We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. 22: An earlier version of this article stated that Bob’s Red Mill was founded in Oatmeal bars, it was founded in Oregon. The owners previously owned another mill, Moores’ Flour Mill, based in California.

Humans have been digging into breakfast cereals for centuries. But, it wasn’t until 1856, when Ferdinand Schumacher began chopping and packaging oats in a more consumable way for his fellow Ohioans to eat, that the demand for oatmeal started rapidly growing in the United States, writes Ohio History Central. After several mergers, Schumacher’s company would eventually become Quaker Oats, an enterprise known for turning oatmeal into a breakfast staple. Per The Daily Beast, instant oatmeal can be an unexpected source of sugar — but it can also still be a nutritious option for those who need a quick, warm meal.

The good news is most brands now make a wide range of oatmeal styles. We’ve ranked the top ready-to-cook oatmeal brands from worst to best so that you don’t have to sort through every oatmeal offering on the market. As you’ll see, some choices are a cut above the rest. Better Oats is owned by the consumer brand Post, which also owns such cereals as Raisin Bran and Honeycomb. With more than 18 types of Better Oats, it’s clear the brand is focused on making a warm porridge that everyone will love. Their variety is appreciated, but the quality is inconsistent across the entire range.

Brown Sugar with Protein, for example, have an odd texture. One Better Oats reviewer even described the taste of the added protein pellets as having a thick, wet-paper texture. The Bare version also seems to have some issues clumping up, leaving another Better Oats reviewer to report the style as soup-like. A redeeming quality is that there’s likely to be one decent flavor with a product range so extensive. It just depends on the what you try. Oatmeal is one of the simple pleasures in life. Many common flavor combinations shine in oatmeal — like apples and cinnamon, for example.

Plus, there is a general cooking rule that if you’ve prepared one oatmeal, you’ve prepared them all. Unfortunately, Bear Naked may be the exception. The brand has managed to make oatmeal preparation downright confusing. Bear Naked reviewers recount that some oats have repelling qualities, like the odor of chemicals in place of the earthy saccharine of maple syrup. It’s also not a portion that is filling enough to be considered breakfast, with one Amazon reviewer referring to it as downright “tiny.

As a family-run business, One Degree Organic Foods values transparency and clean ingredients. Their website even contains a product tracer for consumers to enter a source code and find more information about the contents’ origins. A few customers have reported the bag smelling and tasting stale upon opening, even with an expiration date far in the future. Some Thrive Market customers have even associated the smell with a sour odor. As Walmart’s house brand, Great Value produces a budget-friendly version of our favorite foods and essential commodities.

Being affordable is a great thing, but there are other factors to having successful oats. Great Value is available in canister form or instant oatmeal packets and comes in basic styles like old-fashioned or steel-cut oats. Cinnamon — don’t pop as they should. One Walmart customer described Great Value oats as lacking flavor entirely. In our opinion, the tastes are too subtle and the texture is oddly dry. As the brand name suggests, Great Value offers enough of a bargain to make it a better choice than other oatmeal companies, but a good deal often requires compromises. These certainly aren’t the worst oats you’ll ever taste, but they also won’t be the best.

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly oat, you can rely on Great Value. We recommend preparing plain oatmeal with your own favorite additions to make the best taste. Mush Ready to Eat Oatmeal is the breakfast for cool kids. It’s got slick branding and some unique flavors. But does that alone make it the perfect oatmeal?

Mush makes readily consumable oatmeal that comes in dessert tastes like vanilla, chocolate, coffee, and a few berry flavors. There’s no need to add water or heat any of them. Think of Mush as overnight oats served at room temperature or colder. The cups are plant-based, high in protein, full of fiber, and free of dairy, preservatives, gluten, and artificial ingredients. That all sounds promising, but how does Mush taste? Spy tried the oats and noted that some flavors were hit or miss. The strawberry, for example, was classic but underwhelming.

5 per cup, Mush is more expensive than any other oatmeal on our list. Bakery on Main got its start in 1992 as a gluten-free breakfast and snack food producer. Since then, gluten-free has been the backbone of their range. The instant oatmeal cups are available in flavors like Walnut Banana and Cranberry Apple Almond. There are also two high-protein flavors — one in blueberry and another with maple and brown sugar notes.

It’s impressive that the assortment offers a variety of flavors in different formats, with no overlap between the cups and the instant oatmeal packets. As for taste, Baker on Main uses ancient grains like amaranth, chia, and flax in their oats. This gives a nice texture, but ultimately it feels like they oversell the intended flavor and quality of their product since the grains are paired with a lot of added sugar. Bakery on Main tries to offer more natural tasting oatmeal, but the sweetness levels are off — they’re either too low or too high, depending on the flavor. This oatmeal brand isn’t bad, but reviewers aren’t delighted with it either. If Bakery on Main can standardize and balance its flavors, it may quickly become a more nutritious breakfast go-to.