I picked up a bag of Quaker Oats large flake oatmeal yesterday. I was
surprised to see "Cooks in 4-5 minutes" printed in the front of the bag.
Large flake oats usually take more like 15 minutes to cook. When I
prepared to make some for breakfast this morning I looked for the
instructions and had some confusion. Among all the small print on the
side of the crinkled bag was a list of numbered steps. I scanned down to
the bottom and step 3 was "COOK uncovered for the specified amount of
time."

I had to go searching again. Stove Top Instructions it said for single
servings cook 10-15 minutes, for 4 servings cook 20-25 minutes.

Then... I spotted the microwave instructions, and it says 4-5 minutes
for one serving.

I have been cooking oatmeal porridge for decades. It was early morning.
I got thrown off by that 4-5 minute thing. I hate to imagine what it
would be like for someone who has never cooked oats before to try to
figure out how to cook this item, which I always thought easy so simple.


They did have a very handy hint..... for thicker oatmeal use less
water... for thinner oatmeal use more water.

"Dave Smith" > wrote in message
om...
>I picked up a bag of Quaker Oats large flake oatmeal yesterday. I was
>surprised to see "Cooks in 4-5 minutes" printed in the front of the bag.
>Large flake oats usually take more like 15 minutes to cook. When I prepared
>to make some for breakfast this morning I looked for the instructions and
>had some confusion. Among all the small print on the side of the crinkled
>bag was a list of numbered steps. I scanned down to the bottom and step 3
>was "COOK uncovered for the specified amount of time."
>
> I had to go searching again. Stove Top Instructions it said for single
> servings cook 10-15 minutes, for 4 servings cook 20-25 minutes.
>
> Then... I spotted the microwave instructions, and it says 4-5 minutes for
> one serving.
>
> I have been cooking oatmeal porridge for decades. It was early morning. I
> got thrown off by that 4-5 minute thing. I hate to imagine what it would
> be like for someone who has never cooked oats before to try to figure out
> how to cook this item, which I always thought easy so simple.
>
>
> They did have a very handy hint..... for thicker oatmeal use less
> water... for thinner oatmeal use more water.

Fortunate that they did not offer the obsolete hint of using more
oats for thicker, fewer oats for thinner; both assuming the same
volume of water.

pavane

On Saturday, February 25, 2012 9:53:12 AM UTC-5, Dave Smith wrote:
> I picked up a bag of Quaker Oats large flake oatmeal yesterday. I was
> surprised to see "Cooks in 4-5 minutes" printed in the front of the bag.
> Large flake oats usually take more like 15 minutes to cook. When I
> prepared to make some for breakfast this morning I looked for the
> instructions and had some confusion. Among all the small print on the
> side of the crinkled bag was a list of numbered steps. I scanned down to
> the bottom and step 3 was "COOK uncovered for the specified amount of
> time."
>
> I had to go searching again. Stove Top Instructions it said for single
> servings cook 10-15 minutes, for 4 servings cook 20-25 minutes.
>
> Then... I spotted the microwave instructions, and it says 4-5 minutes
> for one serving.
>
> I have been cooking oatmeal porridge for decades. It was early morning.
> I got thrown off by that 4-5 minute thing. I hate to imagine what it
> would be like for someone who has never cooked oats before to try to
> figure out how to cook this item, which I always thought easy so simple.
>
>
> They did have a very handy hint..... for thicker oatmeal use less
> water... for thinner oatmeal use more water.

Quaker makes three kinds of oat meal; regular, quick, and instant. Of the three, I like the texture of the quick least. I cook my morning oatmeal i an open saucepan, one measure (1/2 or 2/3 cup) of oatmeal and two measures of water. I use hot water and start with the heat on high. When bubbles appear around the edges, I turn the heat down to lowest and set the timer for ten minutes. That gives me a thin crust on the bottom of the pot that I scrape into the rest. It adds a toasty flavor. I cut two minutes off the cooking time if I don't want that. I often sprinkle a handful of dried currants (I find raisins too sweet) on top as it begins to cook. YMMV

Jerry
--
Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can get.

On 25/02/2012 10:40 AM, Jerry Avins wrote:

>>
>> I have been cooking oatmeal porridge for decades. It was early
>> morning. I got thrown off by that 4-5 minute thing. I hate to
>> imagine what it would be like for someone who has never cooked oats
>> before to try to figure out how to cook this item, which I always
>> thought easy so simple.
>>
>>
>> They did have a very handy hint..... for thicker oatmeal use less
>> water... for thinner oatmeal use more water.
>
> Quaker makes three kinds of oat meal; regular, quick, and instant. Of
> the three, I like the texture of the quick least.

That and the flavour, which is a lot like paste. I have quick cooking
oats on hand for baking, like cookies and date squares. For porridge I
prefer large flake or steel cut.



> I cook my morning
> oatmeal i an open saucepan, one measure (1/2 or 2/3 cup) of oatmeal
> and two measures of water. I use hot water and start with the heat on
> high. When bubbles appear around the edges, I turn the heat down to
> lowest and set the timer for ten minutes. That gives me a thin crust
> on the bottom of the pot that I scrape into the rest. It adds a
> toasty flavor. I cut two minutes off the cooking time if I don't want
> that.

I just bring the water to a boil, add a pinch of salt and a handful of
oats, turn it town and st the timer for 15 minutes. If it is too thin I
cook it a little longer.


> I often sprinkle a handful of dried currants (I find raisins
> too sweet) on top as it begins to cook. YMMV>

How about fewer raisins? Dried blueberries are nice on oatmeal.

On Feb 25, 11:55*am, Dave Smith > wrote:
> On 25/02/2012 2:30 PM, Gary wrote:
>
>
>
> > Dave Smith wrote:
>
> >> On 25/02/2012 1:25 PM, Gary wrote:
> >> water... for thinner oatmeal use more water.
>
> >>> Dave, I often cook Quaker Oats. *The regular in the round container, not
> >>> some instant stuff. *The ingredients are just rolled oats. *You use 1 cup
> >>> oats to 2 cups water (and a nip of salt) and you cook them for 5 minutes on
> >>> the stove top.
>
> >>> I have NEVER heard of cooking rolled oats for longer than 5 minutes.
>
> >> I know how to cook oats. I have been cooking them for years. My issue
> >> was with the confusion of the instructions. *I have always cooked large
> >> flake for 15 minutes or more, unlike the quick cooking stuff.
>
> > I have no idea what you're talking about with "large flake."
>
> Go to this link and click on Large Flake
>
> http://pepsico.ca/en/brands/Quaker.h...-Quake-Oats_fb
>
> > Plain Quaker Oats is nothing but "rolled oats."
>
> There are different sizes.
>
> > I also buy plain rolled oats at the
> > local healthfood store to replace the Quaker (a bit cheaper by buying in
> > bulk).
>
> I usually get my oats at the Bulk Barn where all oats are 79 cents per
> pound.... instant, *quick cooking, large flake or steel cut. * I wasn't
> going to be near the Bulk Barn so I got them at the grocery store. *They
> had some specialty brands for as much as $4 per pound, and there is no
> way I am paying that much for oatmeal with a folksy looking package. I
> picked up the Quaker large flake for $3.49 for one kg. *Today we had to
> go to the bank and I stopped by the Bulk Barn for the rice I had
> forgotten, and there was the oatmeal for half the price of Quaker.
>
> > These are not the quick cooking one-minute nonsense.
> > These are plain rolled oats. *You cook them for 5 minutes. I have NEVER
> > heard of cooking rolled oats for 15 minutes or more. *WTH? *Are you
> > mistakenly talking about rice?
>
> Trust me... the large flake takes almost as long as steel cut.
>
>

"Large Flake Oats" is a Canajen thing; I wouldn't understand. But I
found the straight poop on Quaker Canada's Facebook page:

In Canada, we offer four different types of rolled oats or oatmeal;
Large Flake, Quick, One Minute and Instant (in the individual
packets). All varieties are 100% Whole Grain, meaning, all three
parts of the grain, the bran, the endosperm and the germ remain
intact.

Large Flake Oats are made by rolling the whole grain. Quick Oats are
made by cutting the grain in half, then rolling it. The flakes are
slightly smaller and thinner which allows them to cook more quickly.
One Minute Oats have been cut into smaller pieces and are rolled
thinner still, and cook very quickly. These products contain only
100% whole grain rolled oats, and have the same nutritional benefits.
Large Flake, Quick and One Minute oats would all be suitable for
baking.


Now, here in A-may-reeka, Quaker makes Old Fashioned Oats, as well as
1 Minute Oats. Old Fashioned Oats are whole oats. So why do whole
rolled oats take 15 minutes to cook in Canada but only 5 minutes south
of the border? I suspect the oats are rolled thinner here, so that the
boiling water penetrates the grain quicker.

On 26/02/2012 3:45 AM, meh wrote:
> On Sat, 25 Feb 2012 21:34:08 -0800 (PST), >
> wrote:
>
>
>> Now, here in A-may-reeka, Quaker makes Old Fashioned Oats, as well as
>> 1 Minute Oats. Old Fashioned Oats are whole oats. So why do whole
>> rolled oats take 15 minutes to cook in Canada but only 5 minutes south
>> of the border? I suspect the oats are rolled thinner here, so that the
>> boiling water penetrates the grain quicker.
>
>
> Actually, Canada is SO FAR north, it takes water longer to boil.
>
>

Of course.... we have to wait until the snow melts before we even know
how much water we have in the pot.

On 26/02/2012 12:34 AM, spamtrap1888 wrote:

>>
>> Trust me... the large flake takes almost as long as steel cut.
>>
>>
>
> "Large Flake Oats" is a Canajen thing; I wouldn't understand. But I
> found the straight poop on Quaker Canada's Facebook page:
>
> In Canada, we offer four different types of rolled oats or oatmeal;
> Large Flake, Quick, One Minute and Instant (in the individual
> packets). All varieties are 100% Whole Grain, meaning, all three
> parts of the grain, the bran, the endosperm and the germ remain
> intact.
>
> Large Flake Oats are made by rolling the whole grain. Quick Oats are
> made by cutting the grain in half, then rolling it. The flakes are
> slightly smaller and thinner which allows them to cook more quickly.
> One Minute Oats have been cut into smaller pieces and are rolled
> thinner still, and cook very quickly. These products contain only
> 100% whole grain rolled oats, and have the same nutritional benefits.
> Large Flake, Quick and One Minute oats would all be suitable for
> baking.
>
>
> Now, here in A-may-reeka, Quaker makes Old Fashioned Oats, as well as
> 1 Minute Oats. Old Fashioned Oats are whole oats. So why do whole
> rolled oats take 15 minutes to cook in Canada but only 5 minutes south
> of the border? I suspect the oats are rolled thinner here, so that the
> boiling water penetrates the grain quicker.

It may also have to do with the steaming when they are processed. It not
only partially cooks them, but is destroys the enzyme that makes for
that pukey greenish bubbly slime that you often get when cooking up
steel cut oats.

On Saturday, February 25, 2012 1:25:02 PM UTC-5, Gary wrote:

...

> Dave, I often cook Quaker Oats. The regular in the round container, not
> some instant stuff. The ingredients are just rolled oats. You use 1 cup
> oats to 2 cups water (and a nip of salt) and you cook them for 5 minutes on
> the stove top.
>
> I have NEVER heard of cooking rolled oats for longer than 5 minutes.

That depends on the temperature. At a rolling boil, I agree with you. When we kept a banked fire in the wood stove overnight, I would put up a pot of oatmeal before bedding down for the night. The water never got too hot to put a hand into, and the cereal was cooked just fine in the morning.

I knew someone who put rolled oats into hot tap water and let it sit on the counter overnight. Come morning, it was nicely done. Bringing it to a simmer was only to get it to eating temperature.

Jerry
--
"I view the progress of science as being the slow erosion of the
tendency to dichotomize." Barbara Smuts, U. Mich.

In article >,
Dave Smith > wrote:

> I picked up a bag of Quaker Oats large flake oatmeal yesterday. I was
> surprised to see "Cooks in 4-5 minutes" printed in the front of the bag.
> Large flake oats usually take more like 15 minutes to cook. When I
> prepared to make some for breakfast this morning I looked for the
> instructions and had some confusion. Among all the small print on the
> side of the crinkled bag was a list of numbered steps. I scanned down to
> the bottom and step 3 was "COOK uncovered for the specified amount of
> time."
>
> I had to go searching again. Stove Top Instructions it said for single
> servings cook 10-15 minutes, for 4 servings cook 20-25 minutes.
>
> Then... I spotted the microwave instructions, and it says 4-5 minutes
> for one serving.
>
> I have been cooking oatmeal porridge for decades. It was early morning.
> I got thrown off by that 4-5 minute thing. I hate to imagine what it
> would be like for someone who has never cooked oats before to try to
> figure out how to cook this item, which I always thought easy so simple.

I've always been peeved by this. It used to be that there was large
print all over the package saying, "COOKS IN FIVE MINUTES!". But when
you read the instructions, it does say five minutes, but then you need
to let it sit until done. If you eat it after five minutes, it tastes
uncooked to me. I cook it for 20 minutes. I boil the water, and after
adding the oats I turn the stove all the way down. This is for regular
oats in the US.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA