New York Times has a good mashed potato recipe. It addresses an array of desired results. I had listened to Sam Sifton, one of the Times' recipe gurus on a radio program earlier in the week describe making potatoes, so I did it that way and they were perfect. In the past I haven't always drained the potatoes enough and they weren't as fluffy or creamy as I was trying to achieve. My Mom used to talk about keeping some of the cooking water, but that must have been a recipe from decades ago. Milk and butter, and I don't melt them first in an pan, I put a few potatoes into the stand mixer bowl then plop in the butter then add the rest of the potatoes. They're so hot the butter doesn't stand a chance and isn't going to cool anything. I usually use a hand masher first to break them up in the bowl, then use the paddle or whisk to make the finished potatoes. The milk is added at that point so I can watch the consistency. I use Russets for mashed potatoes.