Peel the potatoes and cut them into 2-inch pieces.
Add the potatoes, 2 cups of water, garlic cloves, and 1 teaspoon of salt to the insert of an Instant Pot.
Place the lid on the Instant Pot, then twist and seal to lock. Turn the steam release valve to “sealing.” Set the Instant Pot to high pressure for 8 minutes.
Manually release the pressure by loosely covering the vent with a kitchen towel and moving the valve to “venting.” Let the steam release completely.
Remove the lid from the Instant Pot. Carefully remove the insert and drain the potatoes in a colander.
Return the insert to the Instant Pot. Add the milk and butter to the insert. Cook on “saute” for 2 minutes or until the butter melts and the milk is warm. Turn off the Instant Pot.
Add the potatoes, sour cream, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and black pepper to the pot. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes until very smooth. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.
Serve the potatoes topped with more butter and chopped fresh parsley or chives.
Notes
Peel the potatoes (or don’t!). For the smoothest Instant Pot mashed potatoes, peel them. If you don’t mind potato skins or like the added texture, feel free to leave the peels on.
For super smooth mashed potatoes: Pass the cooked potatoes through a potato ricer directly into the Instant Pot insert with the melted butter and milk.
Don’t over-mash and over-mix the potatoes. When the potatoes are just smooth, stop mashing them. Mashing them too much causes lots of starch to be released, which can turn them gummy.