First things first. It’s not hard to make oatmeal. I know this. You know this. Anyone who can boil water knows this.
But amid a busy morning, it’s one. more. thing.
For all its ease, homemade old-fashioned oatmeal (also called “rolled”) does require regular stirring and roughly 15 minutes to make. Steel cut oatmeal takes about double that time. In other words, it demands your attention.
Enter the rice cooker. Big news: It can cook more than rice. In a prior video, I showed how to make quinoa in a rice cooker. Now its oats’ turn in this simple yet unsung kitchen hero.
If you’ve ever cooked rice in your rice cooker — umm, I’m going to assume yes? — I have more good news: Making oatmeal in a rice cooker uses the exact same process.
As a quick recap, to make perfect rice in a rice cooker, you measure rice with the little cup that came with the cooker, and fill the pot with liquid to the corresponding “cup” line marked on the inside of the pot. So if you measure 2 cups of rice with the rice cooker cup, you fill the pot to the 2-cup line with liquid (usually water or broth). For 3 cups, you fill to the 3-cup line, and so forth. This means you never have to worry about figuring out grain-to-liquid ratios, as you would when cooking in a pot on the stove.
A small but important detail is that a rice cooker cup is not the same as a standard measuring cup. One rice cooker cup equals 3/4 standard cup. So if you lost or discarded that little cup that came with your rice cooker, measure the grains in 3/4-cup measurements. You can also buy replacement rice cooker cups, like the metal one pictured below.
Now, rinse and repeat the process for oats. Oh, and you don’t have to literally rinse the oats. To make oatmeal in a rice cooker, simply measure the desired amount in rice cooker cups — let’s say 3, for example — and fill the pot with water to the 3-cup line. If you like your oats creamier, add a bit more water.
I suggest adding a bit of salt to enhance flavor, and you can also make additions such as cut up apples, sugar, cinnamon, and the like. That’s it. From there, simply put the lid on the rice cooker and switch it on. If your rice cooker has multiple settings like mine, just go with the “white rice” setting. If you like cream or milk in your oats, I suggest adding that when serving, as to not risk curdling when cooking when heated in the rice cooker.
This process works for both old-fashioned rolled oats and steel cut oats. In my rice cooker, both are done in about half an hour. Yes, that can be a bit longer than on the stove, but it pays off in convenience. With this method there is no stirring, no sticking, and no mess. Plus, the rice cooker keeps the oatmeal warm and waiting when it’s done cooking. Win win!
I now regularly make oatmeal in my rice cooker, and relish the convenience it offers. I hope this makes your morning routine a bit less stressful, too. Enjoy!
