Once the wild oats are checked for their quality, they first have to be cleaned. During this cleaning process, any impurities are removed, and the oats are then graded for their qualities. Then, it is the dehuller’s turn to shine; during the dehulling process, the husk that covers the inside of the kernel – called the hull – is detached. These dehulled kernels now go through a kilning machine, a machine that heats up and dries the moisture from the oats. This process reduces microbial spoilage and develops a nutty flavor of groats. After this, the groats go through another grading process depending on their weight and damage.  

If you want to make rolled oats, as known as old-fashioned oats, you first need a set of rotating rollers that can flatten the whole or steel-cut groats. This process is called flaking. During the flaking, it is important to use a steamer and release some additional steam to the groats – 3-5% of additional moisture to be accurate – because if they are too dry, they will become powder. A slight increase in temperature can optimize this flaking process. After this, a drying and cooling process is followed. Instant oats or quick oats have the same production steps as rolled oats, except they are additionally cut into smaller flakes – instant oat flakes are smaller than the quick oat flakes. Instant oats also include additional ingredients such as sweetener (sugar), salt, and flavorings, which are mixed in the mixer after the cutting process.