Have you lost your masher somewhere? Or did it break out of nowhere?
No worries; we have you covered! We present you today with multiple different methods to mash your beans. Some of them are easy to apply; others require a little patience.
However, in the end, we can guarantee that at least one of these options will work for you.
You don’t have to own sophisticated equipment; we will show you how to mash your beans with tools as simple as a mug!
Let’s see what this is all about.
1 – Use a Blender
The blender is one of the easiest and most efficient tools to turn just about anything into smaller particles. Use a food blender if you want a quicker alternative to a masher.
If your blender has that option, set it to a medium or “grinder” setting. Put in ¼ to ½ cup of beans at a time and start blending.
Since blenders tend to be pretty fast, use them for about two or three seconds, then stop to see if you’ve reached your desired consistency.
2 – Use a Food Processor
The blender’s brother. You should find either of those, if not both, in most kitchens.
There isn’t much to be said here; just like the blender, keep using the processor in increments of three seconds until you reach the consistency you need.
3 – Try a Rolling Pin
Rolling pins are another alternative to mashers. Simply spread your beans on the rolling board, and keep going back and forth till you reach the consistency you need.
This process is a bit exhausting, and some beans might get more mashed than others. If you notice that some of your beans have reached the texture you want, take them off the table before you continue.
Consider placing your beans inside a durable clear bag to make the process easier. This prevents your beans from spreading around.
When the beans are inside the bag, it makes the mashing process much faster and easier.
4 – Fork them!
Forks are just great; you can eat with them, cut with them, or slice with them. They do everything to some extent.
A good sturdy fork can help you mash your beans when you don’t have a masher. Of course, it will take a bit more time, but in the end, you still get your job done without a masher.
Simply put your beans inside a stainless steel mixing bowl and start mashing. Your strokes should be firm but without impacting force. You don’t want to hit the bowl too hard and risk breaking it.
5 – Mortar and Pestle
We can’t mention mashing and crushing something without mentioning the trusty mortar and pestle.
You don’t even need the mortar; you can simply spread your beans over a wooden board and use the pestle to mash them into any shape you like.
Your beans might slip away from you, but you can mash a large quantity in one go.
On the other hand, keeping the mortar is much more convenient since beans tend to slide away on flat surfaces.
In this case, the beans will be controlled in place and easier to mash, but you’ll be limited to how much the mortar can take at one time.
6 – Garlic Press
A garlic press is essentially a masher for garlic. It’s not ideal for beans because its mashing surface is curved, and it tends to push the beans rather than mash them.
This could be a little frustrating, but garlic presses can still be used to replace mashers if needed.
To reduce the accidental slide of beans, try to position them directly under the middle part of the curve before pushing down on them, then start rolling the press.
7 – Hammer Them!
Yes, you heard that right. You can use a hammer to mash the beans into whatever consistency you like. To avoid breaking something, place the beans on a wooden block before hammering them.
The crushing surface of a hammer is small, which makes this method a bit impractical if you have a large quantity—however, the bigger the hammer, the quicker the process.
The hits shouldn’t be fast, but they should be stern. It may take time, but can we use a hammer to mash beans at the end of the line? The answer is yes.
8 – Use a Mug
Who could have thought that you could mash something with a mug? Here’s what you need to do to make that happen.
Simply heat the beans for around 30 seconds in the microwave oven, then place the beans in a bowl.
Hold the mug from its top, and use its bottom to squeeze down against the beans. This method is surprisingly effective because every time you mash some beans, the slope of the bowl throws in new ones.
However, be gentle and don’t use sudden force to avoid breaking either the mug or the bowl.
9 – Use a Mincer
A mincer can mince anything placed inside it, and beans are no exception. You can use either an electric or hand mincer to get the job one.
It’s pretty straightforward; place the beans inside the mincer and let it grind. Keep in mind that you may need to put the beans inside the mincer again if you need a mushier consistency.
This method is quick, and it won’t exhaust you, but cleaning the mincer after that process is not going to be fun.
10 – Try a Hand Mixer
Hand mixers could help you mash your beans to a certain degree. Simply place your beans in the mixing bowl and start mixing.
We recommend using the balloon whisk for the process since it has many arms. The more arms you have, the more you’ll crush and mash the beans.
That being said, any whisk attachment will still get the job done. It might just take a bit longer.
Additionally, make sure that your bowl has high edges because using this method might cause some splatter.
11 – Use a Potato Ricer
Who said Potato ricers are just for potatoes? This is your kitchen, and you get to decide what to do.
Put the beans inside the potato ricer and just press as hard as you can. The beans will come out through the holes in the ricer.
This method is effective but exhausting. You’ll most likely end up with a fatigued wrist, especially if you’re making a large quantity.
But in the end, it works!
12 – Use a Mezzaluna
If you’re not familiar with the name, a mezzaluna is a double-handed curved chopping knife. This knife works best with a cutting board made of wood.
The mezzaluna is mainly designed to finely chop down vegetables and herbs. But theoretically, just like any knife, it can cut anything.
With the right amount of patience, you can use a mezzaluna to mash down your beans into any consistency you like.
This method can be a bit frustrating, and it’s not ideal if you have too many beans to mash. But just like any tool on our list, it can get the job done.
13 – Try Stomping on Your Beans!
We’re not joking, but we’re also not irrational. Have you ever heard about grape-stomping? We’re going to assume that you have no tools lying around whatsoever, and we’ll resort to squeezing them with your feet.
Unlike grape-stomping, your beans should be in a clear plastic bag, and you should only use your heel pads to mash the beans.
This is like our last resort if you have nothing to work with at all. Does it work? Yes, it does. Is it the best solution? Nowhere as near!
14 – Combine Different Tools
The chances of you having only one of everything we mentioned are low. Most of the time, you would have plenty of those lying around.
Quick solutions like blenders and processors don’t need much thought, but what if you have multiple slower solutions? Combine them together to make things faster!
Heat the beans in a microwave for 30 seconds, place them in a clear plastic bag, then spread them on a wooden block. Mash them using a rolling pin, then use a fork to selectively grind on unmashed areas.
Next, put them in a bowl and use that mug to squeeze them down as much as you can.
You can combine anything you have to get the desired result. In the end, our kitchens are probably full of tools we don’t even use.
Beans Will Be Mashed!
There you have it—14 different ways to mash your beans even without expensive tools. Nothing is quicker than a simple mashed bean meal.
You could use simple things starting with a fork or a mug, all the way up to blenders and food processors. You could also use nothing at all but a plastic bag and your feet!
In the kitchen, there is no such thing as “the needed tool is missing.” All you need is a little creativity, and you’ll use whatever set of tools you have to get the job done.
That being said, enjoy your beans!
Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.