Wrong Oats

Depending on how much time you have, choose between instant, rolled, and steel-cut oats. Instant oats are processed significantly but only need a minute or two to cook.

Rolled oats are steamed but not precooked and require about 5-10 minutes of cooking time on the stove. Steel-cut oats are the least processed and can take 15 to 30 minutes to cook.

Old Oats

Even if old oats appear and smell okay, they can deteriorate in quality and flavor over time. Toss them if they show signs of insects, moisture, mold, or discoloration.

While most oats can last a total of about two years if they’re unflavored and steamed or processed, they may taste a bit odd, as the fats within the oats will start to get stale.

Ratios

If you’re going for the microwave cooking method, you’ll need to adhere to a one-to-one ratio of liquid to oats — the best oats for the microwave are rolled oats.

If you’ve decided to cook your oats on a stovetop, change the ratio to two-to-one. Boil your liquid first, then add your oats, reduce heat, and simmer until the liquid is absorbed.

Water

Cooking your oatmeal in the right type of liquid is crucial. Choose milk for instant microwave oatmeal, and water for stovetop cooking to prevent a gluey consistency.

Nevertheless, if you prefer to use milk on the stovetop, begin with water and incorporate milk once things are simmering, or blend both liquids to adjust the creaminess.

Vessels

There are several ways to cook oatmeal, including using a slow cooker or even a rice cooker. When cooking rolled oats in a rice cooker, set it to the “white rice” setting.

Cook them for about 20 minutes. You can also try cooking steel-cut oats here if your rice cooker has a “porridge” setting, but you’d need to cook for closer to 30 minutes.