When it comes to your breakfast table, there is no question that you have a plethora of options in front of you. The thought certainly applies to oatmeal. Essentially, you have three different possibilities for oatmeal. You can choose between rolled oats, steel cut, or even instant oatmeal. For the sake of having the best breakfast possible, let’s focus on the differences between rolled oats and steel cut oatmeal.
What Are The Differences Between Rolled Oats And Steel Cut?
When it comes to oatmeal, it’s definitely worth knowing where your oats are coming from. In general, all of the oats are going to begin their existence as oat groats. This means they are going to be whole and unbroken. Prior to any other preparation process, it’s not uncommon for the groats to go through a low-temperature roasting process. This not only supplies oats with that toasty flavor we all know and love, but it also keeps the oats from becoming rancid.
The difference between rolled oats and steel cut pretty much just comes down to the way the oats are going to be processed. Steel-cut oats can be referred to as Irish oats or Scottish oats. Rather than being rolled, as is obviously the case with rolled oats, steel cut oats are cut into a number of pieces. As a matter of fact, some people would even go so far as to say that steel-cut oat resembles rice to a certain degree. The chewy, even toothsome texture is a trademark of steel cut oats, and you’ll want to note that they usually take longer to prepare than instant or rolled oats.
Old-fashioned oats is another name for rolled oats, but you can also call them whole oats. They tend to look flat, with a roundness to them that many people would describe as irregular. These discs also have a very slight textured impression to them. Rolled oats not only cook more quickly than steel cut oats, but they also tend to absorb a great deal more liquid. They can also hold their shape during the cooking process to a reasonable degree.
You will often find rolled oats being used in baked goods such as a granola bar, a cookie, or a muffin.
The differences between these two should be pretty clear to you at this point. In terms of which one is healthier, it’s worth noting that the glycemic index for steel cut is lower than that of rolled oats.
