I would love to eat a bowl of steel-cut oatmeal every day, but most mornings I don't. Steel-cut oats are hardly a difficult breakfast to whip up, but with kids to feed and get dressed and out the door and work meetings to join shortly after that, I usually don't have time. Of course, that assumes I'm cooking them the normal way, on the stovetop.
So here's a handy tip that I recently realized could completely change my morning meal, and it can change yours too: Use a rice cooker. There are two distinct advantages here. The first is that a rice cooker is completely hands-off. Just put your oatmeal ingredients into the cooker pot, close the machine, set it, and forget it. When it's done, all you have to do is open the lid, give it a stir, and scoop it into bowls.
The second advantage is even more compelling: If your rice cooker has a timer function, you can set it well in advance. That means you can load up the cooker before going to bed, program the machine to have it ready for you at a specified time the next morning, and when you wake up, there it is in all its energy-supplying, fiber-packed, creamy, hearty beauty. It's basically the best overnight oats you could ever wish for (with not a trace of that raw, soaked-oat sludge of typical overnight oats).
If you don't use the timer function, be aware that it can take a while for a rice cooker to cook the oatmeal once you hit "start"—anywhere from about 40 minutes up to more than an hour, so not ideal if you're in a rush (exactly how long, though, will depend on the brand and model you use). Not all rice cookers have timer functions, but most except for the most rudimentary do. I recommend upgrading to a rice cooker with a timer function if you don't have one; they don't have to be that expensive, and it's a great feature that you can use for anything from your breakfast oatmeal to having cooked rice hot and fresh for dinner as soon as you get home from work. (See our reviews of the best rice cookers for shopping advice.)
One detail you will need to figure out with your machine at home is which setting to use for oatmeal. Many rice cookers today have a porridge function or something similar for rice porridges like congee, but not all do. If yours does, you should use it. If yours doesn't, consult your owner's manual to find out the best way to make oatmeal with the settings available to you. It's possible some rice cookers will discourage making oatmeal in them, since oatmeal can foam up more than rice; if your cooker isn't designed to make oatmeal, I'd advise not trying, unless you're comfortable with the risk of ruining your machine.
As for ingredients and ratios, I've found that three cups of water for every one cup of oats produces oatmeal with the kind of texture I like—thick but not stiff. If that ratio doesn't suit your tastes, you can experiment to find the ratio that does. Some may be wondering about milk, and I'd just advise some caution there. I wouldn't want to leave milk sitting out all night if using the timer function, and you may also have a higher risk of it scorching in the cooker pot since there's no stirring involved with a sealed rice cooker.
I'd also recommend being cautious about batch sizes; this recipe makes a modest amount to serve about four people. If you want to make a lot more, you should check to find out what the maximum batch size is for oatmeal in your specific cooker since foaming, again, can be a concern, and even more so with a very full cooker with little headroom to contain a foam surge.
So, to repeat: The rice cooker is an amazing tool for making excellent oatmeal almost completely hands-off and timed for exactly when you want it, but pay attention to your model's specific directions to make sure you're not doing anything outside of what it was designed for.
In a rice cooker, combine oats, water, and salt. Close cooker and set to porridge mode (or the most appropriate mode for your cooker; consult manufacturer's directions). If a timer function is available on your cooker, you can use it to set when you want your oatmeal ready (for example, you can fill the cooker the night before and specify that you want it ready at 7am; the cooker will turn on early enough to ensure it's ready when you wake up). If not using a timer function, the cooking time will vary with different rice cooker models, anywhere from about 40 minutes up to 1 hour 30 minutes.
When ready, open rice cooker and stir oatmeal to ensure an even consistency throughout. Spoon into bowls and top as desired, then serve right away.
Special Equipment
Rice cooker
Notes
The ratio of 3 cups of water for every 1 cup of steel-cut oats produces a thick but not stiff porridge, which I like. You may need to adjust the ratio of oats to water if your preferences are different from mine, or if your cooker produces slightly different results. Once you figure out the perfect ratio for your tastes and cooker, you'll be good to go.
It may be tempting to use milk instead of water; just beware that it's not safe to leave milk sitting in a rice cooker at room temperature overnight if you're planning to use the timer function. Milk also runs a higher risk of scorching as the sealed cooker heats, since you're not able to stir.
Make Ahead and Storage
Leftover cooked oatmeal can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. For best results, freeze and thaw in individual portions and thaw overnight in the fridge.
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