John Torode threw out wife Lisa Faulkner‘s heirloom potato masher because it is the one kitchen utensil he ‘cannot bear’ to stand.
Speaking at the Cheltenham Literary Festival about their new cookbook, the couple joked about the Masterchef judge’s strong dislike towards the humble potato masher.
The pair, who run ITV cooking show John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen together, began dating after becoming good friends when Lisa appeared on Masterchef as a contestant.
Complaining about potato mashers, John said: ‘The one thing I cannot bear, but I did give one to my wife recently, is a potato masher.’
John Torode threw out wife Lisa Faulkner’s heirloom potato masher because it is the one kitchen utensil he ‘cannot bear’ to stand
Speaking at the Cheltenham Literary Festival about their new cookbook, the couple joked about the Masterchef judge’s strong dislike towards the humble potato masher
Explaining why he is not a fan of the kitchen utensil, John said: ‘My grandmother taught me to mash potatoes with a fork’
 Lisa quipped: ‘Yes, I was allowed a potato masher.’ To which John exclaimed ‘Allowed?’
Lisa went on to reveal that her potato masher, which had stood the test of time since her grandmother used it, was thrown away by John when they moved in together.
She told the audience at Cheltenham: ‘When we merged our kitchens together as a blended family, my two potato mashers, one was my grandmothers, it was thrown out and I was told “you don’t need that”.
John immediately denied this, saying: ‘It wasn’t thrown out, it’s downstairs.’ Lisa replied ‘I haven’t seen it.’
Explaining why he is not a fan of the kitchen utensil, John said: ‘My grandmother taught me to mash potatoes with a fork.
‘I still use a fork. It’s really the best mashed potato.’
‘Some of those mashed potato mashers, they push the starch down and make it really hard, and it doesn’t make a fluffy mashed potato.’
The potato masher is not the only piece of kitchen equipment the pair cannot agree on, as it turns out they also disagree on air fryers.
Asked about her opinion of air fryers, Lisa hinted to John: ‘I can tell you that I’d love an air fryer, I’ve never used an air fryer, and I haven’t got an air fryer.
‘Apparently, we don’t need an air fryer.’
John replied: ‘We haven’t got the space darling.’