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Comment by sci_prog | Hacker News Reader

I've been doing something similar for breakfast, one cup of oatmeal + one cup of water and about two tablespoons of chia seeds, microwave for 2 minutes. Add a banana and some honey, top it with whole roasted almonds and some raspberries. It has been doing wonders for my digestion. I'll have to try to add olive oil as well. My LDL was 150 last time I checked. I wonder what it is now since I've been doing this meal several times a week.

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One of my most used appliances is a Tiger rice cooker with Porridge and timer function.

It's been used pretty much every day for 7+ years since I purchased it.

Every night I put 130g steel cut oats in, 400-420g of water, set it to cook for 45 mins and be ready for when I wake up in the morning. I'll then add 25g protein powder, sometimes a few berries or sprinkle with seeds/nuts. A nutritional power house.

I find steel cut oats more filling, a lot more substantial with ground oats more goopey. Steel cut oats are normally a hassle to cook but it's set and forget with the rice cooker. From what i've read I also believe the fact they sit soaking over night in water also is breaks down the starches which helps nutrient absorption.

Does wonders for digestion and satiety. Everything runs like clockwork with them. If I don't have them for a few days, things get irregular and a noticeable difference in satiety for the rest of the day where i end up snacking as feel hungry after meals.

I came up with a microwave steel cut oat method that worked well. Going from memory, I put the oats and hot water in a bowl in the microwave and set it for 45 seconds 100%, then 9 minutes at power level 2. One of those microwaves with "Cook 1" and "Cook 2" on it. The hot water I put in initially was basically boiling hot, you might need to do more time on cook 1 if you put in less hot water (at work we had one of those instant boiling water things).

Damn, I just blast my oats until they threaten to overflow the bowl and call it a day. Does this technique unlock some creaminess or something unique?

I found that steel cut oats needed more cooking than just blasting them for a couple minutes.

You can skip the whole cooking part if you leave your oats and water mixed overnight!

Put your oats, portion of milk, some berries, cinnamon and honey in a container and leave it in the fridge overnight.

Do it now.

Come thank me tomorrow morning once you've tried it.

I've been doing this for a very long time but I use rolled oats and plain water (I drain the water completely before eating). I eat soaked oats every day and always have a fresh bowl or two soaking in the fridge. They are still fine to eat even if they've been soaking for more than 24h.

I like the fact that they are more concentrated in terms of calories/nutrients per 100g than cooked oats and also provide steadier energy. I often pair them with a protein drink (pea protein + rice protein), a drizzle of avocado/olive oil, and berries. Takes just a few minutes to prepare.

This works well for rolled oats but not for steel cut. Both types are much nicer cooked in a pot with stirring to bring out the creaminess (like risotto).

Overnight oats made with milk and yoghurt in equal proportions has all the creaminess you could ever dream of.

Hell, go full insanity mode and make your overnight oats with cream!

It's possible to both soak and cook the oats.

The overnight oats (rolled or steel cut) will cook much faster after they've soaked up liquid. If you're adding ingredients such as egg (two per 1/3 cup s.c. oats) this takes care of the raw elements as well.

Is there an added health or digestive benefit of fully soaking the oats, overnight or microwaved? Or is it just a matter of taste? I just add some hot water and milk (indeed I'm not sure if what I have are plain or instant oats)

Plain oats is a pain in the ass to cook. It takes real long and requires constant vigilance. Instant oats just needs some boiling water and 30 seconds in the microwave.

I might be wrong, but I do think non-instant oats is more nutritious.

But to answer your question, it's a combo of laziness and taking care of future me. Nothing beats opening the fridge in the morning, groggy AF, and finding delish breakfast ready to go, and it's dirt easy to prepare with no pots to clean afterwards.

Regarding berries, those can be deep-frozen, and turn the oatmush into icy slush. Giving it an unexpected but nice texture. At the same time the aromas from the berries went into everything, but the milk didn't get thick like buttermilk. Like it can happen with too much citrus/orange/mandarine/clementine in milk. Of course one can vary and combine that with different yoghurts, kefir, kombucha, and so on.

Come thank me, once you've tried it. If cold stuff is your thing at all, which could be compensated with some nice green tea, or coffee, ofc.

Steel cut whole groats have really good nutrition. That tough brown skin is full of good stuff. I do mine in the pressure cooker for 20 mins with 1:1:3 oats:milk:water.

I also use a pressure cooker (instant pot) but it doesn't take nearly that long. 3 minutes on high, rest for 10 minutes, vent. I also use 1:3 oats:water and add a splash of half and half when I serve it. I'll usually do a batch of 1 cup oats, 3 cups water, two cut up apples, and a lot of cinnamon. That's four servings and I reheat the leftovers in a microwave with some additional water. I also like to add walnuts when I serve.

For steel-cut whole groats, the tough whole seeds cut in half width-ways? Mine would be crunchy and whole after just 3 mins. Even after 15 mins pressure they were a bit firm. Rolled I cook in 5 mins.

I only know one kind of steel cut whole oat:

https://mccanns.com/product/mccanns-traditional-steel-cut-ir...

I'm using an instant pot. Maybe it develops more pressure? But 3 minutes high, rest for 10 minutes, vent, is just a bit on the al dente side. Cooked through, but slightly chewy.

Sometimes I sauté the dry oats in a pat of butter for a few minutes before adding the water and cooking. It gives them a nice nutty flavor.

We're definitely talking about the same. Very interesting.

> Sometimes I sauté the dry oats in a pat of butter for a few minutes before adding the water and cooking. It gives them a nice nutty flavor.

Sounds great. It's the nuttiness from the skins I like about them compared to rolled.

1:3 oats to water ratio in weight or volume? Since you mentioned instant pot I am assuming volume (cups)?

> I'll have to try to add olive oil as well

You've got almonds and chia, so your fats should already be covered.

Oat fiber. I've been taking 30g of oat fiber everyday for the past 3 years. Slugging it down in 8oz of warm water and 10g of nooch. Not only are my cholesterol levels fantastic after starting that regime, but very regular as well.

fiber is important but the unique cholesterol benefits from oats is around glucans esp. β-glucan

also found in mushrooms, rye, some fruits, pectin, etc.

oat fiber is fine but you'd probably see similar benefits from psyllium husks or other fiber sources.

> one cup of oatmeal + one cup of water

Do you need a knife and fork?

I don't like when my food is too mushy. This is a perfect ratio for me

Not the poster, but I grew up eating oatmeal that you would slice. Toss a pot on the wood stove, done when you remembered to grab it. Milk and honey on soft slices of oatmeal. Honestly don’t eat oatmeal much today, but was confused the first time I had oatmeal away from him and it wasn’t at least like lumpy. I’m sure that pot had to be soaked for a half an hour every morning.

Add some walnuts. See my other comment for reasoning.

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