Ina Garten Uses The Microwave For One Classic Breakfast Meal

Breakfast fads come and go, but oatmeal is a tried and true go-to when it comes to morning meals. And if you are an oatmeal lover, you will be happy to learn Ina Garten has been eating this hot cereal every day for breakfast for over a decade. How does the Barefoot Contessa prepare her bowl of hot rolled oats? Per her website, she likes her hot cereal with a little butter and maple syrup, which are definitely tasty toppings for a better breakfast. While those toppings are pretty conventional, the appliance she uses to cook her oatmeal is anything but, for a chef. The cookbook author revealed she uses her microwave. Hands up if you do the same!  

Making perfect oatmeal in the microwave is not for the faint of heart. Cook it too long and you have a thick porridge-like mess that bubbles over onto your microwave's turntable. Conversely, if you don't cook it long enough, it looks like soup. But Garten has it down to a science. She wrote, "I make my oatmeal in my microwave — it's so easy! I put 1/3 cup quick-cooking oats (I like McCann's) in a bowl, add 1 cup of water, then microwave it on high for 4 minutes." This may have you wondering if you can cook any type of oatmeal in the microwave.

Texture and time

The answer is: Maybe. While instant oatmeal packets, quick-cooking oats, and rolled or old-fashioned oats can be cooked in a microwave with ease, steel-cut oatmeal is a different story. It can be cooked in the microwave, but it probably should be made on the stovetop. This type of oatmeal requires a low and slow cooking approach that doesn't translate as readily when you try to cook it in the microwave. That said, if this is your only option, you can reduce the power to help lessen the possibility of an uneven cook, but it will still take a good 25 minutes for them. Just remember to stop and stir every couple of minutes so it doesn't make a mess.

Is there a taste difference when you microwave your oatmeal? Yes, there is a texture vs. time trade off with these two cooking methods. You may find stovetop oatmeal to be creamier and softer than oatmeal made in the microwave. However, on the flip side, stovetop-cooked oatmeal requires a lot of stirring so it doesn't burn or stick to the pot. With microwaved oatmeal, you don't have these worries. That said, Ina Garten's confession that she makes hers every day in the microwave is proof that the tradeoff is worth it. But, however you make your oatmeal, don't forget all the ways to upgrade your breakfast cereal. Fresh fruits, nuts, brown sugar, yogurt, and nut butters offer yummy options to add sweet and creamy elements.