Dried beans are simple to cook. If you soak them overnight, the cooking goes faster. If you forgot or don’t have the time for soaking, just give the beans a 10-minute rolling boil then proceed with cooking, either stovetop or slow cooker.
Quick reference bean timing:
- begin with a 10 minute rolling boil then proceed with either stovetop or slow cooker
- stovetop: 90 minutes at a slow simmer
- slow cooker: 4–6 hours on low, 4 hours on high (begin checking for doneness at hour 3, especially for smaller beans)
Sometimes it’s nice to add flavor to beans during cooking for example, a tablespoon of dried Herbs de Provence or a bouquet garni for white beans, a couple branches of thyme or rosemary for Scarlet Runners, a dried chile pepper for pintos or other softies becoming refried beans.
Once your beans are cooked, glass jars are great for storage. Four cups of beans with some broth fit nicely in a quart-sized canning jar, use a canning funnel to make the transfer neat. To freeze beans, drain off the liquid and transfer beans to a freezer bag. For flat packs, freeze the filled bag on a quarter-sheet pan and freeze. Check out this post from Simply Recipes to get inspired.
The giant white beans in the photo are Royal Coronas from Rancho Gordo. Serve them simply with olive oil and parmesan, or add them to soups (like this one with Italian Sausage and kale, beans and greens dishes (like this one with kale, or this one with broccolette and pasta), or make this delicious one-pot meal with cod or halibut. I have many bean recipes on my site, just search “Bean” or use the “filter by category” and choose Main, Beans & Lentils.
Update 5/8/26: I’ve recently learned about the importance of neutralizing lectins when preparing beans. It is for this reason that Rancho Gordo recommends stovetop cooking and has provided simple instructions on every bag. Slow cooker bean cooking is one of my favorite things, so I’m not going to stop but I will begin each batch with a 10 minute rolling boil on the stovetop because I don’t want to cause anyone gastrointestinal distress. Don’t freak out about lectins, they’re present in all plants. Check out this article from Harvard’s School of Public Health and this one at Blue Zones for more information.
post from the RIPE archives, edited May 2026
How to Cook Beans
Bean math: 1 pound dry beans = 2 cups dry beans = 4–6 cups cooked beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry beans Rancho Gordo
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt for cooking
Instructions
-
Put the beans in a large bowl and fill it with water to cover the beans by a few inches. Leave at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight.
After soaking, drain off the soaking water, and transfer to cooking pot.
Note: If you don't have time for a soak, rinse the beans then bring them to a rolling boil for 10–15 minutes. As of May 2026, this is my preferred starting point for all beans, whether soaked or not.
-
Put beans in your stove-top safe slow cooker pot and add fresh water to cover the beans by a couple inches. Bring to a rolling boil for 10–15 minutes then transfer pot to the slow cooker base. Add olive oil and salt, put the lid on, and set the timer (4–6 hours on low, or 4 hours on high; begin checking for doneness after 3 hours).
Keep in mind how you want to use the beans—if you're adding them to a soup or casserole, stop the cooking when they're al dente. For marinated beans or hummus, cook the beans until they're very creamy inside.
-
Alternatively, you can cook on the stovetop. Put the soaked beans in a large dutch oven or stockpot. Add fresh water and bring to a rolling boil for 10–15 minutes then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Add olive oil, salt, and cook gently until done, usually about 1–1½ hours but larger, beans can go to as much as 3 hours.
