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Kinds of Oats

You will find oats in certain breakfast cereals, beers and even some ice creams. More than 95 percent of all oats grown go to feeding livestock. Medicinal oats help prevent heart disease, cancers and other illnesses. They also go into making health and beauty products. Just as there are many uses for oats, there are also many different types of oats. The different types of oats depend on the amount of processing they've undergone.

  1. Whole Oats

    • You aren't likely to find whole oats in your local grocery store. These oats still possess their hard outer hull, which makes them inedible for human ingestion. However, they do go into the chemical solvent furfural, used in refining lubricants.

    Oat Grouts

    • Once you remove the hard outer hull, you have oat groats, which resemble brown rice. These oats still have the nutritious outer bran layer around them. You can safely consume oat groats, which typically can be found in health food stores. They do take longer to cook than some other types of oats.

    Steel-Cut Oats

    • Also referred to as pinhead oats, coarse oatmeal or Irish oatmeal, steel-cut oats have been chopped into two to four pieces by metal blades. Since the oats have been cut into smaller pieces, they cook faster than oat groats. Steel-cut oats also still contain the bran, making them good for you.

    Rolled Oats

    • To produce rolled oats -- also known as old-fashioned oats -- you must steam the oat groats then roll them into flakes. The processing that these oats undergo makes them stay fresh for longer periods of time. Since the rolled oats are flattened and have a greater surface area, they cook faster than oat groats and steel-cut oats.

    Instant Oats

    • Instant oats get their name because they cook faster than any other type of oats. They cook quicker because they have been steamed longer and rolled thinner than rolled oats. When you eat instant oats, you will notice they are chewier than other types of oats.

    Oat Flour

    • When you grind oats, you produce oat flour. Use finely ground oat flour in breads to add flavor. Thicken your soup or stew with medium-ground oat flour or sprinkle it on a baked good to add a crumble topping that has a nutty flavor.

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