Too Much Cream of Wheat?
Are there any Cream of Wheat aficionados in the audience? If so, can anyone tell me why my local supermarket gives me four choices for what should be one of the most basic foods on the shelf? See the picture below that I snapped yesterday. We apparently have a 10-Minute version, a 2.5-Minute version, a 1-Minute version, and an Instant version now:
I haven’t eaten Cream of Wheat since I still had my baby teeth, but is there really such a need for so many versions? I guess I understand the “10-Minute” and the “Instant” because usually food that takes longer to cook is better, but is there a palpable difference between the three quickest versions? And perhaps more importantly, if the stuff is to be eaten hot, how much quicker could “Instant” really be than “1-Minute”? Who is the person who needs to shave a few seconds off of their one-minute breakfast drill?
I’ve always been perplexed by that as well. I stick with the instant (and the variety pack at that) just because of time. I wonder if they were all made and sampled at once, if there would really be much of a difference between the instant, i munte and 2 1/2 minute.
Shelf space. If they make four varieties, many stores will stock all four and shelve them next to each other, making the Cream of Wheat shelf space four wide.
I don’t know how popular Cream of Wheat is, but if it’s at all a niche product, grocers might only stock it one wide were there a single variety. This helps ensure sales won’t drop even further due to potential customers’ not finding it.
Not that I disagree that this is ludicrous.
It’s all about perception.
for the life of me, I cannot figure out what the difference between instant and 2-1/2 minute Cream of Wheat could be, but I bet someone at Nabisco has statistics regarding sales vs. number of perceived variants.
At the very least, because there are four “unique” variants of Cream of Wheat, the grocery store is required to give each shelf space, effectively quadrupling the exposure that only one box might achieve in the race for shelf real estate and consumer eyeballs.
Ugh, now I’m hungry for some Cream of Wheat.
Or Grape Nuts.
MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmm
I’m more of a Malt-O-Meal man myself. I think they stick to the one 10 to 15-minute version.
An underhanded shelf space land-grab… hmmm… interesting. I think you guys might be right. But if I’m Quaker, I’m probably filling those spaces with other flavors rather than other “speeds”.
Yeah, Ryan Platte is right on. It’s not about the product (some companies produce the same thing under different brands) but the shelf space. I remember when I first read about how supermarket shelves are divvied up…it was floored. It’s an amazing system of land grabbing. :)
Oh, and if I ate Cream of Wheat, I certainly wouldn’t admit it here. ;)
I used to work at a nursing home as a dietary aid, and I know that we would use the 10 minute when making a large batch of cream of wheat, but if we ran out in our individual kitchens (it was a complicated nursing home) we’d use the instant packes.
The difference between “1 minute” and instant is that all I had to do was pour on hot water, stir and it was ready rather than pour in water and microwave it for a minute. And when you have 30 minutes to serve 30 people 2 courses and dessert, every second counts.
I always thought the “10 minutes” sign on the box was how long it took to get through your body. That’s why I never touched the instant stuff…
Your self employed now, right? :)
I’ve been wondering the same thing about Coke and Pepsi lately.
Coke
Diet Coke
Caffiene Free Coke
Caffiene Free Diet Coke
Coke Zero
C2
Coke with Lime
Diet Coke with Lime
Cherry Coke
Diet Cherry Coke
I’m sure there are more varieties. Just can’t think of any more at this time. Weren’t there Lemon versions too?
This is a funny posting/conversation.
I actually like Cream of Wheat but hardly ever actually eat it; but I did eat it quite frequently at the Chow Hall while I was in the Army.
As to the coke question..
There is a Coke/diet coke With Lemon
and a Coke/diet coke with Vanilla as well
In order to make it more instant, they remove some of the roughage (dietary fiber) which takes more time to get soft in hot water. By removing that roughage, they significantly decrease the dietary goodness of the food. They basically reduce what is a wholesome meal into a sugar rush and continue the countries move toward 100% probability of adult onset diabetes by age 12.
Because there are many “fad” diets these days which point out this problem, I’m sure that quaker was feeling the push toward whole grain carbohydrates vs. processed carbohydrates right in their pocket book. Someone smart at quakerfigured out a way to sell to both the rat racers and the dieters all on one shelf.
…
Vanilla Coke
Diet Vanilla Coke
Coke with Lemon
Diet Coke with Lemon
Diet Coke with Splenda
Mezzo Mix (Orange Coke), is quite good. Unfortunately, it’s only available in Germany & the Atlanta Coca-Cola Museum.
Coke Zero is Diet Coke with two sweeteners (Aspartame and Ace-K), rather than just Aspartame. It tastes better than regular Diet Coke, but it’s still just as dangerous (as is anything else with artificial sweeteners):
http://www.mercola.com/article/aspartame/
http://www.lightparty.com/Health/DietCokeAspartame.html
Another concerning issue I’ve found with food packaging is the glut of adjectives package designers will tack onto the name of the product.
Fox example, the store brand of my local grocer’s chain includes “chocolate iced sour cream cake donuts”
All can be used for breakfast. But the other longer cooking ones can be used to create actual meals using different types of foods.
Cream of wheat good. Ask Eric said and the roughage guy that are they key differences.
I actually use the 10 minute most of the time as the basis of my morning meal combined with protein powder (yes I am a programmer and I lift weights). So heres a recipe for you
1 - 1 1/2 servings of Cream of Wheat
1 scoop of your favorite vanilla protein powder or packet or MRP powder
such as Myoplex lite. ( oh other flavors fine though dont add next ingredient)
few drops of almond extract to taste
Splenda to taste
This meal will supply you good protein and vitamins and good carbs.
Oh and Coke Zero uses a artificial sweetener blend of Aspartame and Splenda
Cream of Wheat is a tough beast to tame. Try to cook it too quickly and you end up with lumps; too slowly and you’re drinking a dough milkshake. I think the four varieties should really be considered skill levels, with, obviously, the 10-minute version demonstrating the most breakfast prowess.
Four distinct levels guarantee each cook an accurate ranking of his or her abilities. You might be a Level 2 (1-minute) Cream-of-Wheater, with +3 Lump Control, for instance, while I am a Level 3 (2.5-Minute) with +5 Salt-to-Tastiness. Obviously, were we ever to meet on the field of Breakfast, I would win and earn the right to pillage your pantry.
Feaverish: You just blew my mind.
Kevin: Please don’t refer to Bryn as “roughage guy”. He’s a friend of mine and has contributed a lot more to the world than unparalleled roughage wisdom. :)
Classic post. Reminds me of Seinfeld type comedy. “Is there really this big of a demand for Cream of Wheat? Am I missing something?”
You guys are cracking me up. Siendfield, D&D of Wheat, and ruffage. Classic.
BTW, Mike - I really like you site design. Even the “splash” page - all very clean looking.
So Mike, if you’re not enjoying Cream of Wheat (with a spoon of maple syrup) for breakfast what are you eating?
Greg: To be honest, I am not a breakfast guy at all. One grande iced mocha is all I take in the morning. First meal is around 1pm, dinner is whenever, and occasionally I’ll do a 2am “breakfast” of something like cold cereal or Eggo waffles.
On the coke sidebar… while I sincerely love vanilla coke—I love just about anything with vanilla rolled in, including my toothpaste—I have to say that I sampled Chocolate Coke at the Coke Store in Vegas last year while I was at a wedding, and it is perhaps one of the most vile things I can imagine. The initial Coke flavour is, well, Coke… but the kick of “really foul generic tootsie roll” chocolate flavour makes me want to wretch. I ended up throwing out the entire enormous cup of cola.
I am personally a Cream of Rice fellow, myself. Granted, I haven’t had it in ages, but we can’t deny our roots, now can we?
Think of all the time over the course of your life you might save by saving 2 minutes switching from 2.5 minute to instant.
If you saved two minutes every day, after forty years of eating this garbage every morning, you just saved 20.278 days.
That same reasoning can be applied to just about everything else in life, but for me at least, time in the morning is probably the best place to shave time off my day. I like to tweak my schedule to get the maximum sleep possible. If I can get 20.278 extra days of sleeping, I’m all for it.
Unfortunately I can’t get a lump sum :(
Yeah did mean to refer to Bryn as the “roughage” guy, just was in the midst of doing too many things and all.
Sorry Bryn.
Oh Mike, that breakfast of yours is killer. I mean you do know that breakfast is the most important meal, right? Have at least a Kashi bar with that iced mocha (sooo good but oh the calories).
By switching from my daily workday breakfast of 2 1/2 minute Cream of Wheat to the 1 minute Cream of Wheat, I have been able to shave 6.5 hours off my breakfast overhead over the last year. Hey, you do the math.
Mike,
Great observations. I wonder the same things when I see so many choices that are nearly identical. Funny though, I wrote a similar post on the same day regarding the plethora of Coke products but didn’t notice until now.
I used to love Cream of Wheat, but now I’m an even bigger fan of the 9+ grain hot cereals that just make my colon jump for joy. Some of them even have 13 grains. I had no idea so many grains existed. They’re tasty too, with butter and honey.
My grandma made the best cream of wheat in the world. Perfect every time. It didnt’ seem to take long at all. What’s the ‘original’ time for cooking it? Old-schoool cream-o-wheat. You can’t beat.
Chris, over at Moveable Walls, tackles an even bigger marketing issue.
They have chocolate Malt-o-Meal now? Does Coco Wheats still exist? I used to love these kinds of breakfast when I was a kid. Haven’t had it in years, though. Maybe I’ll have to buy some again!
I’m also going to say that the reasoning behind the variety of choices is to comandeer more shelf space. Seems like the big players do this a lot, whether through a variety of package sizes, very product subtle differences, etc. It’s too bad, because between that and slotting fees, it’s very hard for a product that’s not part of some multi-national conglomerate to crack a grocery aisle.
The one product that I’ve always wondered why we need so many choices for is toothpaste. There’s the regular, the tarter control, the whitening, the whitening + tarter control, the sensative, paste, gel, different flavors, etc. Then there are like 5 or 6 sizes. Crest has half an aisle alone!
What’s also interesting is that the “instant” version packaging is the only one that’s substantially different from the others.
Does this remind anyone of Brian Reagan’s take on the microwave instructions for Pop Tarts?
I saw that you can microwave Pop Tarts. What I want to know is, who is that busy? Oh, I want Pop Tarts, but I only have…OH MY GOD, THREE SECONDS, I’ll never have Pop Tarts that fast…wait a second…
Okay, boring question but… what are prices for these different varieties?
Maybe someone’s already asked this question.
Great conversation…the sort blokes have at 2am after too many lagers. And Pop Tarts…thought they stopped you microwaving them because too many people got burnt. Shouldn’t you guys (seems to be a guy site) be talking Golf? Or do you have Cream O’ Wheat before heading for the first? Anyway I think Cream O’ Wheat must be what we call Porridge in the UK. My wife gets one variety…burnt!
Mike, I couldn’t find a lot of info on your new business. I read about the new Mac and mouse etc, but have I missed a page?
Benjy….Yes Cocoa Wheats still exist. They are getting tougher to find, but if you have a Publix nearby they will order them in for you. I just had a delicious bowl of Cocoa Wheats myself! Yummy!
I happened to have tried all but one of those varieties of Cream of Wheat. There is no difference (to me) between 10 and 2.5 minutes. They are both good, best when cooked on the stove.
One minute and instant have a fake taste to them. However, since I eat breakfast at work after I work out, and I only have a microwave, instant is what I must eat–well diguised with smart balance margerine and splenda, cooked in non-fat milk instead of water. It was my favorite hot cereal as a kid, and I’m just into it again, 35 years later. I still go back to my Total when I’m looking for fiber…and who isn’t?!
Wow!!! A lot said about hot cereal and many other interseting items. I’m a chef at Yale University and I make Cream Of Wheat for my students evry Friday morning. I use 1 box of the 10 minute cook variety and it yields 2 gallons of cooked cereal. I could never get that much out of 1 box of the other kinds. I have tried them and they don’t taste as good or have the same richness or mouthfeel of the longer cooking type, and most students can tell it’s not quite the same.
porridge is not the same as cream of wheat. the closest think the us has to porridge is oatmeal, which is a rougher variety of the same basic thing (oat). cream of’s are not available in the uk, but so many other things are. right now i have a 48 pack of wheetabix in my pantry, because thats the biggest one i could get when i went over there this summer. i also have a giant ribena, about a case of Yorkshire tea (but not yorkshire gold, the refinement they do to it ruins it and i love plain better.), and 10 rolls of digestives. man, they should get digestives over to the us.
while you are all talking about cream of’s, there is no talk of grits. there is no substantial difference in them all, i think. Grits are yellow, but i am now eating an unknown (in a jar without a lable, but it looked cream-of enough, and i had some directions off a rice’ n shine box, which is brown rice cerial, and i used them kinda {same proportions} turned the burner on high [the only speed i use] and it was yummy in about 2 munits. since it was suposed to take 10, i supose it still has the ruffage, but it can be cooked in a shorter time period) that is rather yellow
just some thoughts
I am a fan of the 10-minute Cream of Wheat. I believe that it does not contain the additives necessary to break down the wheat so that it can be cooked in less time. Unfortunately the grocery stores in my town have, one-by-one, discontinued offering the 10-minute version.
Personally, I am not sure that I could stomache the stuff. You would think that after a century and a half they might take “Uncle Tom” (actually Rastus) off of the box!
There’s a book called The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz. His thesis is that people are happier with fewer choices. In our society we have so many choices. Often though, it seems that all the choices are the same thing. So that’s the paradox I guess. Lots of choices but no choice really. We must agonize over choices that don’t really matter so they aren’t really choices.
ee
Wow - the paradox of choice by Emily is interesting and Feaverish also thrilled me in a Iron-Chef way. To the victor, go the spoils.
Found this thread whilst looking for the 10 minute variety as just finished a box and cannot find the 10 minute for replacement. As for the shelf-space - shrewd idea, however years ago on 20/20 or somesuch the grocery store shelf space was all paid for in a mafia kick-back way so if true, they would be spending lots of dough on a relatively small seller. Coke makes much more sense buying shelf space as people buy that by the tanker-truck. I am in love with the 10-minute version.
Oh my gosh!!! You all have had me in absolute tears. I have not laughed so hard in ages. Came across the site on a Google search to find out what my newest craving of Cream O Wheat was REALLY comprised of. Similarly, I am trying to kick the Diet Coke 40-64 oz a day habit, so this was worth while. Although, I did find a few ladies chiming in on the conversation, watching you gentlemen speaking was better than any sitcom I have seen in years. From golf, to protein, the Instant through 10 minutes, you all have been amazing…for the UK porridge man whose wife does the burnt flavor….we cook it that way, to ensure you get all of the other vitamins, such as zinc and magnesium (I guess). Thanks for the laugh.
After reading the ongoing commentary, I’m assuming I may be one
of the few that has any taste buds… of course there is the difference
of 9-10 minutes in the cook up time, but a world of difference inflavor.
Sadly, back East in all of my local/large stores there is NO(none) 10
minute variety at all. I probed several Safeways, two Giant Foodstore
as well as a Superfresh store: No original Cream of Wheat. Very
trying when the ‘baby boomers’ are looking for foods that are whole-
some and satisfying to find such a mainstay MIA. We miss 10 minute
cream of wheat, a warm cereal choice for the winter gone from the
shelves. If you have the original 10-minute product you’re lucky.
Choiceless in Washington DC
Great post! I was actually eating Cream of Wheat and wondering what the nutritional info was and found this via Google. HA!
By the way, even the ‘origianal’ version contains no dietary fiber. I was pretty surprised. Neither original nor instant contains any sugar (unless you get a flavored kind, that is). What original does contain is 50% more carbohydrates and twice the protein.
original:
http://www.calorieking.com/foods/food/carbs-calories-in-breakfast-cereals-cooked-cream-of-wheat-regular-cooked_Y2lkPTM1NTQyJmJpZD0xJmZpZD02ODIyMCZwYXI9.html
instant:
http://www.calorieking.com/foods/food/carbs-calories-in-breakfast-cereals-cooked-cream-of-wheat-instant-cooked_Y2lkPTM1NTQyJmJpZD0xJmZpZD02ODIxOCZwYXI9.html
10 Minute variety found!!!
After no luck at my regular grocers, found the 10-Minute version in a “Food For Less” market. My sister also located in on a trip Idaho at a “Wal-Mart”. It might be politically incorrect, but the you’ve got to do, what you need to do!
New hope for the choice-less.
Good luck to all.
Yes, there’s a great difference in taste, with the original being the best. A few years ago, I compared all of the boxes and I believe that I saw that the original had less sodium. Seems that the quicker they cook, the more sodium is contained. I also cannot find the original in the Philadelphia area, so whenever I do find it, I stock up and ignore the dating.
I have been a fan of Cream of Wheat since childhood. I decided to look for some nutritional information beyond the box and I found this site. I am amazed to say the least… I don’t believe that I have ever had or seen the 10 minute version. I use the 2 1/2 minute made slightly thick. Since WIC provides vouchers to families with children who could benefit from items such as cereals, dairy products etc. The super markets in my area do not stock all varieties of the wholesome hot cereal, perhaps to keep confussion to a minimum since Cream of Wheat is one of the items listed on the vouchers. Anyway it is a great hot cereal.
I would dearly like to know where I can get the 10 minute version since it seems to have disappeared from every shelf I find.
MISSING THE 10 MINUTE VARIETY PACKAGE WHERE CAN I FIND IT IN CHICAGO
There is a big difference in taste between 1 minute and instant Cream of Wheat, i’ll say instant is “real”. Something definately is missing from 1 minute one…
I was standing infront of those very four packages yesterday. NOt only was I feeling my head start to ache as I made the right choice, I was also longing for the flavors my mom use to get us when we were kids. Not caring about the time it took to make….
. What happen to the flavors?? I loved my lumpy Banana………..
No 10-minute Cream of Wheat in San Francisco either. Has Nabisco stopped making it altogether? I’m totally bummed because the 10-minute is so much better than the short cooking time varieties. I guess people now are so used to the “instant” versions of things that they don’t realize how much better the real ones are.
The answer to the question is: 2 1/2 minutes. Pure and simple. You get the creaminess of the longer version without the 10-minute wait. The 1 minute and instant do not have the full body texture and flavor of the longer versions.
Cook it exactly 2 1/2 minutes, stirring constantly (this IS important), thenturn off the burner and let it sit for about 30 seconds. You can add some additional milk if it gets too thick. Don’t forget to put in some honey and a teaspoon of real creamery butter. Yum!
Recently I was looking for some Cream of Wheat to replace some iron in my diet, but after doing a variety of comparisons, I’ve settled upon a box that just says “Farina” with this creepy blue-eyed kid which clearly has been featuring on boxes for the past four decades, which claims to be made by a company called, appropriately, Farina Mills. It has 50% of my daily iron needs instead of 40%, and the serving size measured a bit smaller. They also crammed twice as much into the box as the comparably sized Cream-of-Wheat, and wasn’t in single-serving packets like all the Cream-of’s were at my store (they also had more different flavors than times…for the record, this was a Stop and Shop in Connecticut). Unfortunately, the instructions got smudged a bit since my cart was wet, but this brand claims to cook in two minutes…not bad. I can’t quite get over the nostalgia for the name-brand, but the old-fashioned box with the paragraph about how nice and traditional it is to have a hot bowl of farina with family creates its own false nostalgia…in a few months, I won’t remember the difference.
Hello, i actually eat cream of wheat every day for dinner, and i think it’s one of the best cereals, because the calories of cream of wheat are not stored as fat, as other foods, i think it’s because it’s less starchy than other cereals and other carbohydrates
Can’t find 10 minute C/W in South Orange Co. CA either.
Anybody know what’s up?
what in the world is is diff between cream of the wheat and ralston???
have a cookie recipie useing ralston and the bleeping web site is messsing “wit’ my head.
Ummm spell check would be nice for all us dyslexics (sp) out here. struggling……
and yep i can post said recipie if no one can find it. I am tempted to try the c of w. mmmmmm. good in pancakes too. have a swell spring, i think my little pillls must be working!!! hooray.
i prefer my cream of wheat lumpy, any tricks that people know that will help me achieve my desired consistancy
Question anyone…. I poured my cream of wheat into a plastic bag and the directions were thrown away, can anyone tell me the measurement again please? (What part milk to the TBSP etc)
I have trouble finding the long cook CoW. These days everyone is in such a hurry and that’s a shame because the taste difference between Instant and long cook is immense. Just as it is with Long cook vs Instant Grits.
Best way to cook Cream of Wheat is with milk instead of water.
You may be interested to know that “cream of wheat” is also known as semolina.
It is part of Indian cuisine. In fact most hindu religious functions end with distribution of cooked semolina loaded with ghee (clarified butter) and spiced with cardamom.
Try this recipes: Suji/Semolina
and Soji Halwa
I prefer the short-cook COW over instant. As far as lumps go…when I cook COW, I have a metal whisk (as per instructions), and I am stirring as I am adding the COW to the boil. This minimizes lumps greatly.
Cream Of Wheat tens to be fairly expensive here in NYC, so I started experimenting with the Pathmark store brand. You have to follow the instructions closely to make good COW with a store brand I am finding, but I’ll save at least $2 on a comparable box.
Hi,
Here is a link: http://media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/69/04712685/0471268569.pdf
for some interesting reading.
The product with the longer cooking time will, in my opinion, taste better. Europeans, Middle Eastern countries, as well as India, just to mention a few, use Farina/Semolina for a variety of desserts and in cakes. You wouldn’t get the same results with the Instant or the 1-Minute Cream of Wheat variety. I consider you lucky that you have such a choice. I didn’t even know that there were varieties other than the Instant and the 1-Minute Cream of Wheat. Check out the recipe for Ravani at this link: http://www.greek-recipe.com/static/content/Syrup_Cake.html
Cheerio,
Angel
What ticks me off is my favorite is Maple Cream of Wheat and I can only find it in my area if I buy one of the combo packs.
Mike,
At least you have the option to buy the 10 minute Cream of Wheat if you want to. I’ve been trying to find it in the southwest Pennsylvania area for some time now. Does anyone know where I can find some ?
Chuck
Poor talksma247 didn’t ever find out how to cook their C.o.W. For the 2 1/2 minute version, bring 1 1/4 cups water (or milk) with dash of salt to boil, then s_l_o_w_l_y add 3 Tbsp C.o.W., constantly stirring while adding the cereal. For 2 servings, use 2 cups water, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/3 Cup C.o.W.
For a non-lumpy cereal, the ’stirring while slowly pouring cereal’ is a very important detail. (Cordrew might try dumping the cereal in all at once, or at least somewhat quickly, and not stirring the boiling mixture right away to get their desired lumpy version of C.o.W.)
The shortest cooking versions would be somewhat less healthy, and they have a different consistency as well, more mushy instead of full-bodied.
Finally! Thank you Denise for the directions!!! I had been checking back a few times when I remembered to and was happy to see someone noticed! :)
ok…I confess I am a cream of wheat fan. I actually have a strong dislike for oat meal… I used to travel nationwide on my job, and cream of wheat offered me a quick option with more nutritional content than a doughnut. I do however want to mention that while i really dont care whether it takes me ten minutes or one minute to create a quick meal for the sake of survival, I object strongly to the fact that they have removed flavor choices. Being somewhat selective (according to some, damn picky) I ONLY like apples and cinnamon cream of wheat. This is no longer on the shelves. I have to buy a mult-flavored pack that offers only two packs of the flavor I like. Meanwhile, back at the “super” market I can buy 47 different flavors of oat meal! Tell me, is this a conspiracy against cream of wheat eaters everywhere? Perhaps I will have to resort to McMuffins in protest.
HELLO ALL: I would like to ask and add an opinion about Cream of Wheat. Well the thing is that I eat cream of wheat every night because i have a slow metabolic rate and i have noticed with time that CREAM of WHEAT is one of the best starchy carbohydrates of all starchy-carbohydrates that won’t get accumulated in the body as fat and water. When i eat rice, potatoes, breads, corn flakes, oatmeal, etc. or other types of starches in my diet AT NIGHT, i would get bloated and fat real easy. And tha’s why i like to deffend and promote the comsumption of cream of wheat and Farina, thanx all
i always use the 2 1/2 minute even tho it usullay takes longer to get it good and thick. my grandmas secret recipe is to put it on a plate(not bowl) and put butter and the secret ingrediant………nesquik chocolate powder
im from tennessee thats how i know all this stuff! go vols
Hello again: I would like to add something. I don’t know if there are different types of cream of wheat ingredients, but i’ve noticed that some cream of wheat brands have wheat farina, while others have wheat farina but also wheat flour added to them. Because i compared Wal-Mart’s Cream of wheat with Nabisco cream wheat and they have different ingredients
Having just found this discussion, after great sadness at not finding 10-minute cream of wheat at my grocery store, I must ad my vote to the 10-minute side of this discussion. It’s so much smoother!
A new recipe for the group:
My grandmother used to make cream of wheat for my sister and I every weekend. She followed the recipe that her mother used to make for her in Moravia. I can’t give you any measurements (measurements were seen as gauche in the family), but the gist is: cook with milk instead of water, and sugar instead of salt. When ready to eat, serve in a relatively thin circle on a flat plate and sprinkle a layer of ground semi-sweat chocolate on top. Eat in a circle around the plate working towards the center, in order to prevent burning your tongue on the hot cream of wheat. The result: Griesskasch mit Schokolade.
(If anyone finds the 10-minute variety in Seattle, Washington … let me know!)
It’s all a matter of taste. If your taste buds have been entirely deadened by eating bland processed crap, the instant or quick will be sufficient. Why put any more work into flavorless gruel than you need to? However, if you really want a rich, roasted grain taste with a nice mouth feel, then you want the 10 minute variety which, because there are so few people out there who actually seem to have tastebuds anymore, is very hard to find!
Why worry about the box make your own by some wheat berries grind them up tell they are well ground add to boiling water and let cook much better then the box kind much healthier because you get the nutrients the box looses and your not eating all those chemicals to preserve it
Somebody mentioned grits being the same or similar as C/W because they look similar, but they are not the same, and taste nothing alike.
Grits are made from hominy, in the corn family (if you’ve ever had CornNuts, that’s hominy). C/W should be eaten sweet, grits should NOT be eaten sweet. When preparing grits, add butter and salt, and cheese if desired, but not sweetener.. ask any Southerner ;)
Check out http://www.mybrands.com - search for ‘wheat.’ They sell Farina, but not C/W. They also sell a lot of other hard to find and some foods that are not usually sold in the US.
hope this helps :)
Well, here I am in Texas, desperately trying to find 10 minute Cream of Wheat. No question, it is better than 2 1/2 minute (though I have had to make do with the latter over the past few years). Instant is simply inedible.
The 10 minute variety seems to have disappeared completely from store shelves in this part of the world about 2 years ago or so. Even before that I remember that it would show up on the shelf infrequently, so I would buy a couple of boxes at a time. Invariably, if I bought some when I saw it, the next time I was at the store there would not be any. After I didn’t see it for a year, I called up the grocery store’s customer service to inquire. The person I spoke with checked into it and told me that they stopped carrying it about a month before because the product was “not moving”. Well, I am not a grocer, but it seems to me that it is hard to move much of a product IF YOU DON’T EVER STOCK IT ON THE SHELVES!
Anyway, I am getting worried that even the 2 1/2 minute variety might disappear in a few years. It certainly doesn’t receive much alottment in the way of shelf space here.
On the other hand, there were about 20 different kinds of atrocious instant varieties of cream of wheat last time I looked.
In my search for the real stuff, I went on line to see what I could find (and discovered this discussion). Apparently, you can order the 10 minute version from Amazon. The product page for it indicates that it ships from Gristedes Supermarkets of New York.
Another option for longer-cooking cream of wheat is “creamy wheat”, as sold by Bob’s Red Mill. It has more fiber and other nutrients than regular cream of wheat. Plus I add wheat bran and oat bran for more fiber and nutrition.
It’s the best soothing food when you have an upset stomach.
Add another vote here for the 10-minute variety! And thankfully, it’s in plentiful supply here in the San Francisco area.
I grew up eating the 2½-minute variety, because that was my mom’s preferred selection. When I finally started preparing it on my own, I discovered the 10-minute variety and fell in love with the bolder wheat taste and the smoother texture.
I was also amazed at the ingredients used to speed up the cooking times:
10-minute: No enzymes added. 0mg sodium and 4g protein.
2½-minute: Disodium phosphate added. 85mg sodium and 4g protein.
1-minute: Papain added. 0mg sodium and 4g protein.
Instant: 170mg sodium and 3g protein.
They all fluctuate between 23-24g of carbs (except Instant; 17g) and all have 1g of dietary fiber. The DISODIUM phosphate is the only thing that adds salt to the 2½-minute variety.
I’m running low on it… so I guess I’d better head out to Safeway and get some more…
I love cream of wheat, but only the 10 min cooking time. All the others do not have the same taste or texture. That special nutty flavor only comes out in this one.
I have recently not been able to find the original 10 min Cream of Wheat in the yellow box in grocery stores. Does anyone know if it has been discontinued or where I might find it? Ralph’s no longer has it.
Thanks
Vickie
I went to Kraft foods to ask about the varieties but can’t figure out how to get a listing…much less anything as detailed as why they sell so many types!
Vicki, there’s a homepage for cream of wheat it’s a subpage of kraftfoods.
Personally, we buy Farina though, it’s cheaper!
jkd
Maybe I’m weird, but I LOVE the taste of the instant packets the best!! I can’t stand the original kind.
I was surfing for the nutritional info to add to my “diet & exercise assistant” when I came across this site. ( I also later found it was already in my palm…erg! at least this was worth the read.
I don’t know if I’ve ever seen the 10 minute variety I usually end up with the 2 1/2 I believe. (Don’t quote me, it seems the box isn’t always the same so perhaps I’ve grabbed a different one from time to time.)
Now I’m looking forward to see if the 10 min is available here–I want to experience the cream of wheat that seems most popular to people who care what they eat.
I like my cream of wheat with 1-2 tsp. raw sugar.
Oh, and we don’t have packets of CofW around here. I was surprised to hear them mentioned. Of course, oatmeal comes almost exclusively in packets…As far as flavors go, I prefer to add my own rather than ingest more artificial stuff. I know I eat more of it than I would like, so when I can, I try to avoid it.
And on the grits sub topic (though not quite related) when I make corn bread, I like to add a little sugar–and my dad always gets after me for making “yankee” cornbread. Apparently, it’s not appropriate to make it sweet for those south of the mason-dixon line. :) He grew up in Texas/Oklahoma…I’m Michigan raised.
I have been craving Instant Cream of What and my grocery store doesn’t carry any Nabisco brands which always lead me to think, that this was not a popular item anymore - For you first timers - this product was a main stay in one’s diet and you had no choice to refuse it. This is good for you in many ways told by a parent which yu believed. This is one of the few times in years where parents told you a truth. …born in 1954. Windsor, Ontario.
Here here. It was warm, it was easy to eat and you got to watch your mother make it. Always best on the stove. Instant is not condicive to that sort of feeling.
Stephen Taddeo - 1960
Just curious… why all the sudden activity to this blog post? Four comments in the last few days, out of the blue. Can’t find any clues in the referrer logs.
Mike I threw my box away and forgot the cooking directions. i did a google search and your blog came up. Thanks for the directions. I’m also inspired to add, that I cook mine with cinnamon. i boil the milk with cinnamon sticks in it and then i sprinkle cinnamon on top when it’s done. Yummy!
Hey Mike,
I think this blog post is experiencing a revival because it’s wintertime, and it’s snowy and cold out (at least in some places it is).
I had Cream of Wheat this morning, and each of these serving suggestions actually sounds good. My goal is to try them all by the time spring comes around.
S’nice to see others fondly remembering their favourite cereals past and present! :)
If you are having trouble finding the 10-minute version CoW, Kraft has a website where you can find out which store in your area are carrying it. Just go to:
http://www.kraftfoods.com/creamofwheat/main.aspx?s=product&m=product/product_results&U1=CATALOG&Brand=13&pageNo=1&searchtype=Brand
…and click on the version of your choice. The page it brings you to has a box where you can enter your zip code and it will tell you which stores in your area have the version you want in stock. Usually works best of if you are in a large municipal area.
It’s pretty snowy where I am right now (Alberta), and I am really craving some CoW, but I don’t have any :( Guess I’ll have to make do with the cabbage rolls I have cooking in the toaster oven!
I can tell you what the difference is between the instant and the 10 minute - taste! Instant leaves much to be desired in that department. I am having a hard time finding the 10 min. version in my stores. It has been replaced on the shelf by yet another version, Cream Of Wheat with maple. (No thanks). I like the reg. 10 min. cereal and put cinnamon in it - its delicious that way.
I forgot to mention, they still make the 10 min Cream Of Wheat. I called Kraft to confirm it. I have hit on my local grocery stores to order it, but they can only buy what they are told to buy from headquarters. I may resort to ordering it from Amazon.com
An adequate substitute for 10-minute cream of wheat might be Bob’s Red Mill Creamy Wheat cereal. Found in natural food stores and some supermarkets. There are a few similar products, including one called Bear Mush, by Arrowhead Mills, but I haven’t tried them.
anybody here eats cream of wheat for weight loss? well i try to eat a home cooked cream of wheat every night for dinner, i make it wiht 1 cup of 1% milk, 2 cups of water, 5 tablespoons of cream of wheat, 5 packets of diet sugar, a little bit of salt and vanilla, then i place it in the refrigerator until it’s real thick like a cake, i think that the carbohydrates of cream of wheat, are less fattening than other forms of carbs like potatoes, white-bread, cookies, pasta and other starches out there
A carbohydrate is a carbohydrate, no matter the source. Some are higher in sugar or fiber than others. For weight loss, you should eat more high-fiber foods, which will fill you up more. Be sure you eat lots of veggies, some fruit, the complex carbs (whole wheat bread, oatmeal, brown rice, etc) and some protein.
There are simple carbohydrates (usually found in sweets, fruits, dairy products) and there are complex carbohydrates (grains, cereals, pastas). Complex carbohydrates are slow-burning. Wheat is starchy and considered to be a complex carbohydrate.
Hello folks: yeah but i found that cream of wheat carbohydrates are one of the less fattening ones, as opposed and compared with: oatmeal, rice, white breads, cookies, white potatoes, and most of the other starchy carbohydrates :-)
Juan Carlos Cruz
I was just wanting a basic Cream of Wheat recipe (I have it in a plastic container) and I’ve just wasted 15 minutes reading these hilarious posts!! Now I need the instant for sure! BTW, I hate Coke in any variety. I’m a water gal…with lemon please.
Hey JUAN CARLOS: I just saw hour post…I ate cream of wheat with half a banana (very yummy!) 5 days a week and elleptical 4 days a week and lost 18 pounds in about 3 months (the right way, right?)! Just thought I’d let you know…good carbs are good for you and not fattening in moderation.
Chia, glad your diet + exercise worked so well for you. That type of diet is fine for the short term, but I was suggesting a more balanced diet, for present and future eating.
Juan Carlos, maybe you should just avoid carbs in the evening? But, do whatever works for you to get healthy!!
This is so funny- who’d have thunk COW could spur such passion?!
I too, threw away the box and Googled for cooking directions, leading me to this wonderful thread. Thanks so much to all for laughs.
On to business- what’s this about 10 minute COW having a nutty flavor? How have I missed this? I went and made my COW (2 min), ate, (shared with the 9 month old- he LOVED it) and all the while, paid close attention to detect a nuttiness- alas, it was not to be found. I suddenly want to go to the grocery store, but first, I will do my homework. Apparently the 10 min version may be difficult to find ‘in my area’. I am prepared for the worst. That was…Amazon.com, right? lol
BEKKE — I DID eat a balanced diet…I just ate cr of w for breakfast!! 2 high protien snacks w/fruit, lunch, and one serving at dinner (no seconds!) Just thought I needed to clarify my balanced diet. (smile)
Chia - Thanks for clarifying. Now, if anyone can help me with a healthy diet to GAIN weight, I’d be happy. . . I try to eat lots of carbs and fats, but don’t eat a lot of meat or junk food. Nor am I much of a snacker. Cr of Wht is a good breakfast ’cause it doesn’t fill you up too much and is a good basis for other stuff (protein powder, fruit, nuts, butter).
So has anyone heard when and where the COW convention will be this year?
I found this online… apparently before the days of HAMBURGER HELPER, this is what you needed to do with your ground beef:
“Cream of Wheat: S-t-r-e-t-c-h Your Meat with Cream of Wheat; World War II Advertising Piece 1943. Minneapolis, MN: The Cream of Wheat Corporation. Today stretching meat is necessary… and patriotic. Our boys in the fighting forces consume vast quantities of meat. Recipes for Cream of Wheat Dumplings, Orange Tea Muffins, Apple Pudding, Fried Cream of Wheat, more. 8 panels 9.5 x 13.6 cm. Paper brochure, very good. (5184) $9.00.”
Now… FRIED Cream of Wheat???
Hi,
just to let you know that both my husband and I still enjoy cream of wheat , though we tend to eat it as a bedtime snack and not for breakfast.
My purchase choice is organic from a local health food store, and there is only two choices, whole wheat and the standard white. I buy both and mix the two.
As far as cooking time; once the water is boiled, I have never found any version that takes ten minutes to cook up and place in a bowl, and to tell the truth do not think I would want to eat any kind that did
take that long.
Heavens that would be a very unpleasant goop; in my humble opinion.
So to answer your question. No one basic quality version would be enough.
AuntBaker( as the name implys, yes I bake a lot)
We like Cream of Wheat here at our house. My kids ask for it in the winter. My father worked for Quaker so it was forbidden in my house as a kid. We don’t eat it for it’s food value, we doctor it up with butter, brown sugar and cream. Yummy! As for the different types, it seems obvious that they just want their share of the shelf space. I’ve never seen the 10 minute stuff. 2 1/2 min. works fine for me. I can spare the extra 1 1/2 minutes over the quick. As Bill Cosby says, be careful of the lumps. Runes the whole pot full.