Instant Oatmeal in UK?

How are you all doing your oats in the microwave? Every time I've tried it in the past they explode over the side of the bowl and make a huge mess (and I lose half my porridge) so I just do them on the stove. But the microwave would be quicker in the morning with half the dishes to wash...

I had a problem with exploding oats and huge messes when I was making porridge in the microwave last year. I was using a small jug, but it wasn't big enough and the mixture still overflowed, so in the end I went with what my mum does when she makes porridge and used a small glass casserole dish without the lid (it wasn't massive, but was big enough that the porridge didn't overflow).

I use a bigger bowl & I don't think our microwave has crazy power (it was a cheapie).  I keep my eye on it, and stir it about 3-4 minutes in - which stops its climb up the walls of the bowl for a bit.  I don't cover it.

aye i use a bigger bowl.. just put the sachet in.. put milk in and put it in for the time on the box. 2 min i think.. and stop n stir about half way through ..
I don't cover mine either ..

Where are you, which asda?  I have been wanting some good ole but not really that good, kraft mac and cheese.

I get the blue box Kraft Mac and Cheese in Nottingham at Asda (I've seen it in all of them that I've been to) in the Caribean section.  I've also found it in most of the Caribean shops (and Kool-Aid, which Tesco also sells) around town.  The shop across the road from our old place sold a red box of Kraft Pasta and Cheese, but it is not the same thing. 

As for oatmeal, I just use the cheapo instant stuff from Tesco and add butter and brown sugar. I like it really thick and barely cooked so it only takes a couple of minutes.  I also make it on the hob since I don't like to eat it out of the bowl I made it in.

How are you all doing your oats in the microwave? Every time I've tried it in the past they explode over the side of the bowl and make a huge mess (and I lose half my porridge) so I just do them on the stove. But the microwave would be quicker in the morning with half the dishes to wash...

Do you cover your bowl with cling film? Or only put a tiny bit of oats in a giant bowl or something? Are your microwaves on 50% power or do you have puny wattage (ours is a 900W behemoth)?

I'm clearly failing at the microwave porridge thing...

We've got a 1kw oven - about a cup of oats in a bowl, cover with milk, add chopped banana or some blueberries, spoon of honey, sprinkle of cinnamon, cook for 2 mins.

Instant oats...    Too much added sugar & other added stuff.

Best oats ever:  Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Whole, Rolled Porridge Oats.

They're coarse, not finely ground.  Into the bowl, milk to cover plus a bit, 5 minutes in the microwave (with a stir in the middle) - Bob's your uncle!

My favourite variations are a really ripe banana (all mashed up) cooked right into the oats, or a little bit of that Lyle's maple-flavoured golden syrup.  Yum! 

Hmm.... it does sound much healthier than the instant ones... hehe. So, since I don't have a microwave, what are the stove top instructions for this?

Thanks for all the tips!

This morning, I measured out one cup of my organic rolled oats (ditto, Mrs Robinson!), put that in a bowl along with some dried blueberries, and added cold water until it covered up the oats. I put it in the microwave at full power for exactly 2 minutes, and stirred halfway through... and it didn't explode! So I don't quite know what I was doing wrong before but it worked great this morning, thanks! The rolled oats were cooked exactly to my liking, too - mushy with a little bit of texture left. I just added some milk and agave nectar after cooking and YUM!

(how excited am I that I rediscovered the big bag of HFCS-free dried blueberries my mom brought over last summer??)

Thanks for all the suggestions - off to Tesco's and Sainesbury's I go. 

That is what I love about this site.  Whenever I ask my husband an foreign/odd question like where can I buy instant oatmeal, he always says to go and ask uk-yankee.com!

Think I am going to start with the Oats So Simple and add the butter and brown sugar. 

Maple and brown sugar instant oatmeal was a favorite of my dear grandmother, too, who always added extra butter to it for me - not the healthiest thing, I know, but that's the way we did things down south Georgia.

Thanks everyone

Hmm.... it does sound much healthier than the instant ones... hehe. So, since I don't have a microwave, what are the stove top instructions for this?

Bananas are healthy!  Golden syrup - not so much...  Stove top I'd just bung it in a saucepan & cook it until it was the consistency I liked.  I find porridge hard to mess up really - too dry?  Add more milk.  Too soupy?  Cook it a bit longer. 

But that porridge is amazing!  (the Sainsburys one)

I have a bag of Tesco rolled oats...I literally put on the kettle pour some oats, add water, sprinkle brown sugar and blueberries. TADA
I did add a little butter today from this thread and it was GOOD

No micro, no stove top just the bowl and a kettle

I did add a little butter today from this thread and it was GOOD

Butter makes all the difference.  Not so healthy, but oh so tastey

No micro, no stove top just the bowl and a kettle

Do you make yours thick with just the kettle?  I use water usually cause the milk makes it too rich after you add the butter.  How long to you let it sit?

Butter makes all the difference.  Not so healthy, but oh so tastey

Do you make yours thick with just the kettle?  I use water usually cause the milk makes it too rich after you add the butter.  How long to you let it sit?

I pour the boiling water and stir until I get it how I want it...It sits until I get blueberries in and brown sugar and by the time I walk to sit with it lol

not very long but its good

Where are you, which asda?  I have been wanting some good ole but not really that good, kraft mac and cheese.

I have seen it at the ASDA in Hulme, in the foreign food aisle, as well as from their online delivery service.

I find doing oatmeal in the microwave takes just as long as on the hob and can be more messy sometimes if you are not actually watching it like a hawk, so I just do it the hob method.

I get the blue box Kraft Mac and Cheese in Nottingham at Asda

I've never tried the Kraft macaroni cheese, just wonder if any one craving/missing that have tried the Batchelor's Pasta 'n' Sauce macaroni cheese, and if this is anything like?