I started eating regular oatmeal (not the shit in the little bags) about 8 months ago. My dad taught me the right way to do it too. Warm up the oatmeal in the microwave (or stove), then add some sugar-free jelly or jam, and 1 or 2 splenda packets, and you got yourself a meal.
Well, since then, I have tried a few different types of regular oatmeal. I've tried Quaker Quick Oats... which cook up too quickly and don't have too much of a feel to them. They kind of mush up to nothing.
Then I tried the Quaker Old Fashioned Oats. Now these are good. They take longer to cook but have a better, more nutty-flavor to them. I like them from time to time.
I also picked up McAnn's Irish Oatmeal. It's better than Quaker but still wasn't what I was looking for; until I saw the Holy Grail of processed Oatmeal one day at the Grocery store.
Quaker has finally come out with something that is really wonderful. Their Steel Cut Oats take the cake as far as oatmeal goes. It takes a while to cook on the stove (microwaving this stuff yields something rather unfavorable - picture yourself a horse in a stable eating oats... they just won't cook all the way in the microwave).
While a bit costly (at about $4.50 for a s small container), I don't want to eat any other oats anymore. That's how good they are. They are not rolled like typical oatmeal. According to Wikipedia, Steel Cut Oats are:
Steel-cut oats are whole grain groats (the inner portion of the oat kernel) which have been cut into only two or three pieces. They are golden in colour and resemble small rice pieces.
... also known as coarse-cut oats, pinhead oats, Scotch oats, or Irish oats.
In comparison, the other main variety, rolled oats, are flake oats that have been steamed, rolled, re-steamed and toasted.
Because the steel-cut oats are more "natural" with less pre-processing, they may be more nutritious than the more popular rolled oats. Steel-cut oats are nuttier, more flavorful, and retain a chewier texture than rolled oats. Like most whole grains, steel-cut oats take much longer to cook than pre-processed oats.
Many people feel that steel-cut oats provide better flavour than rolled oats due to the lack of preprocessing. Usually steel-cut oats are not preprocessed then dried. They are often packaged in a vacuum tight container (like a coffee can) to preserve freshness.
So try some for yourself. You won't be disappointed.
