What Is the Difference Between Steel Cut Oats and Old Fashioned Oats

What's the Divergence Between Steel-Cutting, Rolled, and Instant Oats?

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(Paradigm credit: Kelli Foster)

Spring, summer, winter, and fall — no affair the season, oatmeal is king of the breakfast table. It's warm, satisfying, and hearty enough to comport us through to lunchtime. Across a hot bowl at breakfast, oats prove upward in pancakes, muffins, cookies, granola confined, and so much more.

All oats start off equally oat groats — the whole, unbroken grains. Before existence processed into any other multifariousness of oat, groats are usually roasted at a very low temperature. This non only gives the oats their nice toasty season, only the heat also inactivates the enzyme that causes oats to go rancid, making them more shelf-stable.

Steel-cut, rolled, and instant oats. (Image credit: Kelli Foster)

The Difference Between Steel-Cut, Rolled, & Instant Oats

The difference between steel-cutting, rolled, and instant oats is only how much the oat groat has been processed. This also results in each multifariousness having a distinct texture and varying melt times.

Steel-Cut Oats (Image credit: Kelli Foster)

Steel-Cut Oats

Besides referred to as Irish or Scottish oats, this type of oatmeal is processed by chopping the whole oat groat into several pieces, rather than rolled. Steel-cutting oats await almost like rice that's been cutting into pieces. This variety takes the longest to melt, and has a toothsome, chewy texture that retains much of its shape even after cooking.

In addition to being used for porridge, steel-cutting oats can also exist used to make meatloaf and savory congee (a nice alternative to rice), or to add texture to stuffing.

Because of its toothsome texture, rolled or instant oats don't make a good substitute for steel-cut oats.

Recipes with Steel-Cut Oats

Rolled Oats (Image credit: Kelli Foster)

Rolled Oats

Also called old-fashioned or whole oats, rolled oats look like flat, irregularly circular, slightly textured discs. When processed, the whole grains of oats are beginning steamed to brand them soft and pliable, and then pressed to flatten them.

Rolled oats cook faster than steel-cut oats, absorb more liquid, and hold their shape relatively well during cooking. In addition to be heated for a warm breakfast bowl, rolled oats are commonly used in granola bars, cookies, muffins, and other baked goods.

Instant oats tin be used in place of rolled oats, although the cook fourth dimension volition be much less, and the final dish will not have as much texture.

Recipes with Rolled Oats

Instant Oats (Image credit: Kelli Foster)

Instant Oats

Also referred to as quick oats, instant oats are the virtually processed of the 3 oat varieties. They are pre-cooked, dried, and so rolled and pressed slightly thinner than rolled oats. They melt more speedily than steel-cut or rolled oats, simply retain less of their texture, and often cook upwards mushy.

Rolled oats can be used in place of instant oats, although it will require more cook time, and the final dish volition have more texture.

One Surprising Affair These Oats Have in Common

While these varieties take undergone a different level of processing, resulting in dissimilar textures and melt times, there is one thing they all have in mutual: nutritional value. Steel-cut, rolled, and instant oats all have the aforementioned nutritional profile since they're all made from whole oat groats.

This postal service has been updated – originally published in Feb 2011.

Kelli Foster

Food Editor, Plan & Prep

Kelli is the Food Editor for Program & Prep content for Kitchn. She's a graduate of the French Culinary Establish and author of the cookbooks, Plant-Based Buddha Bowls , The Probiotic Kitchen , Buddha Bowls , and Everyday Freekeh Meals . She lives in New Bailiwick of jersey.

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