AS simple as the dish sounds, preparing the perfect mashed potatoes isn't that easy, with countless of things that could potentially ruin the signature taste and texture.
For those who cannot imagine their dinner without the perfect side dish, the TikTok-famous Michelin star chef, Poppy O'Toole, shared the five key steps to follow that will step up your game.
Step one, according to her, is cutting the spuds into even rounds – whilst many just tend to chuck whole potatoes in the pot, chopping them evenly will cut down the cooking time.
When it comes to cooking, Poppy insisted that you should always put them in cold water first rather than boiling and add a generous spoonful of salt.
''Number three, make sure you steam-dry your potatoes – so just put a tea towel on them.
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''This,'' she said, ''Will make them nice and dry and extra fluffy.''
Another key ingredient to the ultimate mash is cream or milk, which gives the potatoes a velvety texture that melts.
According to the chef, who recently launched her cooking book, Poppy Cooks : The Food You Need, it is vital you heat up the cream before adding it to the potatoes.
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This is because it will mix better, she explained.
''Number five, add your butter to your spuds before you start passing them through a sieve.
''A sieve or a ricer makes your mash less stodgy than a masher,'' Poppy shared a bonus tip.
''These five tips will change your mashed potato game forever.''
However, despite the hacks, not everyone was impressed, with one critical comment reading: ''Bet this is delicious but honestly way too much hassle for me, can barely be bothered to cook at all to be honest.''
Someone else said: ''no one sieves mash,'' with a second adding: ''no need for the heavily table salted water.''
But it wasn't all negative, as there was plenty of positive feedback, for example: ''I sieved potatoes instead of mashing them and it was genuinely the best decision of my life.''
A supportive fan wrote: ''I truly don't understand the negativity in here wow!
''If I'm going to cook food, I want it to taste the best it can so I can enjoy it to its fullest.''
A viewer joked: ''Been cooking my potatoes in cold water for 3 days.
''Still not cooked. Sons crying. Please advise.''
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