So . . . . What makes great Oatmeal?

A few things.

First: Stay away from 1 minute or ready to eat varieties of rolled oats. (I use Quaker Brand)

I seem to remember older boxes saying cooks in 20 minutes, but now they say 5 minutes on the original/regular oatmeal. My method takes longer than 5 minutes, as I turn the heat way low after adding the oatmeal.

Second: Use a water to oatmeal ratio of 2 to 1.

• When using 2 or more cups of water, use slightly less water, say a 1/8 cup less, or add a little oatmeal. How much? A little -- a teaspoon, or slightly overfilled cup. If you're cooking lots of oatmeal in a wider, larger pot (not higher, but wider - with more surface area!) water will boil off faster -- don't reduce the water.
• Although I have a graduate degree in engineering, it has been a while since my school days, so I can only partly attribute this rule (about the ratio of surface area to the rate that water boils off) to my education. Part of it comes from my intuitive cooking sense with sauce reductions, which relies on the rule that, given a fixed amount of fluid, and a fixed heat source, the rate of evaporation increases when you spread the sauce across a larger pan.
• Another variation is to stick to the 2:1 water:oatmeal rule, but then, for 2 or more cups, add a little oatmeal, unless, of course, it's a big pot again.
• When you're real tired in the morning, this is the better way to approach it:
  • You figure how much you want to feed people -- use that much water.
  • You boil the water.
  • You add exactly half as much oatmeal.

Third: Cook with very low heat.

• I boil the water, add the oatmeal, and snatch the pot and swirl momentarily -- all the oatmeal is underwater. Then, I turn down the heat as low as possible - this increases the cooking time by a few minutes, but makes wonderful oatmeal.

Fourth: Minimize mixing the oatmeal!

• Rolled oats are a tender thing, and when they begin to absorb water, they continue break up real easy. (If you like mushy oatmeal, skip this advice.)
• Keep the spoon out of the pot, as much as possible! I might briefly shake/snatch the pot after a couple of minutes, and when the free water reduces I might briefly check the pot bottom with the spoon, and mix the pot slightly, to keep the oatmeal from sticking to the bottom.

That's it.

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