There are countless delicious ways to prepare a simple potato: fried, scalloped, baked, boiled, roasted—I could go on as enthusiastically as Bubba did about shrimp in Forrest Gump. But one of the most universally loved potato dishes has to be mashed potatoes.
This buttery, starchy side pairs perfectly with comfort foods like fried chicken, braised short ribs, or Thanksgiving turkey. But let’s be honest: making mashed potatoes from scratch can be time-consuming and tedious. When you want a platter of creamy, fluffy potatoes on the table with minimal effort, instant mashed potatoes offer an easy, convenient alternative.
Instant mashed potatoes are typically made from dehydrated potato flakes or granules that you mix with boiling water, although some varieties also call for milk and butter. Today’s shoppers have plenty of instant potato brands to choose from, but is one truly better than the others? To find out, I set out to taste-test every brand I could find at nearby grocery stores, including Idahoan, Betty Crocker, Mountain Harvest, Great Value (Walmart’s store brand), and Chef’s Cupboard (Aldi’s store brand).
Some of these brands offer a wide variety of mashed potato flavors, but I opted for the plain versions to ensure a fair comparison. I prepared each one on the stovetop, following the package directions, and rated them on flavor and consistency.
Though I generally prefer homemade mashed potatoes, one brand stood out as significantly better than the rest. Here’s my ranking of instant mashed potato brands, from least favorite to the very best.
Chef's Cupboard Buttery Mashed Potatoes
Nutrition (Per serving, about 1/2 cup of prepared potatoes):
- Calories: 110
- Fat: 2.5 g (Saturated Fat: 1 g)
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Carbs: 20 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 1 g)
- Protein: 2 g
These private-label instant mashed potatoes from Aldi only require boiling water for preparation. I bought a four-ounce package for $1.05.
Appearance:
Chef's Cupboard mashed potatoes begin as fine granules, similar in texture to grated parmesan cheese. But after mixing with boiling water, they transform into a smooth, lump-free consistency.
Taste:
Overwhelmingly buttery—but not in a good way. Although I usually love buttery mashed potatoes, the intense butter flavor here completely masked the actual potato taste. Despite the strong buttery notes, the potatoes were oddly bland and desperately needed a few extra pinches of salt and pepper. The texture, though mostly smooth, also had a slightly gummy quality.
Idahoan Classic Mashed Potatoes
Nutrition (Per serving, about 3/5 cup prepared potatoes):
- Calories: 110
- Fat: 2.5 g (Saturated Fat: 1.5 g)
- Sodium: 490 mg
- Carbs: 20 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 1 g)
- Protein: 2 g
Idahoan’s Classic Mashed Potatoes require just one ingredient: hot water. A four-ounce bag cost me $1.69.
Appearance:
Like the Chef's Cupboard version, these instant potatoes started as fine granules that rehydrated in boiling water. Once prepared, they had a surprisingly thick texture and looked the most like homemade mashed potatoes of all the options I tried. However, as they cooled, the texture became progressively drier and lumpier.
Taste:
Many of the same issues I found with the Chef's Cupboard potatoes were also present in the Idahoan version. The buttery flavor was overpowering, yet they were still underseasoned. While the texture was closer to homemade, I found myself wishing they were creamier. The slightly better consistency earned Idahoan a higher spot than Chef’s Cupboard, but I wouldn’t repurchase these unless I needed a quick, easy side in a pinch.
Great Value Instant Mashed Potatoes
Nutrition (Per serving, about 1/2 cup prepared potatoes):
- Calories: 140
- Fat: 7 g (Saturated Fat: 4 g)
- Sodium: 230 mg
- Carbs: 18 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 2 g)
- Protein: 3 g
Great Value Instant Mashed Potatoes require water, milk, optional salt, and margarine or butter for preparation. I bought a nine-ounce box for $1.32.
Appearance:
Unlike the fine granules from Idahoan and Chef's Cupboard, Great Value’s dried potatoes came as larger, recognizable flakes. Initially, I worried the flakes might result in a lumpy texture, but they blended surprisingly well with the hot liquid, creating a fairly smooth consistency.
Taste:
Extremely bland and slightly gummy. Even with added butter, milk, and salt, these were among the least flavorful in the taste test. I even tried an extra pinch of salt, but it didn’t improve things. Despite these shortcomings, I ranked them in the middle because I prefer bland mashed potatoes over those with an overpowering buttery taste. Just be prepared to add your own seasonings to bring these up to par if you choose the Great Value brand.
Mountain Harvest Mashed Potatoes
Nutrition (Per serving, about 1/2 cup prepared potatoes):
- Calories: 150
- Fat: 7 g (Saturated Fat: 4 g)
- Sodium: 370 mg
- Carbs: 19 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 2 g)
- Protein: 3 g
Mountain Harvest Mashed Potatoes are prepared with water, salt, milk, and butter or margarine. I purchased a 13.75-ounce box for $2.99.
Appearance:
Before rehydration, Mountain Harvest’s instant potato flakes closely resembled the Great Value variety. Once mixed with water, milk, salt, and butter, they turned into a creamy, spoonable mash with a slight sheen on top.
Taste:
On the first bite, these tasted quite similar to the Great Value potatoes—meaning they were fairly bland when prepared according to the instructions. However, I ranked them higher because a simple pinch of extra salt significantly improved the flavor. Although they aren’t very flavorful on their own, they respond well to a bit of seasoning, making them easier to enhance than the Great Value version.
Betty Crocker's Creamy Butter Mashed Potatoes
Nutrition (Per serving, about 2/3 cup prepared potatoes):
- Calories: 190
- Fat: 10 g (Saturated Fat: 6 g)
- Sodium: 510 mg
- Carbs: 20 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 2 g)
- Protein: 3 g
Betty Crocker’s Creamy Butter Mashed Potatoes can be prepared with just water or a combination of water, milk, and butter. I chose the milk and butter option, and a 4-ounce bag cost me $1.39.
Appearance:
The dried potato granules were fine, similar to the Idahoan and Chef’s Cupboard varieties. After mixing with water, milk, and butter, they transformed into a smooth, creamy, slightly fluffy mash with a nice shine.
Taste:
While not amazing, Betty Crocker’s version was clearly a step above the rest. Unlike the other options, which were either bland or overly buttery, this mash was decently creamy, buttery, and well-seasoned. My only issue was with the texture—it was a bit gummy and slightly granular. Still, for under $1.50 and just a few minutes of prep, these mashed potatoes were surprisingly satisfying. Though homemade will always be my favorite, Betty Crocker will be my go-to choice for instant mashed potatoes in a pinch.