Why I never cook steel cut oats on the stove

I don't know why I have an inability to cook steel cut oats on the stove, but I do.  I've tried to do this seemingly simple procedure several times and have always succeeded in making a total mess of it.  Case in point:

Would you want me doing this to your poor innocent stove? I think not.

I get everything set up, and I leave the room for a half hour after making sure that they are gently simmering in their water. I come back, and that was the sight that greeted me. Not much fun to clean up, trust me.

So how do I usually cook steel cut oats if not on the stove? I use a crock pot.  I discovered this method after a thorough introduction to steel cut oats over at the fat free vegan kitchen blog.

My slow cooker was given to me by my parents after they got a new one, so it is rather ancient (well, let's just say that they got it as a wedding present and have been married 25 years or so).  It takes me about 4 hours (sometimes 5) to cook my oats, but if I have homework or reading that needs to be, it is convenient to go stir it whenever I need to take a break.  I cook two cups at a time, which gives me enough oats for an entire week's worth of breakfasts.

I really like steel cut oats because they are rather filling and a whole grain.  To reheat my oats, I get a few scoops of cooked oats that are congealed and pour a little non-dairy milk over them.  I put this in the microwave for a minute or so. Then I add a little maple syrup, ground flax seeds, and frozen raspberries and microwave it for another minute or two. Stir well, and you have a very satisfying breakfast indeed.