How to Cook Oatmeal in the Microwave

As simple as it sounds to cook oatmeal in the microwave, there are startling numbers of people gracing society who simply cannot cook with a microwave at all. They have either never touched a microwave or believe that punching a simple set of buttons will magically cook their food to perfection. This is far from the truth.

When preparing to cook oatmeal in the microwave, you need to start by choosing an original oatmeal variety or a prepackaged instant version. Regardless of the choice you make, the package will contain very specific instructions regarding amount of water or milk you should add to the oats to prepare your meal. Follow these instructions! Not doing so could result in very pasty or very runny oatmeal.

Before placing your bowl of now soupy oats in the microwave, review the package to determine what temperature (normally low, medium, or high) you should be using. Also check to determine how many minutes your instructions call for. The wrong combination of temperature and time could have devastating effects on your oatmeal's outcome. Three minutes on high will definitely produce something different than three minutes on low.

Don't assume that because you've cooked one variety, you've cooked them all. A friend of mine used to cook instant oatmeal in the office microwave for breakfast each morning. One morning, she used a packet of NutriSystem oatmeal instead of her usual Quaker Oatmeal. The NutriSystem oatmeal required a lower temperature than the other. After the same amount of time in the microwave, on the wrong temperature, the NutriSystem oatmeal was completely burnt to the bowl. We're talking about hacking at a brick with a knife burnt, with a horrible stench that permeated two floors for almost an entire day! It was not a pretty sight or smell.