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Steel Cut Oatmeal

Has anyone tried steel cut oatmeal and how do you like it? Whats the difference between that and rolled oats?

Mon. Oct 3, 6:41pm

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It takes longer to cook. LOL

Monday, October 03, 2005, 6:52 PM

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def. takes longer to cook...sometimes an hour...but it also has a much nicer texture and a nuttier flavor. It isn't as sticky and gelatenous as instant oatmeal, and has a little more oomph than regular (non-instant) oatmeal. All in all, I like it lots better.

Monday, October 03, 2005, 9:49 PM

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instant oatmeal is mush...ick!

haven't tried steel cut, but sounds yummy.
personally, i like the old fashioned quaker oats. they are not mushy like instant, yet convenient (microwave w/ water) add soy milk and fresh fruit (strawberries, apples, peaches, raisins)...maybe some cinnamon!

Monday, October 03, 2005, 10:04 PM

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Recipe

Steel cut is the best! Worth the extra time. Better for you and tastes better!

Try cooking with a cinnamon stick in the pot, a tablespoon of raisins, and when it's ready to serve, throw in a tablespoon of pecan pieces that you have sauteed dry in a skillet until you smell their nutty aroma .

Monday, October 03, 2005, 10:42 PM

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I've heard steel cut is really good, and I've heard you can re-cook it, as well. But they are more expensive, and take longer to cook.

I myself like Quaker Old Fashioned Oats. Really tasty, and only takes about 5 minutes to cook. Much better than instant or quick -- it's like a different food altogether. I eat it everyday.

Tuesday, October 04, 2005, 9:40 AM

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crock-pot 'em!

I cook up steel cut oats in my crock-pot. Just put the oats, water and any flavoring (like dried fruit or a little bit of cinnamon or vanilla) in the pot and cook on low overnight. Makes breakfast quick and your house smells great in the morning! I make enough so that I have breakfast for a few days (I refrigerate the extra portions in microwavable containers and take them to work.)

Tuesday, October 04, 2005, 10:26 AM

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Love the crock pot tip. Thanks! I did look for them one time at the store and they are a little pricey in comparison to old fashioned oats. They were like $7.xx for a small can. Is this right? Oprah talks about them all the time on her show. She loves them. I mean, if Oprah loves them, how can we go wrong? Right??? :)

Tuesday, October 04, 2005, 11:35 AM

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They are a little pricey, but they definitely go a long way. I live alone, so I don't have kids or anyone scarfing all my food, but one jar can last me for months (I don't have them every day...I do like the poster above said, and make a big batch, then eat it all week.)

Tuesday, October 04, 2005, 11:38 AM

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Thanks for all the comments. I love the crock pot tip and will try it. Do you just follow the directions or do you have to alter it? I didn't find them to be so expensive, in fact just the opposite, I paid $2.89 for a 24 oz bag. Quaker is more then that (at least in my area)

Tuesday, October 04, 2005, 4:31 PM

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TO above poster: what brand of steel cut is cheaper than Quaker?

Just wondering what brand you bought for $2.89 for 24oz...

I live in NYC, and a lot of food is expensive compared to the rest of the country (or so I believe, although some friends who moved to KS say that they're surprised that food can be MORE).

Anyway, let us know the brand -- if nothing else, I can look for it online...

Wednesday, October 05, 2005, 11:20 AM

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I was surprised at that price too. Everything I've found online is at least $5.xx plus shipping.

Wednesday, October 05, 2005, 11:31 AM

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whoa - I just looked on Bob's Red Mill - they have 24 oz of steel cut oats for $1.89. That's spectacular!

I've never bought stuff from them online, but I like their products I've bought in the grocery, and my mother has ordered stuff online with no problem.

www.bobsredmill.com

Wednesday, October 05, 2005, 11:52 AM

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Thanks for the link!

Wednesday, October 05, 2005, 7:03 PM

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The kind I found was called Bob's Red Mill Old Fashioned Steel Cut. In the natural food section of my local grocery store (Seattle WA area). Most of the steel cut I've seen are cheap. I did try it with a cinnamon stick, it was yummy. I did like it. Though I found that it called for 3 cups water to I cup oatmeal I actually added 4.5 cups and it's still really thick. Definitly stick to the ribs longer.

Thursday, October 06, 2005, 10:55 PM

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I'm going to try these. I'd love more recipe ideas.

Thursday, October 20, 2005, 2:19 PM

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steel cut oatmeal

I did'nt like the texture of it. Some of my friends love It. But, I like the creamy kind.

Thursday, October 20, 2005, 3:46 PM

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Steel Cut Oatmeal

I love steel cut oatmeal. The health benefits are there is WAY more fiber in steel cut oatmeal than in rolled oats, For me, that means feeling full for longer. The fiber is in the husks that are left on the oats. That's what makes steel cut oat meal chewy, just like with brown and wild rice. I also like steel cut oatmeal because it takes longer to cook and I don't have to watch it, I wake up, make my coffee, drink my coffee, and poof the oatmeal is ready, my kind of cooking. I make my oatmeal with cranberries.

As for price, I stopped buying the cansiters, I only buy my steel cut oatmeal in bulk. At $1.10 per lb in Los Angeles, that is much better than the nearly $4.00 for a less than 2lb can at the grocery store! I buy my bulk steel cut at Whole Foods.

Saturday, November 24, 2007, 2:51 PM

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I got Bob's Red Mill at Costco, four 24-oz bags for about seven bucks (the local grocery charges almost 4 bucks for one bag). The other health bonus to steel-cut oats is that they are lower on the glycemic index than oats that have been processed, because your body actually has to put some effort into digesting them.

Here are some ways I fix them:
Add a half-cup of applesauce and a chopped apple per four servings, and season with cinnamon, clove, vanilla, and just a bit of brown sugar.
Add a half-cup of rasberry applesauce, for those of you with a Trader Joe's, and a bit of brown sugar. I don't shop Trader Joe's much but applesauce and raspberry jam work pretty well, too (don't add sweetener)--Danish Orchards jam is AWESOME and happens to be lower in sugar than most jams.
Dried cranberries, toasted almonds, and honey.
Chopped pears (I bottle my own but commercial ones in natural juice would work), dried cranberries, touch of clove, bit of cranberry sauce (I make my own).
Chopped peaches--fresh or like the pears above--with your preference in sweetener and just a bit of cream. Or use a hazelnut or almond coffee creamer and a bit of milk.

Really, any fruit you like mixed with any sweetener you like will work with these!

Saturday, November 24, 2007, 5:54 PM

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Has anyone tried to cook steel cut oats in a rice cooker? I'm not much of a cook and I'm always leaving them to cook until I hear that snap crackle and pop of overdone stuck to the bottom of the pan rice.

btw, I add a 1/4 c of bran to these oats to get even more fiber in them. I like the chewy texture. Gonna try that cinnamon stick trick, and maybe the crock pot idea, but I'd like to cook something the same day..

Saturday, November 24, 2007, 9:24 PM

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Why eat Special K? There are other things that have less fat and fewer calories. Maybe you should find the food with the least fat and calories and just eat that and nothing else. Or just drink water and take vitamins!

No, I'm kidding. But really, steel-cut oats are very healthy and some of us like both variety and something warm. A little fat in the diet is necessary for good health, and 2.5 grams of naturally occurring vegetable fat is not an unhealthy amount. I don't like it when I get to obsessing too much over the comparative nutrition of foods, so I just try to eat a variety of healthy ones. And steel-cut oats are very healthy and I LOVE them.

Sunday, November 25, 2007, 10:41 AM

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After reading this thread I went out and bought Bob's Red Mill steel cut oatmeal for the first time. At 11:00 last night I put in one cup of oatmeal , 4 1/2 cups of water, a cinnamon stick and a couple splashes of vanilla extract. I set it on low, came down at 6:30 this morning and it was fabulous!!! My 12 year old even liked it! I plan to take microwave containers to work the rest of the week, or unitl it's gone! Thanks for the idea!

Monday, November 26, 2007, 7:58 PM

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thanks for the info. I've been reading about them, but was to embarrased to ask at the health food store how to cook them!

Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 1:15 PM

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I cook a batch and freeze them in little containers. I just reheat it, and it's as good as new.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 1:25 PM

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I buy Arrowhead Mills organic steel cut oats. I soak it in water for 1/2 hour and then it cooks in no time. I start high and then put it on low. Takes less than 10 minutes. It doesn't become mushy like instant oatmeal but the texture is soft. I pay $3.99 at WholeFoods.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 10:28 PM

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I found out about Steel Cut Oatmeal from watching the Oprah show with Dr. Oz over a year ago. I tried it immediately and the outcome was great. I was limited with certain breakfast foods due to low blood sugar problems. Steel cut oatmeal does not affect my blood sugar whatsoever. Actually, it maintains my levels and I can go until 2 or 3pm without eating or having problems. The oatmeal has decreased my appetite and I no longer snack all day long. As a result, I have lost 45 pounds over the last year. I am now a true believer of the oats and eat it every single day. I also tell everyone who asks about my weight loss to give the oats a try for two solid weeks and you too would be sold!

Thursday, January 10, 2008, 12:51 PM

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can you really recook them?!?

I REALLY dislike mushy oatmeal. I do rolled oatmeal now and I never let it finish cooking.
A crockpot doesnt become mushy really?!?!?

Thursday, January 10, 2008, 2:50 PM

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PP here

LOL!!!
I spent forever at Trader joes looking for steel cut "oatmeal" like it was different from "oats". I ended up paying way to much for "irish oatmeal" which is the same thing. I just cant get over how diff it looks. Why is that? What does rolling actually do to it?
I made it in the crock pot last night and it was super yummy today!

Friday, January 11, 2008, 10:21 AM

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Highly recommend Arrowhead Mills as well. A 1/4 cup (dry measure) serving is 130 calories and 8g - yes, 8g!!! - of fiber. I think the cute Irish oats-in-a-can only have half that amount of fiber. The thing about fiber is that the feeling of fullness it creates happens about 8 hours after you eat it because of where it is in the digestive process. So if you're one of those people whose problem eating time is late afternoon, this is your solution. Try it. I often forget to eat my planned 4pm snack because of this effect.

Friday, January 11, 2008, 10:49 AM

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10:21 here. I noticed that the fiber is low. Thx for suggesting a better one. Where do you buy it? I have trader joes, whole foods, wild oats.
I ended up takin ga fiber supplement...

Friday, January 11, 2008, 11:03 AM

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I've tried steel-cut oats in my crockpot and it was horrible. I was really disappointed because I'd love to be able to cook it that way. Those who have tried it--what size and brand of slow cooker are you using? Mine's a Crock-Pot, the largest oval kind, heat only at the bottom. I wonder if my mini-crockpot would do them better, though...I'll try that.

As for the difference: Steel-cut oats are whole oats that have in essence been cut in half so as to let moisture in when cooking. They're put through a grain grinder set very open so that they barely hit the blades. Rolled oats, on the other hand, are steam-heated ( partially cooked) and then rolled flat. Any time something is partially cooked, it reduces the fiber content, energy needed to digest it, and the speed with which it can be digested. So your body processes rolled oats very quickly, and the resulting sugar hits you all at once; whereas with steel-cut oats, your body digests them more slowly, releasing smaller amounts of sugar over a period of time.

That's ridiculously simplified, but should give you an idea of why they are so much better.

Friday, January 11, 2008, 11:30 AM

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I was reading this thread last nite and got an urge to eat oatmeal.. LOL!

Friday, January 11, 2008, 12:31 PM

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12:31 here... well, didn't eat it. that's an accomplishment!

Friday, January 11, 2008, 12:32 PM

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Arrowhead Mills...I get it in my local health food store because it's a buck cheaper than buying it in my supermarket. I live in Manhattan and our supermarkets stock a lot of non-mainstream brands. Arrowhead Mills gets less shelf space than Quaker but more than H-O.

Friday, January 11, 2008, 12:37 PM

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11:30 -thanks for your explaination.

i still dont undertstand why my irish oatmeal has so much less fiber..

Friday, January 11, 2008, 1:57 PM

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dumb question:

i cooked it in the crockpot last night and had 2 cups water, 2 cups soy milk. in my hurry this morning i forgot to put the rest in the fridge- but did turn off the crock pot. do you think it will still be good tonight or throw it out?

Friday, January 11, 2008, 1:59 PM

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Now this is a helpful thread! I had actually bought some and hadn't taken the time to fix them, so tonight is the night. Thanks for the info!

Friday, January 11, 2008, 10:26 PM

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I had been doing them in the crockpot when I first saw this thread, but a couple nights ago I just cooked up a batch in a pot on the stove (did according to directions and sprinkled in some cinnamon and splash of vanilla extract while cooking). I put the rest in microwave containers for breakfasts the next couple mornings. I like it even better on the stove top than in the crockpot.

Saturday, January 12, 2008, 9:28 AM

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Not too sound like a crazy person or anything...but I thought I would add about reheating the oatmeal. Microwaving oatmeal...is great.....but try to not do it in a plastic container. There has been a lot of research into this. Apparently the particles/chemicals in the plastic when heated omits cancerous particles/chemicals that bond to your cells . Please don't think I'm ridiculous. lol

Saturday, January 12, 2008, 10:14 AM

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10:14--your's is important information! i mean, why eat healthfully if you're sending the foods down with toxins... thanks! :)

Sunday, January 13, 2008, 12:58 PM

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steel cut oatmeal - calories in COOKED serving?

Does anyone know the calories in a COOKED serving of steel-cut oatmeal (aka "pinhead" oatmeal) and for what serving size?

All I have been able to find is information on the calories in a dry serving, which tells me very little. Thanks for any help you can provide.

Thursday, April 23, 2009, 12:48 PM

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If your cooking it in water with nothing else, then the calorie content remains the same. If you're adding other stuff, you need to include the calories of the other items that are being added.

I'm unsure if I understand your question correctly, if so, I hope this helps.

Thursday, April 23, 2009, 4:30 PM

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cooking steel-cut oatmeal

Hi, I use 1 cup water to 1/4 cup steel-cut oats...I also add 3TBS water and 2TBS ground flax seed, Put it in a fairly large bowl, microwave it at 1/2 speed or on power 5 for 30 minutes. Works great. You can also use a slow cooker and make a weeks worth at a time. It refridgerates well, just measure out 1 Cup, microwave, add your cinnamon, sugar, brown sugar, etc, LOL.

Monday, April 19, 2010, 9:17 AM

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price of steel-cut oats

Look in the "Bob's Red Mill" grains, in the cereal aisle, by the bagged generic cereal. It's about 1/2 the price as the oats in the can. I've kept a can to keep them fresh in,

Link

Monday, April 19, 2010, 9:20 AM

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I buy the quick cooking seel cut oats from Trader Joe's and make in the microwave at work in the morning. Just some water and a touch of honey. It is sooooo good. Sometimes I even put some banana in. yummy!!!

Monday, April 19, 2010, 4:27 PM

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