat them just because they are delicious.

Topping our ranking of store-bought instant mashed potatoes is Betty Crocker Creamy Butter. These instant mashed potatoes have a creamy flavor and a soft texture and were quick and easy to prepare. We would eat these with any weeknight meal and would even feel comfortable serving them to someone else (maybe not for Thanksgiving, but definitely for an average dinner). We couldn't ask for more from an instant mashed potato.

These mashed potatoes taste genuinely buttery, which is surprising because they contain no actual butter. The buttery flavor comes from vegetable oil. In spite of the oil, Betty Crocker Creamy Butter mashed potatoes are still low in fat, with just 2 grams of total fat and no saturated fat per serving when prepared with only water and non-fat milk. Preparing them with full-fat milk and butter changes the fat content, so keep your dietary and health needs in mind when preparing them.

Of all 11 varieties of instant mashed potatoes we sampled, Betty Crocker Creamy Butter mashed potatoes come the closest in flavor and texture to genuine mashed potatoes. And considering that they take just five minutes to come together, we would choose them in a heartbeat over the real deal almost any day.