How to Cook Oatmeal on the Stove Without Scorching the Milk

A hot bowl of oatmeal is a satisfying breakfast.

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Oatmeal is among the healthiest of breakfasts, a hearty and filling hot meal to fuel your body for a busy day. Most standard recipes call for the oats to be cooked in water, then dressed at the table with milk, cream, sugar or whatever other topping appeals to you. However, some prefer their oatmeal cooked in milk, rather than water, which results in a richer and creamier porridge. Unfortunately, the milk tends to scorch on the bottom of the pot. There are several ways to minimize this.

Related Searches:Difficulty:Moderately EasyInstructions Things You'll NeedHeavy-bottomed saucepanWooden spoon or silicon spatulaWire heat diffuserDouble boilerSuggest Edits1

Select a saucepan with the heaviest bottom possible. The heavier the saucepan the better it will distribute heat, and the less likelihood of your milk scorching.

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Substitute water for one half of the milk. Cook the oatmeal in water alone, until it is almost all absorbed. Add the milk, and stir continuously with a wooden spoon or silicon spatula until the milk is absorbed and the oatmeal fully cooked.

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Place a wire heat diffuser under the saucepan to raise it slightly from the burner. These are the simple wire rings or star shapes used to heat a glass or ceramic dish on the stove top. If your oatmeal still scorches, cook it over a double boiler instead. That will take longer, but guarantees your oatmeal cannot scorch.

Tips & Warnings

Make physics your friend. A wider saucepan exposes more surface area to the heat, and more surface area to the oatmeal. Your cereal will heat quickly and evenly, with less risk of scorching. Whenever possible, use a finer grade of oatmeal when you're cooking it in milk. If you normally use old-fashioned large flake oats, switch to the quick-cooking variety that take half as long. The shorter your cooking time, the less risk of scorching.

Cook your oatmeal slowly, at low temperature, for the best results. It takes longer, but minimizes the risk of scorching.

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ReferencesQuaker Oats: Product FAQsThe Kitchn: Slow and Easy: How to Cook Perfect Steel-Cut OatsThe Amateur Gourmet: Sunday Morning OatmealPhoto Credit Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty ImagesRead Next:

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