Monday, Nov. 19, 2001

Mashed Potato Machine

Inventor: Carmina O'Connor

Mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food. But boiling the potatoes and whipping them up just right is a drag. Now homemaker Carmina O'Connor of Warrenville, Ill., has patented a mashed-potato machine that cooks, mashes and flavors potatoes in just 20 min. Chefs insert washed potatoes into a food processor size device and add water and seasonings. A finalist in Hammacher Schlemmer's Search for Invention 2001 competition, O'Connor hopes that someday "mashed-potato machines will be for Americans what rice cookers are for Asians." Now all she needs is someone to make and market her invention.

Availability: Uncertain