The best instant mashed potatoes you can buy in the UK (top 5)
There is nothing quite like comfort food to give you that warm, fuzzy feeling, but the issue with so many of our favourite comfort foods is that they're often quite difficult to make from scratch. Take, for instance, mashed potatoes - it's so beautifully creamy and rich. but it takes a lot of elbow grease to make mashed potatoes properly.
Idahoan Perfect Mash Cheddar Cheese
If we're in the mood for the ultimate comfort mashed potatoes, then the Idahoan Cheddar Cheese Instant Perfect Mash is our go-to choice. Made using real potatoes grown in Idaho, USA (where apparently the volcanic soil and mountain water make for ideal potato growing conditions), this product tastes so good that you'd struggle to believe it's instant mashed potatoes and not the real thing. But as you can see from the packaging, this is mashed potatoes with a twist - the cheddar cheese flavour, which comes from real cheese, is so decadent and moreish. We're really impressed with this product, learn more and buy it here - sainsburys.co.uk
Smash
When you read the title of this post, we imagine that there is a good chance that the first brand you thought of was Smash, as this brand is probably the most popular instant mashed potatoes brand in the UK. Although we don't think Smash is quite as tasty as the Idahoan products, we do have to say that we were really impressed by Smash and we enjoyed it a lot more than we thought we would. We were also impressed to see that Smash is made using real potatoes and that the ingredients were really simple and straightforward. In terms of the potato itself, it isn't quite as creamy as some of the others we tried for this guide, but that's actually a positive, especially if you're looking for an ideal mash to serve with gravy. Learn more and buy it here - tesco.com
Asda Instant Mash Potato
Asda is definitely one of the better supermarkets for own-brand food, so we weren't at all surprised by the high quality of the Asda Instant Mash Potato. Made using real potatoes and a hint of rosemary, as well as without any artificial colours or flavours, we were really impressed with this taste of this product. It was also super quick to make, with mashed potatoes ready to eat in just 1 minute. Learn more and buy it here - groceries.asda.com
Tesco Plain Instant Mash Potato
We didn't quite like the Tesco Plain Instant Mash Potato as much as the aforementioned product from Asda, but it was still good and at £1 for a packet which will serve 4, it's very good value. It's made with real potatoes and is exactly as it says on the packet - a very plain-tasting mash. But that's actually quite good, because it means you can get creative with it and add your own flavour to it. We'd definitely recommend adding a bit more butter and milk to it so it becomes a bit creamier, plus a pinch of salt and pepper. Learn more and buy it here - tesco.com
Idahoan Perfect Mash Buttery
We're obviously big fans of the Cheddar Cheese Perfect Mash from Idahoan, but if you're looking for something a bit simpler but which is still delicious, then we'd recommend going for the Perfect Mash Buttery product instead. Just as with the other Idahoan instant mash, this product is made using real potatoes from Idaho, but is much simpler in terms of taste. It really does live up to its name though - this instant mash is really buttery and creamy, which we love. Learn more and buy it here - amazon.co.uk
We hope this guide helps you to find some delicious instant mashed potatoes. Let us know if you've tried any of these or if you have any other recommendations for us to check out. If you want to read guides about other instant products, check out our guide to the best instant coffee we've tried and the best instant noodles we've tried.
Finn H
Finn is the editor of You Well and has been writing about travel, health, and more for over 10 years.