# Steel Cut Oats? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 17, 2009, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steel-cut-oats/493429 "2009-04-17T16:05:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steel-cut-oats/493429/1 "2009-04-17T16:05:40Z")
So Jamba Juice is now selling “Organic Steel Cut Oats Oatmeal”. What’s so special about steel cut oats? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steel-cut-oats/493429/2 "2009-04-17T16:16:11Z")
The oat grains are coarsely chopped instead of crushed by rollers. Steel cut oats are much tastier than rolled oats. They also have a chewy texture that is much more satisying to eat than plain oatmeal. ---
**Author:** ![WoodenTaco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/45deac/32.png) [@WoodenTaco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WoodenTaco)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steel-cut-oats/493429/3 "2009-04-17T16:17:22Z")
Oats are normally processed by rolling them between two heavy weights which turns them into those little flakes. Steel cut oats, unlike rolled oats, are chopped up by a steel blade, so they retain some of their shape. They take longer to cook this way, but I think they taste way better. Some people say that it’s healthier, too, but the evidence for that is pretty dubious. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steel-cut-oats/493429/4 "2009-04-17T16:20:01Z")
They’re much oatier and tastier than those rolled, steamed oats, in my opinion. Still not as good as oat groats, though. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steel-cut-oats/493429/5 "2009-04-17T16:22:07Z")
> [@WoodenTaco](#): > > Some people say that it’s healthier, too, but the evidence for that is pretty dubious. Actually, the data shows that steel cut oats are more effective in lowering cholesterol than the rolled variety, and a number of cardiac studies hint that they may be better at reducing cardiac event risk than the rolled stuff, too. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steel-cut-oats/493429/6 "2009-04-17T16:33:46Z")
Thanks for the info! ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steel-cut-oats/493429/7 "2009-04-17T16:38:16Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > They’re much oatier and tastier than those rolled, steamed oats, in my opinion. > > Still not as good as oat groats, though. What’s the difference between steel-cut oats and oat groats? I bought some bulk oat groats last time, thinking it was just an alternate name for steel-cut. Tasted the same to me. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steel-cut-oats/493429/8 "2009-04-17T16:41:46Z")
They cut the oat groats with steel to make, you guessed it. They’re next to one another on the processing continuum. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steel-cut-oats/493429/9 "2009-04-17T16:46:36Z")
I am actually a big fan of rolled oats, but you have to remember that the general supermarket rolled oats are also parcooked. It’s a little like the way Minute Rice is not as good as real rice. The rolling itself is not as much of the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steel-cut-oats/493429/10 "2009-04-17T16:53:25Z")
They’re also known as Irish oats, or Scottish oats. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steel-cut-oats/493429/11 "2009-04-17T17:05:58Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > They’re also known as Irish oats, or Scottish oats. To add to this, they’re both steel-cut, but Irish oats and Scottish oats are slightly different, as Scottish oats are generally ground much finer and yield a more porridge-like product when cooked. I have both in my cupboard, and they are slightly different products. [Here’s one source.](http://www.answerfitness.com/172/oatmeal-oats-oat-bran-healthy-food-day/#more-172) > [@](#): > > Many people confuse Scottish Oats or Scottish Oatmeal with steel cut or Irish Oats — they are actually two different things. The main difference between the two is that Scottish oats are ground into a meal after the cutting process, which improves it’s ability to absorb water and allows a shorter cooking time. Steel cut oats or Irish oats, on the other hand, do not go through the grinding process. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steel-cut-oats/493429/12 "2009-04-17T17:56:22Z")
According to my doctor, the steel-cut variety still have the bran layer and are therefore more nutritious than the rolled variety. (But Wikipedia suggests that some rolled oats retain the bran.) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steel-cut-oats/493429/13 "2009-04-17T18:29:09Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > What’s the difference between steel-cut oats and oat groats? I bought some bulk oat groats last time, thinking it was just an alternate name for steel-cut. Tasted the same to me. 😕 See this thread: [Who likes Oat Groats?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=394009) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steel-cut-oats/493429/14 "2009-04-17T18:30:45Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > Tasted the same to me. To me, they were groatier. To the max. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steel-cut-oats/493429/15 "2009-04-17T18:31:44Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > To me, they were groatier. To the max. Just don’t gag yourself with the spoon. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steel-cut-oats/493429/16 "2009-04-17T20:06:46Z")
They certainly take longer to cook, and the ratio of water to oats is, I believe, higher with steel cut. My package says 4 cups water to 1 cup oats, which allows for some to be absorbed and the rest to evaporate during the 20-30 minutes cooking time. It’s sort of the Arborio rice of the oat world. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steel-cut-oats/493429/17 "2009-04-17T21:24:16Z")
I thought oat groats were for parakeets. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steel-cut-oats/493429/18 "2009-04-17T21:59:51Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > To me, they were groatier. To the max. You made that same joke in the other thread. Is the Irish oatmeal in the green box the exactly the same as steel cut oats? I ask because the box is about 10 to 20 times the price of the oats in the bulk section of Henry’s or Whole foods. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steel-cut-oats/493429/19 "2009-04-17T22:16:05Z")
Same question asked in [this thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=374342&highlight=steel+oats+children+pulled) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steel-cut-oats/493429/20 "2009-04-17T22:36:39Z")
> [@gazpacho](#): > > You made that same joke in the other thread. But _nobody_ responded to it in the other thread! I can’t abide that sort of inattention. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steel-cut-oats/493429.md?page=2)