After months of hot weather, autumn is finally here, which means it's officially porridge season. Porridge, also known as oatmeal, is a breakfast staple that dates back to the Neolithic period. While the classic version features rolled oats or oatmeal simmered in water or milk, many other grains — like rice, maize, wheat, barley, corn, triticale, and buckwheat — can be used.
It's commonly flavoured with salt, sugar, honey, fruit, jam, or syrup, but in some cultures, porridge takes a savoury turn with spices, fish, meat, or vegetables. There are many types of porridge around the world: polenta (made from maize), poi (from taro), gruel (a thinner oat porridge), congee (a savoury Asian rice porridge), and Scottish brose and crowdie — uncooked oats mixed with water. My favourite toppings are maple syrup, cinnamon, and a swirl of peanut butter. Achieving the ideal creamy consistency, though, can be tricky.
For convenience, I often turn to the microwave, but this usually leaves the oats undercooked and the texture disappointingly gloopy.
I've tried making porridge on the hob and in a slow cooker before, but I'd never put all three methods to the test side by side — until now.
With this in mind, I set out to determine the best way to cook porridge — microwave, hob, or slow cooker. I judged each bowl on flavour, consistency, and ease, using the same ingredients for every batch: jumbo oats (Sainsbury's Scottish Whole Rolled Jumbo Oats), unsweetened almond milk, a teaspoon of cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. For toppings, I mostly stuck to my favourites: maple syrup and peanut butter.
Microwave
While the microwave might be the quickest method to make porridge, it yielded the worst results. The oats didn't cook down enough, even after soaking them in milk for five minutes before microwaving them.
It also bubbled over in the microwave, despite following an online recipe. However, this could be down to my microwave.
The result was lumpy and grainy-I felt like I was chewing soggy sawdust in almond milk. Even a drizzle of maple syrup couldn't rescue the bland flavour.
I'd maybe use the microwave again with quick oats, which are already broken down, but if you're after proper porridge with jumbo rolled oats, it's best to skip the microwave.
Score: 1/5
Hob
If I have a bit more time, I usually make my porridge on the hob in a small saucepan. To make it on the hob, I used 50g of jumbo oats, with around 250ml of almond milk, a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of cinnamon. I allowed the oats to soak a bit before placing the pan over a medium heat and bringing it to the boil.
I made sure to stir the oats continuously so they didn't stick to the bottom. Once the oats were bubbling, I turned the heat down to low and let them simmer for just under 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
I like my porridge a bit thicker, but you can add a splash of milk if it's not runny enough. Once cooked, I let it sit in the pan for a few minutes before pouring it into a bowl and adding maple syrup and peanut butter.
I always make sure I use a smooth, one-ingredient peanut butter to complement the maple syrup. Sugary peanut butter will make the porridge taste too sweet.
The consistency was smooth with just the right amount of bite. Unlike the microwave version, it wasn't mushy or sawdust-like, and the flavour was pleasantly natural.
While not the quickest method, I would definitely make porridge like this again if I had 20-30 minutes to spare.
Score: 4/5
Slow cooker
Slow cooker porridge is honestly a game-changer. Depending on your slow cooker, you can put it on just before you go to bed and wake up to a steaming bowl of perfectly cooked porridge in the morning.
Slow cooking draws out the oats' natural nutty flavour and breaks them down beautifully, resulting in a smoother texture that still keeps the hearty bite you want in porridge.
My mini slow cooker doesn't have as many settings as some branded versions, so I don't trust it to cook my porridge overnight. However, I do put it on the 'high' setting in the morning so I can have a bowl of porridge for lunch.
Porridge for lunch may sound odd now, while it's still relatively warm, but once temperatures drop, there really is nothing better to warm you up.
To make my slow-cooker porridge, I put 80g of oats and 400ml of almond milk in the slow cooker, along with a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of cinnamon. I then set the slow cooker to high for 2 to 3 hours, checking it every hour.
Once the oats were cooked through and the consistency was to my liking, I turned the slow cooker off and spooned them into a bowl. I then added maple syrup and peanut butter for extra flavour. The consistency was perfect, and the flavours married together to create a nutty, sweet and salty bowl. This serves two people.
However, if you want to make slow-cooker porridge overnight, put the ingredients in the slow cooker and set it to low for about eight hours.
To prevent the oats from sticking to the inside of the slow cooker, rub it with a small amount of butter or oil. However, I quite enjoy the oats turning a bit crusty around the edges.
Although this method requires a little extra preparation, the results are absolutely worth it.
Score: 5/5