Types of Oats

Cereals and pulses are an inseparable part of our diet. Oats are one of the most common staple foods used across the globe.Oats come in different types based on their texture, and flavor. Although many people get confused between these types. Any cereal before entering our kitchen goes through multiple processes. These processes may be cooking, cutting, rolling, or crushing.

Oats are known for their rich flavor and health benefits. Oatmeal is often considered the best diet during your weight loss regime and can boost nutrition naturally. The underlying guide discusses all different types of oatmeals along with their purposes in brief.

Whole oat groats

Whole oat groats are the whole grains in their intact form. It is only the hull that has been removed from the grain, besides, everything else like endosperm, bran, and the germ are still intact. Being a whole grain, it takes maximum time to cook when compared to other oatmeals. It takes around 30-45 minutes for the oat groats to cook completely. It has a similar texture as that of rice and barley and thus can be used for savory applications. These oats can be cooked over a stovetop in an instant pot or a slow cooker.

Steel-cut oats

These types of oats can be predicted through their name. Steel-cut oats are made by cutting the oat granules into two to four pieces with the use of a steel blade. Cutting them makes these oats a chewier texture than whole grain oats. These oats usually take less time to cook when compared to whole oat groats. It takes around 20-30 minutes for these oats to cook and can be cooked on a stovetop in a slow cooker or an instant pot.

Scottish oats

These are less common oats but taste delicious. These oats are made by stone grinding the whole oat groats. It makes them best for making oats porridge. These can be cooked faster than whole groats or steel-cut groats. It takes around 10 minutes for these oats to get cooked on a stovetop. Besides, these can be cooked in a microwave as well. It gives a perfect texture when cooked.

Rolled oats

These oats are made by passing them through several processes. Initially, the oat groats are steamed and then rolled. Finally, these are flattened into flakes and then dried to give them the desired texture. These oats have a mild flavor with a slightly chewy texture and a creamy consistency when cooked. These oats are ideally used as oatmeal, overnight oats, smoothies, cookies, pancakes, and pieces of bread. It takes about 5-20 minutes for the oatmeal to cook on a stovetop.

Quick oats

These are similar to rolled oats as these oats are steamed, rolled, flattened, and dried. Besides, the time of their steam may vary. Also, quick oats are made thinner making them faster to cook. These oatmeals take around 2-4 minutes to cook and thus are sold as instant cooking oats. These oats are perfect for toppings, overnight oats, cookies, pancakes, muffins, smoothies, or in a meatloaf as a binder. Many brands prefer to add flavor and sweeteners in quick oats to enhance their taste.

Instant oats

Instant oats are more of an advanced version of quick oats. These oats are steamed, rolled, and followed by pre-cooking, drying, and chopping, into smaller pieces. These are among the fastest cooking types of oats. Although, these need to be soaked in hot water or passed through the microwave to be ready. These are often found in processed foods and thus come with a lot of conservatives, flavors, and sugars. These oats have a mushier texture when compared to other oats.

As you can see, oat bran has expanded a lot more than oatmeal and absorbed all the water compare to oatmeal.

Oat bran

It is the healthy by-product of oat manufacturing. It is the external layer of the groat which is not the whole grain but it has wholesome goodness and nutrition. Besides, it has high fiber content. It can be used with cereals as an addition, as a hot porridge on its own, or in baked foods to increase the overall fiber content. Due to high fiber content, the texture of the final food can be affected by the quantity of the oat bran you add. Adding too much can make the texture dry and clumpy.

Oat flour

Oat flour is rolled and finely ground oats with a high content of nutritional value. Oat flour can be made at home by just processing the rolled oats in a food processor or a mixer grinder. It is most of the time used in baked foods to maintain consistency and to thicken the texture. Although it is not as effective as cornstarch or potato starch it can be a healthy replacement for those. Besides, it is used in baby oat cereal which implies that you can make baby oat food at home. Oat flour is also best for making pancakes which makes it a delicious meal.

Conclusion

Oats are one of the most loved meals of people belonging to different areas. Every cuisine can include oats in their different forms and multiple oats types make it much easier to use in different forms. Oats are adaptable to any taste preference and are flexible to use in dietary restrictions as well. Even if you are in your weight loss or any other special diet routine, you can include oats in your diet. Besides, oats give you numerous options to experiment with your food and make creative yet delicious stuff.