All beans do require relatively long time to cook, however the different types do differ slightly. Here is a chart for various beans and how long they take to cook. Soaking does reduce the cooking times somewhat for all the beans. There are two basic methods for soaking beans:
Long Soak:
Simply cover the beans in water and soak them overnight (about 8-10 hours). You don't want to soak the beans for too much longer, then they can absorb too much liquid and loose their texture and flavor. If however, you soaked your beans and want to wait to cook them, then drain the beans and store in the fridge until you're ready.
Quick Soak:
The second method is a little quicker and doesn't require as much preparation. Put the beans in a large pot, add water and bring up to a boil. Let the water boil for about 2 minutes, then remove from the heat, cover the pot and let soak for about 1 hour.
Beans-to-Water Ratio All the beans have the same beans-to-water ratio. - 1 pound of soaked beans need to cook in 4 quarts (16 cups) of water
- 1 pound of unsoaked beans need to cook in 5 quarts (20 cups) of water
Cooking the beans When cooking the beans, bring the water, the beans and 2 ½ teaspoons of salt to a boil. Reduce the heat and maintain a low simmer during the remainder of the cooking time. | Type of Beans | Required Cooking Time
| | | | | Black Beans | | | Soaked | 1 1/2 - 2 hours | | Unsoaked | 2 1/4 - 2 1/2 hours
| | Black-Eyed Peas | | | Soaked | 1 - 1/4 hours | | Unsoaked | 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hours | Cannellini Beans
| | | Soaked | 1 - 1 1/4 hours | | Unsoaked | 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hours
| Chickpeas
| | | Soaked | 1 1/2 - 2 hours | | Unsoaked | 2 1/4 - 2 1/2 hours
| | Great Northern Beans | | Soaked
| 1 - 1 1/4 hours | Unsoaked
| 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hours | | Navy Beans | | | Soaked | 1 - 1 1/4 hours | Unsoaked
| 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hours | | Pinto Beans | | Soaked
| 1 - 1 1/4 hours | Unsoaked
| 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hours | | Red Kidney Beans | | | Soaked | 1 - 1 1/4 hours | | Unsoaked | 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hours | | Lentils | | | Unsoaked | 20 - 30 min |
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