What’s the Difference Between Rolled, Steel-Cut, and Instant Oats?

This humble grain deserves bragging rights beyond your breakfast bowl. It is wholly satisfying in both sweet and savory dishes, provides an ideal balance of nutrients, and has been shown to have some great health benefits. But when shopping in the cereal aisle, you might be confused about all the different options. Ahead, we spoke to experts for the scoop on the different types of oats, including how rolled oats compare to old-fashioned oats—and how to enjoy them, no matter which type you pick.

What Are Oats?

The plants of this cereal grain flourish in cool, wet climates. Research indicates that they were first cultivated about 3,200 years ago in Central Europe. Americans eat oats mostly for breakfast and in cookies, but in Scotland, oats are incorporated into puddings, dumplings, soups, and even haggis. All members of the oat family start off as oat groats, the whole kernel that comes from an oat plant after it is harvested and husked.

Each type of oat, whether rolled, steel-cut, or instant, has its own characteristics. How to choose? It all comes down to your personal preference and the recipes you want to make.

Rolled Oats

Rolled oats are made by steaming oat groats, pressing them flat, and then rolling them into flakes. They are a very versatile oat. Aside from being a popular breakfast choice, they are the type most often called for in baking oatmeal cookies or adding a delightful crunch to fruit crisps. But they can also be used for breading chicken or as a delicious topping for roasted vegetables or eggs, grain bowls, and salads. Nutritionally, they're similar to steel-cut but cook in about half the time.

How to Cook: Combine 1 cup liquid per 1⁄2 cup oats (use water or a 50-50 combination of milk and water for creaminess); bring to a boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir in a little brown sugar and nutmeg or cinnamon— or orange zest, says recipe developer and food stylist Riley Wofford. "It really brings the oatmeal to life.

Steel-Cut Oats

These mild, nutty oats are the least processed, smallest type of oat, and are denser than the others. They have more texture and chewiness than instant or rolled oats, too. As their name suggests, they are oat groats that have simply been cut into pieces by a steel blade rather than flattened like the others. Steel-cut oats take the longest to cook: 20-30 minutes. Also called Irish oats, they are most often used for a traditional morning bowl of oatmeal or porridge—but don't overlook other uses. "I replace a quarter of the meat in meatballs or meatloaf with cooked steel-cut oats as a binder or mix them with other grains for stuffed cabbage," says Wofford.

How to Cook: Combine 2 cups liquid per 1⁄2 cup oats; bring to a boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes.

Instant Oats

Also known as quick-cook oats, this type is dried and cut, or pressed into small pieces and then thinly rolled so they will cook fast when you prepare them. This production changes their overall texture so that when you cook them at home, they produce what fans consider a more creamy textured oatmeal; detractors say they're mushier. They are ready to eat in five minutes or less.

Their texture means they aren't often used in baking recipes because they lack the necessary crunch, but they work wonderfully in this chocolate coconut skillet cookie and this recipe for blueberry-oatmeal muffins. Wofford suggests folding them into quick breads in place of a quarter of the flour or rolling balls of cookie dough in them for crunch.

How to Cook: Combine 1 cup liquid per 1⁄3 to 1⁄2 cup oats; bring to a boil, then simmer for about 5 minutes.

Health Benefits of Oats

Oats contain key vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins, manganese (essential for bone formation), and beta-glucans, a major source of soluble fiber. "Beta-glucans dissolve in water and acid and form what I call a 'street-sweeping gel' that moves all food through your body and keeps you from absorbing some cholesterol," says Grace Derocha RD, CDC, spokesperson for the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Watch and see how Martha likes to top her oatmeal: