# How to cook perfect porridge



## ayceejay (4 Oct 2013)

Porridge is recommended as food to fuel your ride, but do you know how to do it well?
This thorough explanation from the Guardian may have you cooking the perfect porridge _instead_ of riding you bike.
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/nov/10/how-to-cook-perfect-porridge


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## derrick (4 Oct 2013)

3 mins in microwave, chop up banana add sugar eat, get on your bike and ride.


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## TheDoctor (4 Oct 2013)

Cooking porridge oats is *easy.*
Get your oats, add syrup and melted butter, and bake for 25 mins.
There you go - porridge you can take out on the bike ride


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## RedRider (4 Oct 2013)

£1, just add water. Guilty as charged


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## slowmotion (4 Oct 2013)

40 grammes of Scott's Porage Oats, 275 mL of semi-skimmed milk. Put it in a large plastic bowl in an 850 watt microwave for three and a half minutes...no need to cover. If you don't put it in a large bowl, it will end up all over the inside of the microwave.


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## ayceejay (4 Oct 2013)

See, this is what bugs me - is it porridge or porage do you nuke it for two and a half minutes or three or bake it for *25 minutes*? Which method is best for hill climbing? I am thinking that this is not a very exact science.


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## hopless500 (4 Oct 2013)

ayceejay said:


> See, this is what bugs me - is it porridge or porage do you nuke it for two and a half minutes or three or bake it for *25 minutes*? Which method is best for hill climbing? I am thinking that this is not a very exact science.


You nuke it until it is the consistency you prefer. And for me it is 'porridge'.


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## slowmotion (4 Oct 2013)

ayceejay said:


> See, this is what bugs me - is it porridge or porage do you nuke it for two and a half minutes or three or bake it for *25 minutes*? Which method is best for hill climbing? I am thinking that this is not a very exact science.


I usually spell it "porridge" but the Scott's box in the cupboard has "Porage" on it. Who am I to disagree with them, even if it is a temporary abberation?

Edit: here it is....


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## ColinJ (4 Oct 2013)

RedRider said:


> £1, just add water. Guilty as charged


No thanks - Co-op Simply Value porridge oats today, 79p for a kilogram bag!


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## vickster (4 Oct 2013)

Quaker oats, 4 mins in microwave in a big bowl, mix skimmed milk and water...no better at climbing hills but I can't hold the porridge responsible for that 

Value brands too husky for me!


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## deptfordmarmoset (4 Oct 2013)

It's either spelling. Porage doesn't always rhyme with garage but it does with forage. And it sounds like porridge. 

Meanwhile, I'm always finding new things to put into it. As dessicated coconut works so well, I'm going to try to remember to buy some coconut milk to continue my porage studies. Perfect porridge is when it's exactly how you like it, by the way.


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## Speicher (4 Oct 2013)

The oats that I purchase are specially imported from Canada, grown on a remote hill called Paw Ridge.


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## Radchenister (4 Oct 2013)

My oats are the finest that Aldi can offer, they come in a flour style bag - a minimalist's dream, marked 'everyday essentials', this is perhaps an ironic metaphor for the underlying complexity of the refinement process that went into producing them and delivering them to me, I always offer them folding notes in large denominations every time I buy them but they insist on only charging me 75p.

https://www.aldi.co.uk/en/product-r...tials/ps/p/everyday-essentials-porridge-oats/

... and if you think I'm joking, give them a try - they really are good ... of course, you need to know how to cook them  ...


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## deptfordmarmoset (4 Oct 2013)

Radchenister said:


> My oats are the finest that Aldi can offer, they come in a flour style bag - a minimalist's dream, marked 'everyday essentials', this is perhaps an ironic metaphor for the underlying complexity of the refinement process that went into producing them and delivering them to me, I always offer them folding notes in large denominations every time I buy them but they insist on only charging me 75p.
> 
> https://www.aldi.co.uk/en/product-r...tials/ps/p/everyday-essentials-porridge-oats/
> 
> ... and if you think I'm joking, give them a try - they really are good ... of course, you need to know how to cook them  ...


75p is too measly for Muesli. (I'm only posting that because it's fun to say.)


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## Octet (4 Oct 2013)

Don't shoot my down with fire, but Ready Brek is just quick, simple and tastes good in my view.

One sachet, fill just over the marked line with milk (I like it runny) and then sprinkle sugar on top. Bish, bash, bosh and it's ready in two minutes at half the price of one of those instant cups of porridge.


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## snorri (5 Oct 2013)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> 75p is too measly for Muesli. (I'm only posting that because it's fun to say.)


 Lots of wordplay tonight this morning deptfordm... what are you on?


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## deptfordmarmoset (5 Oct 2013)

snorri said:


> Lots of wordplay tonight this morning deptfordm... what are you on?


I've been Leffe to my own devices.


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## slowmotion (5 Oct 2013)

Octet said:


> Don't shoot my down with fire, but Ready Brek is just quick, simple and tastes good in my view.
> 
> One sachet, fill just over the marked line with milk (I like it runny) and then sprinkle sugar on top. Bish, bash, bosh and it's ready in two minutes at half the price of one of those instant cups of porridge.


 BURN THE HERETIC!


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## palinurus (5 Oct 2013)

Water, soak overnight, cook in the morning. Salt, sugar or fruit depending on how I feel.


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## vernon (5 Oct 2013)

The Jewish method as taught by my father:

First borrow some oats.....


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## burndust (5 Oct 2013)

whites porridge oats for the win...i have the instant stuff at work mixed with water and a scoop of phd diet whey protein powder....belgian white chocc flavour


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## compo (5 Oct 2013)

Overnight in a slow cooker produces a rich creamy porridge from porridge oats and skimmed milk.


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## The Jogger (5 Oct 2013)

1/2 a cup of oats and a cup of rice milk, stir over a lowish heat until it reaches the right consistency, very nice.


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## Kies (5 Oct 2013)

The Indian method .... wait until the oats are on special ..... D I S C O U N T !


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## ColinJ (5 Oct 2013)

Kies said:


> The Indian method .... wait until the oats are on special ..... D I S C O U N T !


I think that 79p/kg is pretty cheap!

Incidentally, that is one of the things that always strikes me when people say that they can't afford to eat healthily, and live on jam sandwiches (whatever) instead.


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## deptfordmarmoset (5 Oct 2013)

You can have too much porridge though. The perfect scrambled eggs is a much finer art.


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## RedRider (5 Oct 2013)

ColinJ said:


> No thanks - Co-op Simply Value porridge oats today, 79p for a kilogram bag!


It's all relative. £1 is a lot for a small amount of oats but it's cheap and healthy compared to a sausage sandwich on the hoof. I don't know what I'd do without my Gregg's porridge. It allows me to be disorganised in the morning, gives me a break at elevenses and I don't need to wash a pan.
Nowhere near as good as proper home made porridge, I'll give you that. I'm interested in toasting my oats as per the Guardian recommendation. I'll give it a try on my next day off and report back.


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## RedRider (5 Oct 2013)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> You can have too much porridge though. The perfect scrambled eggs is a much finer art.


 _Fresh_ eggs, not _too_ scrambled and _just_ runny enough. But where do you stand on adding a dribble of milk?


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## Radchenister (5 Oct 2013)

Unless you keep your own chooks you're simply not qualified to discuss eggs, end of  .


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## deptfordmarmoset (5 Oct 2013)

Radchenister said:


> Unless you keep your own chooks you're simply not qualified to discuss eggs, end of  .


My cock lays eggs. 

Oh, no milk, never!


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## Radchenister (5 Oct 2013)

Oh dear, thread well and truly derailed.


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## screenman (5 Oct 2013)

Porridge Oats are very high in phytates. Phytates are found in many plant foods, as they are the principal form of storage of phosphorous in plant tissues, particularly in grains, legumes and seeds. Phytates are indigestible to humans and other non-ruminant animals however, and therefore are not a dietary source of phosphorous.

Further to this, phytates chelate to other minerals in food such as zinc, iron, calcium and magnesium, thus preventing them from being absorbed via digestion!

Must admit I am a cereal porridge eater, my recipe is top secret, in other words varies from day to day.


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## avalon (5 Oct 2013)

Octet said:


> Don't shoot my down with fire, but Ready Brek is just quick, simple and tastes good in my view.


Mmmmm, Ready Brek. Can't get that down here.


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## youngoldbloke (5 Oct 2013)

Half a cup raisins (Aldi), half a cup to overflowing oats (Lidl), One and half cups cold water, bring to boil, stir till thickens, simmer for 5 minutes. Leave to cool 5 minutes. serve with 3+ tablespoons low fat Greek style yogurt (Lidl). Easy.


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## sheffgirl (6 Oct 2013)

I don't like cycling on a full stomach and would have to get up ridiculously early to have breakfast before work. So I take those instant sachets of Oat so simple to work. Golden syrup flavour with full fat milk, yum. Only trouble is it doesn't keep me full until lunch. I'm always hungry, especially this week, been eating tons of chicken.


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## avalon (6 Oct 2013)

sheffgirl said:


> Only trouble is it doesn't keep me full until lunch. I'm always hungry, especially this week, been eating tons of chicken.


Cake and biscuits, that's what you need to keep the hunger away until lunch, cake and biscuits.


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## Richard A Thackeray (7 Oct 2013)

ColinJ said:


> No thanks - Co-op Simply Value porridge oats today, 79p for a kilogram bag!


Yep!!!
Me too,
With 'full-fat' milk, cane sugar, & Co-Ops cheapest bags of Mixed Fruit from the bakery section

Can't eat it before running to work on the early-turn, as it'd mean getting up at an even sillier hour (than 03:30), as I can't eat less than 3 hours before running (my own time-scale, found by experimentation)


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## DaveReading (7 Oct 2013)

Don't even try to make porridge without using a spirtle (or spurtle, if you must).


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## youngoldbloke (7 Oct 2013)

Wooden spoon works for me. No need to stir continuously.


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## Julia9054 (7 Oct 2013)

Taught my year 11 class to make porridge today.
I'm a science teacher and we have been doing some work on healthy eating. I was surprised by how many of them come to school without breakfast so I borrowed the cookery room and we made porridge washed down with fruit smoothies.


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## Bodhbh (7 Oct 2013)

100g oats in a bowl, stir an egg and handful of sultanas in, about a pint of milk, 5mins in microwave, stir, another 2-3mins, honey, nutmeg and cinamonn on top. But I eat that for tea if I'm on a diet, if I'm riding the bike I eat wtf I like.


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## marzjennings (8 Oct 2013)

I love the positive spin of this post, suggesting that, somehow, through the application of good cooking skills porridge can be made into something other than nasty goo in a bowl. It's like saying there are good and bad mushy peas, nope, it still just green sludge.


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## youngoldbloke (8 Oct 2013)

marzjennings said:


> I love the positive spin of this post, suggesting that, somehow, through the application of good cooking skills porridge can be made into something other than nasty goo in a bowl. It's like saying there are good and bad mushy peas, nope, it still just green sludge.


Nonsense


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## ceejayh (10 Oct 2013)

marzjennings said:


> I love the positive spin of this post, suggesting that, somehow, through the application of good cooking skills porridge can be made into something other than nasty goo in a bowl. It's like saying there are good and bad mushy peas, nope, it still just green sludge.



How dare you...mushy peas are amazing .


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## ceejayh (10 Oct 2013)

If I do porridge, I use the old school cheating method:

Porridge sachets from Aldi (or possibly Lidl!!), milk and lob it all in a pan...yes, a pan....who needs microwaves!!!

Oh, and sometimes a squeeze of honey, or fruit of my choice (blueberries, apricots, sultanas etc.).


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## Boris Bajic (10 Oct 2013)

I used to do a little housebreaking (and am not proud of it).

In a wooded area near my home, I broke into a cottage where I found three bowls of porridge.

It's a long story and involves vandalism and a nasty fright from some huge forest fauna, but the upshot is that the middle bowl of porridge was the one closest to what I look for in a healthy breakfast.

It was hot, but not too hot.  I think that's the trick. The biggest bowl was too hot and the smallest was too cool. Temperature seems to be critical in this matter and my experience that night would seem to prove it.

I hope I have helped.


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## Trevrev (11 Oct 2013)

Oats, raisins, set honey, ground linseed, milk......Nuke for 1 mintue 30 seconds.
Simple. Oh, it needs to go into a bowl of some sort first!


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## RichardWHardwick (23 May 2014)

Right, I know this thread finished ages ago, but I'd like to throw my haypenneth (?) in....

porridge oats and double the water in a pan, slowly bubbling away, adding cinnamon (quite a lot) and then more cinnamon when it's cooked, give it a stir and open a tin of prunes in apples juice and chuck some of that on. Gorgeous and good for you !


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## Boo (23 May 2014)

Perfect porridge?

Get oats. 
Add hot milk. 
Stir.
Place in bin.
Have bacon sandwich.


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## FeistySquirrel (23 May 2014)




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## jefmcg (23 May 2014)

marzjennings said:


> I love the positive spin of this post, suggesting that, somehow, through the application of good cooking skills porridge can be made into something other than nasty goo in a bowl. It's like saying there are good and bad mushy peas, nope, it still just green sludge.


I agree, cooked porridge is nasty goo. Wallpaper glue. The trick (with porridge) IMHO is not to cook it at all. Mix oatmeal and yoghurt, leave for an hour (or overnight) add sugar or jam or fruit if you like. Not gluey, just yoghurty


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## Fab Foodie (23 May 2014)

ayceejay said:


> Porridge is recommended as food to fuel your ride, but do you know how to do it well?
> This thorough explanation from the Guardian may have you cooking the perfect porridge _instead_ of riding you bike.
> http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/nov/10/how-to-cook-perfect-porridge


There's no such thing as 'perfect Porridge' it's yuk and should be kept north of the border with large spikey sticks ....


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## DWiggy (23 May 2014)

25% oats 75% milk nuke for 2mins leave to stand for 1min, sugar and eat! perfect every time, used to nuke for 3mins but it used to overflow!


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## MontyVeda (23 May 2014)

ColinJ said:


> No thanks - Co-op Simply Value porridge oats today, 79p for a kilogram bag!


and amazingly... you can just add water*!

*although i prefer half milk half water... and salt.


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## compo (23 May 2014)

I always have a big bowl of porridge before a long ride. However, the other day I did a 60 miler on 4 Shredded Wheat (I'm a big lad) and must admit I felt much better than usual beyond 60 miles. OK, this was not scientific and proves nothing as there are so many other variables and it was a one off because I had run out of porridge. Back to porridge tomorrow for my long ride!


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## Trickedem (23 May 2014)

half a cup of oats, half of cup of water, half a cup of milk, pinch of salt. Leave to soak overnight in the fridge, then heat in the microwave for a couple of minutes. Perfect fuel for a bike ride.


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## john59 (23 May 2014)

40g of oats, 200 ml of skimmed milk. Heat in a microwave (850W) for 2 minutes and a teaspoon of honey! 

John


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## format (24 May 2014)

Oats, add boiled water from kettle, stir well, cover for 5 minutes. Done.

I like to add peanut butter, honey and bananas to mine!


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## ianrauk (24 May 2014)




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## theclaud (24 May 2014)

ianrauk said:


>




I don't know why this is still going on, since I settled the matter years ago. 

Pinhead oatmeal, soaked in water overnight. Pinch of salt. Boil, simmer and stir. Cold full-cream milk on top, brown sugar if you like. Certain frivolous occasional additions are permissible (e.g. prunes, whisky, cream, honey); others are not (e.g. cinnamon, bananas, nuts, yoghurt, soya milk).

That is all.


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## MattMM (27 May 2014)

As a native Scot who's spent a fair bit of time in the USA with associated diner food, I quite like maple syrup on mine....


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## theclaud (28 May 2014)

MattMM said:


> As a native Scot who's spent a fair bit of time in the USA with associated diner food, I quite like maple syrup on mine....



Luckily, that just about creeps in under this bit:



theclaud said:


> Certain frivolous occasional additions are permissible (e.g. prunes, whisky, cream, honey).


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## summerdays (28 May 2014)

Sainsburies porridge oats, with milk and raisins (occasionally cranberries), for 2 mins. Then either eaten leisurely if not working or more normally eat a spoonful, run around packing my bag, then another spoonful etc!


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## Ian A (28 May 2014)

[QUOTE 3103926, member: 9609"]Ready Breck could be the thing for the modern day cyclist
[/QUOTE]

I saw this episode of the the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air a few years ago and immediately thouhy of the old Ready Breck advert.

 .


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## Archie_tect (28 May 2014)

...and the snails?


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