Instant Pot Dried Beans are one of the greatest pressure cooking time savers! This post is loaded with all you need to know about eating, cooking, and storing your very own cooked beans and so much more!
IN THIS INSTANT POT BEANS POST, I'LL BE COVERING THE FOLLOWING:
- Why use the Instant Pot to cook beans
- Cooking liquid to bean ratios
- Cooking time chart for all beans
- How many cups is in a 1 pound bag of dried beans
- What you need to know about soaking beans
- How to store homemade beans
- Extra Instant Pot Beans Tidbits
- Where to buy beans
- Recipes for using your homemade beans
Let's get started!
WHY USE THE INSTANT POT TO COOK BEANS
Reason 524 why you need an Instant Pot Pressure Cooker in your life: Dried Beans.
Rock hard beans perfectly tender in about an hour with zero babysitting. BOOM! Now you can justify that second (or maybe third) pressure cooker!
Slow cooker beans take 10-12 hours to soften and make your house smell like a Mexican restaurant.
Stovetop beans take up to 4 hours and involve dedicated pot watching to make sure the water doesn't overflow or evaporate.
Who has time for that?!
Today is a Dried Beans 101 course on how to cook beans in the electric pressure cooker, AKA Instant Pot.
AMOUNT OF WATER NEEDED FOR COOKING DRIED BEANS IN THE INSTANT POT
Water or broth can be used as the cooking liquid for dried beans. I use a range of liquid amounts depending on my purpose for the beans:
- 4 cups liquid to 1 pound of beans: Best for beans that you don't plan on straining, like the pinto bean side dishes you get at Mexican restaurants. Less water means a flavorful, thicker, and more starchy sauce
- 5 cups liquid to 1 pound of beans: Best for beans that you want to be less starchy and infused with flavor even after straining some of the extra liquid. This is perfect for Mexican food fillings, salads, salsas, and refried beans
- 6 cups liquid to 1 pound of beans: Best for beans that are hardly starchy and only mildly seasoned. These are perfect for bagging and freezing
INSTANT POT DRIED BEANS – COOKING CHART
What could make cooking dried beans in the Instant Pot even easier? How about this handy Instant Pot Dried Beans Time Chart!
A printable version of this time chart is available to my TIDBITS newsletter subscribers. If you are not yet subscribed to my newsletter, you can do so here and the printable will be immediately emailed to you.
If you have a favorite that isn't included in the below chart, I recommend the following: use the same cook time as one of the beans provided in the cooking chart that is similar in shape and size.
For example:
- Cannellini beans are similar to the white beans
- Cranberry beans are similar to the black beans
Cooking times will vary depending on the texture you want for your bean. I will provide a range of cook times for the following:
- very soft – great for soups, mashed beans, baby food, refried beans, etc
- soft – great for a salad, salsa, filling for Mexican food (burrito, enchilada, quesadilla etc), side dish, or main dish topped with sour cream, salsa, and avocados
- firm – great for adding to foods that need to cook longer and you worry about the beans becoming too soft like enchiladas, chili, soup, etc.
For those who prefer to soak their beans, you can click here to skip to soaking information.
Why use a full natural pressure release when cooking beans? Read on!
QUICK VS NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE FOR PRESSURE COOKED BEANS
I always use a natural pressure release when cooking with beans. Beans create a lot of foam when they cook and that can come through the pressure release knob with a quick release. A natural release is also more gentle on the beans where a quick release may result in many broken, less “pretty” beans.
HOW TO KNOW WHEN BEANS ARE FULLY COOKED
After a natural pressure release, remove the lid and use a slotted spoon to stir the beans and remove a few to test. If you can squash them between your fingertips and they are tender to bite, they are done. If they are crunchy or impossible to flatten between your fingertips, pressure cook for another 5 – 10 minutes.
Want more details on how to cook each one these beans? Here are individual posts on each of the foundational beans.
BASIC DRIED BEAN RECIPES
- Instant Pot Black Beans
- Instant Pot Refried Beans
- Instant Pot Pinto Beans
- Instant Pot White Beans with Cilantro and Lime
HOW MANY CUPS IN A 1 POUND BAG OF DRIED BEANS
- 1 pound of dried beans = 2 cups of dried beans = 6 cups of cooked beans
- 1/2 cup dried beans = 1 1/2 cups cooked beans = one 15 ounce can of beans
Translation, if a recipe calls for 1 can of rinsed beans, use 1 1/2 cups of your homemade beans
BEAN SOAKING INFORMATION: DO DRIED BEANS NEED TO BE SOAKED?
This is quite a hot debate. There are arguments for both sides.
The theory for soaking beans is that it decreases oligosaccharide, a poorly digested sugar that ferments and causes abdominal bloating and gas. Soaking also decreases the overall cook time.
Others state that soaking the beans results in little to no change in the “gas and bloating” category and that it might even reduce the overall nutrition and flavor of beans as well.
MARCI TIDBITS OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON THE MATTER:
If you have an especially sensitive gut, don't eat beans often, or if you feel like soaked beans cause you less abdominal distress, then, by all means, soak your beans.
If you don't notice much difference either way and you don't plan ahead, throw the beans into the Instant Pot and let it work its magic. There is yet another theory that pressure cooking beans breaks down oligosaccharides so this may be the ideal solution.
HOW TO QUICK SOAK BEANS IN THE INSTANT POT
If you would like to soak the beans, but didn't plan ahead, there's good news! You can do a quick soak in the Instant Pot by placing 1 pound of beans and 6 cups of water in the pot. Cook them at high pressure for 2 minutes, Natural Pressure Release for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure. Rinse and drain the beans, then return them to the pot and cook them per “soaked beans” directions above.
HOW TO STORE HOMEMADE BEANS
Cooked beans can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
To freeze, portion 1 cup of beans into freezer safe ziplock bags (or use a FoodSaver). Press them flat to freeze – this will allow them to thaw more quickly.
You can store your beans in some of the cooking liquid or rinse and dry them prior to storage. Storing them in the cooking liquid will keep them a bit more moist. Storing them rinsed makes them very convenient to take from the freezer and add to a recipe without needing to thaw or rinse beforehand.
EXTRA INSTANT POT BEANS TIDBITS
HEALTH BENEFITS OF BEANS
For an in-depth article on the health benefits of beans, visit 13 Impressive Health Benefits of Beans. I will provide you with the condensed version here.
HIGH IN FIBER
- Beans contain high amounts of fiber which means they will keep you full longer and promote a well-functioning digestive tract. High fiber foods may also lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels
NUTRIENT RICH
- Beans are high in essential electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals such as folate, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin K, and more! These little beans are a powerhouse of nutrition!
MEGA PROTEIN
- A half-cup of beans contains 8 grams of protein. This compares to one ounce of chicken and fish which makes it an excellent source of protein for vegans and vegetarians as well
LOW IN FAT
- Not only are beans filling and nutritious, they are also low in fat! This makes them ideal for a huge range of people, including those requiring specialty diets
WHY HOMEMADE BEANS ARE BETTER
LESS SODIUM
- Canned beans contain a lot of salt. When you make your own, you control the salt and you can add flavor with spices, herbs, and vegetables like onions, garlic, peppers, etc
PRESERVATIVE FREE
- Uncooked dried beans are naturally preservative free. Canned beans often times contain preservatives to keep them fresher longer
DRIED BEANS ARE CHEAPER
- Whether you buy them in a package or from bulk bins, dried beans are a HUGE savings compared to canned. At my Walmart a two-pound bag of pinto beans costs $2.57. Two pounds of dried pinto beans equals about 8 cans of canned beans which would cost over $6.00. That's more than double the price!
BETTER TASTE AND TEXTURE
- No “canned” taste here! As mentioned above, you can flavor them while they cook as well. The texture of homemade beans is noticeably superior!
EASY
- Using an electric pressure cooker makes cooking dried beans very easy. Also, once I rinse, bag, and freeze the cooked beans in 1 cup portions, I have rinsed beans ready to go right out of the freezer. Freeze them flat and they will thaw in no time or throw them in the microwave for 30 – 60 seconds to thaw
SHELF STABLE
- Dried beans are shelf stable for more than 10 years when stored properly, making them a perfect emergency food item to keep on hand
HOW TO SORT AND CLEAN BEANS
A bag of dried beans may contain rocks, debris, or old, shriveled beans that won't soften well when cooked. To properly sort through them, pour onto a sheet pan in one layer. This will keep them contained and make sorting easy. Place the sorted beans into a colander and rinse with cold, running water before cooking.
HOW TO REDUCE GAS CAUSED BY EATING BEANS
Yep, I've got even more to say about gas, I am, after all, still a Nurse Practitioner at heart and belly problems are a regular topic of conversation for me.
- Soak the beans for at least 12 hours before cooking them
- Slowly increase your intake of beans over time. Your belly will learn to deal with the extra fiber better as you eat more of them
- Try different beans. Some people do better with certain beans than others so if one variety is causing you or your loved ones problems, try a different one
- Take a supplement like Beano with your meal. Beano contains enzymes that are better at breaking down the hard to digest sugars in beans which means less fermenting and gas production in your digestive track
WHEN TO ADD SALT TO DRIED BEANS
Adding salt too early in the cooking process can affect the hydration and texture of the beans and prevent them from softening. There are arguments for this as well, but from my experience, the beans cook much more predictably when I add the salt after they are cooked.
PRESSURE COOKER FILL LINE FOR BEANS
Similar to other starchy foods like fruit and oats, only fill the pressure cooker pot half way when cooking beans to account for the foam that will be created. This includes the water and beans.
WHERE TO BUY BEANS
Here are some handy links to buying all the different bean types
- Pinto Beans
- Black Beans
- Garbanzo Beans AKA Chickpeas
- Great Northern Beans
- Kidney Beans
- Cannellini AKA White Kidney Beans
RECIPES FOR BEANS
There are endless recipes that use beans! Here are some of my favorites.
- Instant Pot Orange Chicken with Mango Black Bean Salsa
- Chickpea Cookie Dough Dip
- Instant Pot Chili
- Instant Pot Healthy Crack Chicken
- Instant Pot Taco Filling
- Instant Pot Tamales or Tamale Pie
- Instant Pot Green Chile Beef Burrito
- 7 Layer Bean Dip
I think that covers the most commonly asked questions about beans! If I missed any important details or you have your own tips and tricks when it comes to beans, let me know and I will update the post.
Now go plan a dream getaway with all the money you're saving by cooking your own beans! Enjoy!
Hi! This has been my go-to for cooking beans in the InstantPot, thank you so much for all the detailed information. I use an InstantPot refried beans recipe that does not require soaking the pinto beans first, and you don’t actually re-fry them you just mash them up in the pot. I have found that I need to cook the recipe for 70 minutes to get the beans cooked properly (and I don’t add salt until the end). The recipe calls for 4 cups of water and 2 cups of dried pinto beans. I would like to try soaking them before hand to reduce time plus to see if it will aid in digestion. If I soak the pinto beans can you recommend how much I would need to reduce the 4 cups of water to account for the soaking of the beans? Thank you!
What an awesome article! I am looking to cook Black Eyed Peas and guessing we would use the white bean tines?? Keep up the good work and I am going to check your sis’ site too!
Take care, Vorisia
Vorisia, glad you found your way to TIDBITS, WELCOME! I would do the black-eyed peas the same as the white beans. I’ve found similar shapes almost always have similar cooktimes.
Do you have a recipe for mixed small beans. Split peas, lentils, great northern, small limas cooked together?
Tina, I’ve never tried this…is it a package you found or are you just mixing them together?
OK I have prepared the beans as stated above; now I want to make Boston Baked Beans or similar for a BBQ—do you have a recipe for this??
Don, I’m sorry, I don’t! I have had many people request it though so it sounds like I need to start working on it 🙂
I want to make Boston Baked Beans using navy beans
I am a TIDBITS newsletter subscriber yet did not receive the printable chart. 🙁
Judith, send me an email to marci@tibits-marci.com and I’ll send it to you!
Thank you very good information. I like to see your list of 500+ reasons one needs an Instant pot. I think that would be a good read..
I love my Instant pot…. I can’t think of one reason why in this day of busy home cooks why everyone does not have one. Makes great beans & great rice, is a good slow cooker and a fast pressure cooker
Thanks
Philip, haha! I should indeed write a post all about those 500 reasons :). It’s definitely my #1 appliance in the kitchen.
This was a very helpful post. I love cooking beans in my instapot but never know exactly what to do with individual types. Thank you for putting everything in one place for me. Cheat sheets are always appreciated.
How would you cook beans for a baked bean recipe? would you do the entire recipe in the pressure cooker or no? Help! any recipes?
Carolyn, I’ve been thinking on this one . . . I’ve never made baked beans, believe it or not. That’s always been something my mom has made. I would think you would want to cook the beans first though, then add the sauce later. I’m not very helpful on this one, sorry!
How would you cook beans for a baked bean recipe? would you do the entire recipe in the pressure cooker or no? Help!
Hi Marci,
I am about to try to cook kidney beans in the instant pot. I was worried about not having them boil long enough because the toxicity.??
But, alot of my beans that I cook on the stove top split. I do boil them, Maybe us more of a simmer..
So, for the instant pot starting with 1 cup of dried beans., Soak 12 hours. Pressure cook 25 minutes. How long should I wait to release pressure after cooking them? Also, how much water would you cook the 1 cup of kidney beans that had been soaked?
Should I use pot in a pot method? If so, would that affect cooking times and the amount of water to use?
Thank you
Deborah, To be honest, I’m not sure what you mean with the toxicity. Is that specific to kidney beans? Educate me 🙂
I typically do a full natural release with beans. On average, for soaked and non-soacked beans, I do about 5 cups of liquid to 1 pound of beans (1 pound of beans is about 2 cups of dried). If you want them more like canned beans, go with 6 cups of liquid to 1 pound of beans. I never do pot in pot for beans. I hope that helps!
https://www.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/healthy-tips/are-red-kidney-beans-toxic
I just realized I hadn’t responded. My apologies. I guess that the issue is with the slow cooker… I had just heard there were issues and finally did some research.
I do have another question. Any advice about how long to cook yellow soy beans and also black soy beans that have been soaked for 12 hours? Would you use QR or NR?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Deborah, I have yet to try soy beans! It’s on my list though 🙂
I just cooked a package of 15 bean soup mix that hadn’t been soaked with a ham hock that was still partially frozen following your directions and they came out great! I don’t use it was soup but over rice. I will never soak beans overnight then cook all day in the crockpot again! Thank you for the information!
Llawayne, I love that mix! It makes great refried beans too. How many minutes did you do?
How do you cook packaged dried peas for pea soup? Thank you!
Maggie, I’ve never tried it, but did a quick search and it looks like most people do about 15 minutes of pressure cook time for dried peas. Let me know if you have a favorite recipe! I have had Split Pea Soup for much too long.
I have always used Bob’s Red Mill 13-bean soup mix in my Dutch oven but would love to make the stew in the IP – have you any hints for this bean mix?
Would adding a ham bone change the amount of water or time to pinto beans?
Cecilia, Nope, I would keep it the same!
I would like to know the cooking times for Borlotti beans, they hardly receive a mention on any websites and yet they are a very popular bean in Europe more especially in Italy where they are generally used to make zuppa di fagioli, a soup that can be consumed either hot or cold. I would welcome your comments on the length of cooking time for dry Borlotti beans, incidentally I buy my dried Borlotti beans in Italy when visiting family there as they are not easily found in UK supermarkets.
Michael, I’ve never had Borlotti bean, but now you have me very curious. I will hunt some down and give it a try!
No Lima beans on your dried bean chart??
Lin, no sorry, that’s not one I’ve experimented with yet.
I wish we could can lentils my husband bought some during the 2020 depression (just kidding) so I am canning my other beans we bought but I’m not really sure if lentils beans are cannable? And for Ms/Mrs. MayK ~~~~Lima beans are very easy made a few quarts last year they didn’t last long around here. Thanks so much for this page it has been a big help with my instant pot canning. Later on we will canning deer meat which is so good if you like that sort of dish.
Marie, one day when I learning canning, I will definitely be canning all of my own beans!
Do I need to decrease pressure time if I am only cooking one cup of beans? There is only me and don’t want to over cook. I like my soft.
Thank you kindly
Janice, from my experience, the cook time stays the same whether I use more or less. Maybe start on the lower end of the cooking time and test from there!
Can I cook 4cups of pinto beans at one time in the instant pot and if so, what is the recipe or proportions?
Alicia, 1 pound of beans is about 2 cups, so you would just double the recipe information for 4 cups. Use this recipe as your guide https://tidbits-marci.com/instant-pot-pinto-beans/
I’ve never tried doubling it, but as long as the pot is only half way full, you should be fine.
Can you tell me how to cook Butter Beans in the Instant Pot?
Trisha, I would need to experiment, but I would try the same cook time as pinto beans.
Hi Marci,
I wondered if you have a limit on how long you NPR?
I did a 12 hour soak on 1 pound of black beans and then cooked them on high pressure for 14 minutes in 5 cups of water. I did the npr which took 51 minutes. My beans were quite soft and great for hummus. Is 51 minutes too long? Especially if I want firmer beans to use in a salad.
Also, I used to add a bay leaf or kombu to aid in digiestion when I cooked beans on the stove top even after soaking. Would you recommend doing that in the instant pot?
Thanks
Deborah, a lot of times I end up releasing the pressure after 30 minutes because I get impatient. That would probably work great for how you’re wanting them. I would do that or cut the cook time down to maybe 10 minutes. I oftentimes will use a bay leaf, but I’ve never heard of kombu. Have you found that really helps with digestion? That would be a fantastic trick!
Marci,
Yes, the kombu did seem to help especially when I first started adding beans to my diet. .
By the way, thanks for your quick response.
That’s so great, I will do some experimenting!
Hi Marci,
Wanted to let you know that your suggestion worked perfectly.
Soaked 1 pound of black beans for 12 hours. Pressure cooked for 15 minutes and waited 30 minutes for NR.
Thanks
Deborah, thanks for reporting back! I am so happy to hear it worked well!
Hi,
I love all the great info you have included. It is awesome !!!! Thanks,.. I have a few questions.
Could you please include cooking times for small white beans or small navy beans?
Also, I loved the 3 levels of cooking time(very soft, soft, and firm) for non-soaked beans. How would you recommend changing the instant pot times for the 3 levels of soaked beans? Would the amount of water also change for soaked beans?
For using beans in a veggie bean burger , would you recommend the soft times?
Lastly, you recommend soaking for 12 hours. Any special reason? (I have soaked 1 cup of garbanzo beans for 6 hours, cook 23 minutes in 3 cups of water, and natural release) Perhaps I need to increase my soaking time which will affect my cooking time… I finally learned soaking time does affect cooking time. 🙂
Thank you so much,
Deborah
Deborah, I’m glad it could help!
I would cook the small white beans similar to Great Northern Beans, I think that will work well. Maybe start with the “firm” time.
For soaked beans, I use the same amount of water. The times written for soaked beans will give you a “soft” bean, so I would go up or down from there.
Whenever I’m blending or mashing the beans, I always cook it to the soft time, so that’s what I would do for your veggie bean burger (which I would love the recipe to if you don’t mind! I’m on the hunt for my favorite!)
The 12 hour soak I settled on because it was convenient for me. I’m thinking the cooking time would be similar if the soak was withing a couple of hours of that 12 hours. Great questions! Let me know if I can help with anything else!
Hi Marci,
Thanks for the great info.
Here is one of my fav burger recipes.
https://www.myhdiet.com/healthnews/fall-in-love-with-food-again/quinoa-white-bean-veggie-burgers
Here are a couple of changes I made: I use 8 oz of mushrooms. I reduced the spices(1/2 tsp each of salt and cumin) Also, I use sweet paprika. I use 1 and 3/4 cup of cooked cannellini beans. I also use finely ground almond meal not the flour. They freeze well.
I hope you will like them.. My family does not like alot of spice, so I always reduce the spice when making anything.
Can’t wait to cook more beans in my instant pot. Thanks again for such a great website!!
Deborah, thank you so much, I Love playing around with veggie burger recipes and that looks like a really good one.
I want to make 15 bean soup. It comes already mixed in a bag. I want them soft. About how much liquid and cooking time do i use of I’m not presoaking them?
Lilli, I would have to experiment, but I would start with a pound of beans to 5 cups of water and cook for 40 minutes. I believe this will result in beans that are just right or quite soft. Let me know if you try it!
Hello –
I’ve been searching for cooking time in the instant pot for firm Butter Beans (or Lima Beans) ?
Wonder if you have tried cooking these?
Thanks for a great informative and useful writing about cooking beans in the IP.
Best wishes from mayK
MayK, If I were to experiment, I’d start with the time for soft Pinto beans and then go from there. Let me know if you try it!
I’m wondering if you have times for Anasazi beans. I got some from my grandfather & don’t really know how to cook them. I have one more question, is there an expiration date or shelf life of a dried bean? Thanks in advance.
Emily, I would cook them similar to pinto beans. I haven’t tried it, but I think that would be a good starting point.
A lot of sources that I’ve read say that dried beans, when stored properly, can last forever, but they start to lose their moisture and nutritional value after 2-3 years. Old beans usually need a longer cook time as well. I hope that helps!
hi there!
are these times for HIGH or LOW pressure?
thanks!
Rita, High pressure, I rarely (if ever!) use low pressure. I hope you love it!
Thank you for all your great information.. I purchased cranberry beans and can’t seem to find cooking times for soaked using the instant pot. Also, I have read that soaking activates enzymes to neutralize protease inhibitors. Would the quick soak also do this? Thank you for your time.
Kathleen, from what I read, the quick soak method gives the same benefits, but there were also reads that said it wasn’t as good . . . so goes the internet 🙂
Thank you, do you have times for the soaked cranberry beans in an instant pot? Have a safe healthy day
🙂
Kathleen, I would treat them similar to cooking pinto beans. They are quite similar in size, shape, and stovetop cooking time so I believe the pressure cooking time will also be the same.
I have been a subscriber to the newsletter for a long time, but I have not tried to download printables in a long time. I seem to be having trouble getting to the free printable bean cooking time chart. Can you please remind me again how to do this? I am so sorry, my brain just doesn’t seem to be working today.
I do cook beans a LOT in my Instant Pot, and love doing it. It would be helpful to have this chart available to refer to every time I use a new bean. I subscribe to Rancho Gordo Bean Club and they are the best beans, high quality and fresh and unique.
Thank you.
Connie, sorry for the troubles! Shoot me an email at marci@tidbits-marci.com and I’ll hook you up 🙂
What if you have a hambone? We always add ham or a hambone to our beans to give it more flavor. Would I change anything – I am making pinto beans. thank you!
Lisa, Throw it in! I wouldn’t change anything else except going lighter on the salt.
Hi thank you so much for posting this! I have three questions:
Will these methods keep the beans from splitting?
Would you say the texture of canned beans is soft or firm? Meaning if I make beans and want them to have the texture of canned, which method should I use?
What would the times be for navy beans or red beans?
Thank you!
Laura, You’ll love making your own, they are absolutely better than canned, just a tad more work.
To answer your questions, I have very little splitting with this method unless I cook them “very soft”.
I would call canned beans soft.
I would use the same times as cannellini beans. Enjoy!
What setting are you using on the pot? I re-read everything like 5 times and couldn’t find it. Manual, beans???
Brigitte, yes always high pressure!
Does anyone have the crock pot IP? Do you know how to program for manual pressure, there does not seem to bea way to do it.
Caryn, this should help you out https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/how-to-use-the-crock-pot-express-pressure-cooker/
I have Marafax hard beans. Grown at a friends farm in Maine..would there be a change in bean/water ratio?
Soaking & cooking time in my insta pot…
Karen, Hmm, I’m not familiar with those. My guess would be to pick the bean that is most similar in shape and size and give it a go.
What if you want to cook your beans with molasses and brown sugar as in Boston baked beans? Will the liguid be the same amount as other methods?
Beverly, Hmmm…very interesting idea. I would use the same amount of liquid, unless you are adding a very significant amount of molasses.
Thank you for sharing useful information
Do you have instructions for blackeye peas?
Mary, I have not tried blackeyed peas, but I’m guessing they’d be similar to black beans. Give it a try!
i did black beans as described for soft, 35 mins, and they were perfect. I then tried blackeyed peas for 25 mins and I think 20 mins might have been enough since they are less firm and the skin is thinner to start. I mix both (1.5 c) bean types with prepared refried beans for a base for several different variations. My next try will be pinto beans and looking to make my own refried beans. Oh and when I store the remainder I use 1.5 c instead of 1 c since that is the same as one can.
I’m wanting to learn how to cook beans in my IP and appreciate all the information. You give three times and three different cooked results for non-soaked beans. You have just one time for soaked beans but don’t mention how “cooked” the beans will be. Are there three different times for the soaked beans as well?
Susan, I feel like the times I gave for the soaked are right in the middle of the 3 cook times for the non-soaked beans. I didn’t experiment as extensively with soaked beans because I rarely use that method. I’m glad it could be helpful for you! I love making my own beans in the pressure cooker.
I’m so excited with how well dry, unsoaked black beans came out using your method! As a mom of many I’m always looking for ways to add protein and veggies into my family’s diet while keeping within our grocery budget. This is the only time I’ve successfully cooked dry beans! The standby cans of beans can stay in the pantry and these will be used for tonight’s dinner!
Katie, They are so good right?! I get excited when I have a freezer stash of them 🙂
After I cook and strain the beans, is there something I can use the liquid for?
Rhonda, I’ve wondered that too. I think it might make a nice broth substitute but I’ve yet to try it! Let me know if you do please!
I just cooked 1 lb. of pinto beans to freeze in 1.5 c. Portions. I got 4 packages. I cooked them 45 min. In IP. Next time I will cook them 40 min. Can’t wait to use them when canned beans are called for. Thank you.
Barb, That’s fantastic, they are so great to have on hand and the taste is so much better than canned!
Thank you Marci! This is so helpful!
Which version of the instapot are you using?
I have had 2 different instapots and the cooking times are very different between them.
The new ultra cooking times is way less. For example, my previous instapot made lentils in 10 minutes while the new ultra cooks them in 6.
Also, what is the altitude at your location. I am at sea level.
Thank you again!
Maria
Maria, I’m at about 4600 feet. I also have a few different models of Instant Pots and other brands and I agree, it can be a bit frustrating when they don’t all cook the same. Trying to find a consistent time for eggs and lava cakes just about put me to tears, haha! For nit picky things like that, I have the newer model of IP that I use the most often, the one that says “pressure cook” instead of “manual.”
Marci:
I make a 15 bean soup from another website (see link). I buy the Hurst’s 15 bean soup package of dried beans. Can you please let me know the Instant Pot cook times for this?
https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/instant-pot-slow-cooker-creamy-15-bean-soup/
Thank you, Suzanne Cam
Hi Suzanne, Are you asking the cook time for the package of mixed beans? I talk about them in to today’s new post for refried beans. If I’m planning on making refried beans out of them, I do 50 minutes, but 40-45 minutes will get you a firmer bean if that’s what you’re needing. Let me know if that didn’t address the right question!
Great info Marci, thanks for the time and effort required to provide us with this info.
Leslie, you’re so welcome! It’s been on my to do list for a long time.
Really appreciate this, Marci! I use beans all the time in my cooking and love how easy they are to cook in the Instant Pot. I am always looking for ways to cut back on the grocery bill so this is wonderful–keep ’em coming!
Karen, I use them a lot too. Lot’s of bean recipes to come this month!
awesome!
Thanks so much for the easy Cooking Time chart, Marci ! I always pre-soak my beans due to digestive issues, so thanks for including those IP cooking times.
I’ll try your great idea of cooking then freezing IP beans soon. How handy !
You are great—keep up the good work.
Diana, I’m glad it could help you! I love having them in the freezer. They thaw quickly and I don’t have to rinse them, it’s great!
Do you have any suggestions on what spices work well on different beans? I am going to throw a bunch of beans into the pot and would love some suggestions on spices.
Kate, I sure do! Those recipes are coming all month!
Wonderful article, I’m excited to try your technique. My mother spends hours each week tending to beans on the stove. I love the chart, but did I miss the temperature and pressure settings? Thank you you.
James, I always use high pressure, maybe I should have specified that on the chart! Give your mom a pressure cooker for mothers day!
Interesting read. I have been making bean in the instant pot for over a year now. I have found that I have to cook my beans for 90 minutes. I also have to add a lot of liquid per cup of beans. I am going to try to leave out the salt, maybe that’s why my beans are too hard at a lesser cook time? Who knows, but I’ll try it out.
Thanks Marci!
What about large limas or black eyed or lots of other beans
Sharon, I plan to add more as I experiment with the less common beans. As a rule of thumb, with different beans, I match them to the cook time of one that’s a similar size.
Nancy, Hmmm, that’s interesting, I’ve never cooked them that long. I do think the salt is a factor. Beans that are old will take longer as well. Are your beans old by chance?