>In the interest of full fairness while writing this review, I purchased a plastic cup of my dad’s currently favored “Buttery Homestyle” Idahoan brand instant mashed potatoes for $1.99. The preparation was extraordinarily efficient; the aroma was decent; the taste was a reasonable facsimile; but the texture was all wrong - a smothering paste that coated my mouth and constrained my tongue like a straightjacket. 3/10 would not buy again.
I substitute warm heavy cream for half the water and add extra butter which gets me to a 6/10. Mix in some cabbage or kale and you have a quick Colcannon.
yeah some of the instant ones aren't half bad, especially if you're not just using them as mashed potatoes with gravy, but in a pinch i can throw together a reasonably hearty and savory shepherd's pie with instant, including the peaks. Heavy cream definitely helps, and get lots of air in, if possible.
obviously real potatoes taste better, but they haven't been dehydrated and reconstituted, destroying the cell structures. probably.