🍳 Dried Bean Basics — Soak & Cook Times

Soak (recommended): cover beans with 3× water, 6–8 hr or overnight, then drain. Quick-soak: boil 2 min, cover, rest 1 hr, drain. Mung & adzuki are small — no soak needed.

Golden rules: 1 cup dry ≈ 3 cups cooked. Salt after they soften. Always natural release in the Instant Pot so they don't split. Add 1 Tbsp oil to cut foaming.

Bean	Soaked — Instant Pot (HIGH)	Unsoaked — Instant Pot (HIGH)	Stovetop (soaked)
Black	9–11 min	25–28 min	60–75 min
Pinto	10–12 min	25–30 min	75–90 min
White (cannellini/GN)	10–12 min	30–35 min	75–90 min
Adzuki	— (no soak)	18–22 min	45–60 min
Mung	— (no soak)	10–14 min	30–40 min

Batch it: cook a whole 1-lb bag, use some now, freeze the rest in 1½-cup portions (= one 15-oz can) so every recipe on this page works with your own beans.

⛰️ Colorado Springs altitude (6,000 ft): water boils at ~200°F here, so beans cook slower. Always soak (skip the no-soak shortcut) and add ~15–20% to every time on this page — both the Instant Pot minutes and stovetop. The pressure cooker is your best friend at altitude; if beans are still firm after natural release, just reseal and add 5 more minutes. This applies to the soups & braises above too.