The main types of oats you'll see most often. Rolled oats - steamed and flattened oats, mostly used for oatmeal, granola, and baking. Steel-cut oats - chopped oats with a nuttier texture and longer cooking time. I use them in my savory miso oatmeal Instant oats - these are pre-cooked and dried so you can make them quickly just by adding hot water.