[ManicMum]

Just thought I'd share this with you all as I've worked out the best method for my family.  It took several goes which weren't brilliant although the hungry troops valiantly ate it with comments about it being a bit overdone!

For 5 or 6 adults, I use 3pts water & half pint of milk (better colour & texture) and 3 mega heaped cups of oats, plus a few raisins.  Loads of opportunity for other extras.....

BUTTER THE DISH well so it washes more easily.

Then pour in the water, add oats and raisins - and stir if you're a cordon bleu wannabe, but it works fine without dirtying a spoon.

Use a timer to switch on the slow cooker around 3 hours before the first person surfaces: I set it to run from 3am to 7.30am.

My son & his girlfriend eat theirs just after 6am, then the rest of us eat around 7/7.15 and we all get lovely hot filling bowls of porridge and it's just right for all of us - no way you can keep it hot in a saucepan.

Pot straight into soak when it's empty - washes easily after about half an hour.

[arugula]

That's handy, thanks ManicMum.  I might well try this as we are approaching porridge season and its an awful rush in the morning to cook it when we get up - we're on muesli just now which at least I can make in batches ready for serving. 

[daisy1990]

I will probably be shot down in flames but I do mine in the microwave and really cant tell the difference!

[Springlands]

I will probably be shot down in flames but I do mine in the microwave and really cant tell the difference!

I TRY to do mine in the micro - it just spills everywhere.    And then I have to clean up the miss in the micro.     

[mumofstig]

I will probably be shot down in flames but I do mine in the microwave and really cant tell the difference!

if you're only doing it for one or 2 it's easy in a big measuring jug that's deep enough not to boil over

[arugula]

We've tried making the porridge in the microwave - it seems to take as long as it does in a pan on the hob. 

[mumofstig]

maybe, but I don't have to stand and watch/stir it like I would on the hob....I'm off opening the catflap and the greenhouses...by the time I come back it's pinged and ready
and i'm a slob so I can eat it out of the dish it was cooked in 

[aelf]

As an interesting aside, we sometimes make porrage on our scout camps using a haybox. The night before, fill a dixie with the required amount of oats and milk and bring to the boil. Then, take it off the heat, put a tight fitting lid on and place the dixie in a large cardboard box full of hay or straw. The hay has to be packed tightly all round the dixie and also beneath it. Put more hay over the lid and close up the box. Leave it on the table till morning and, hey presto - perfect hot porrage! 

may not be suitable for the home kitchen but works great at camp 

[sunshineband]

As an interesting aside, we sometimes make porrage on our scout camps using a haybox. The night before, fill a dixie with the required amount of oats and milk and bring to the boil. Then, take it off the heat, put a tight fitting lid on and place the dixie in a large cardboard box full of hay or straw. The hay has to be packed tightly all round the dixie and also beneath it. Put more hay over the lid and close up the box. Leave it on the table till morning and, hey presto - perfect hot porrage! 

may not be suitable for the home kitchen but works great at camp 

Now there's a blast from the past of our camping days when I was a child. Dad used to set this up last thing at night befre tucking us up in our sleeping bags 

[arugula]

What is a dixie please? Its not very helpful to google the word! 

[mumofstig]

cooking pot for campfires
http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photo-dixie-campfire--image8700245

[arugula]

Oh, a dutch oven. 

[aelf]

Oh, a dutch oven. 

Dutch ovens are usually cast iron or very heavy steel, sometimes enameled. A dixie is just any cooking pot with a lid, we have aluminium ones and stainless steel.

[Growster...]

I will probably be shot down in flames but I do mine in the microwave and really cant tell the difference!

if you're only doing it for one or 2 it's easy in a big measuring jug that's deep enough not to boil over

Snazzo's recipe for microwaved porridge - for two: -

5 level tablespoons oats
10 fl oz milk
2 fl oz water
1 level tablespoon flaked almonds
1 tablespoon sultanas

4 mins on high level, stirring halfway through... (time depends on your Microwave of course, may take a bit longer...)!

Wait a minute when the timer stops too!

[ManicMum]

Hmmmm - hadn't thought about it like this before, but is the slow cooker the 21st century version of the haybox?