After pounds and pounds of bean pressure cooking I got it right. Here is your fail-proof guide for Instant Pot Beans. Instant Pot black beans, Instant Pot pinto beans, instant pot kidney beans, and many more, basically an encyclopedia about cooking beans in the instant pot.
After seeing the same question popping up over and over again in several Facebook groups: “how to cook beans in the instant pot”, and after reading answers that couldn’t differ any more, I felt the urge to find out timings for myself. Just like back when I saw the same happening for Instant Pot Rice.
I’ve read people recommending cook times anywhere from 10 minutes all the way up to 60 minutes. How can that be? Why do the recommended times differ SO MUCH?!? I had to get to the bottom of it.
Well, first of all, many times it isn’t even specified what kind of beans. There are soooooo many kinds and they all cook in different times. Asking “how to cook beans in the instant pot” is basically an incomplete question and often results in incomplete answers.
Second of all, it is never specified what the beans are meant for. Depending on if you want them for a salad or a soup makes a huge difference. For a salad you want them barely cooked so they hold their shape, stay dry and don’t become mushy. For a soup you want them super cooked and falling apart by themselves so you can blend them and create a creamy soup.
And lastly,it is rarely specified if the cooking time is requested or suggested for soaked or dry beans. This also plays a huge role in timing.
Which brings us to the first question and answer in our Instant Pot Beans Encyclopedia.
Soaking or No Soaking for Instant Pot Beans
Let me answer one important thing first: yes, you CAN cook both, soaked and unsoaked beans in the pressure cooker. So if you desperately want to skip the soaking process you absolutely CAN.
The question, however, should not be if you CAN cook no soak beans. The question is: do you really want to skip the step?
I never (literally never!) skip soaking. Why? Because it eases digestion A LOT. I, for one, don’t love feeling bloated and passing wind. If you enjoy that, by all means, go ahead and skip the step ;)
If you’re more like me and like eating healthy and yummy food without bloating and farting (high five my friend) then soak your beans for 8-12 hours before pressure cooking.
Generations and generations before us already knew about this trick and I rely a lot on their experience. A pressure cooker doesn’t break down the beans to a point where soaking isn’t necessary anymore to ease digestion. Maybe one day someone will invent a magical machine that can but for now, there isn’t one on the market that I know.
What the instant pot does it cook beans faster to reach the same consistency a regular pot with water does. That’s the advantage of pressure cooking. The soaking is still necessary.
There are other tricks to ease digestion such as adding “epazote” during the cooking process and/or removing the foam that forms on top. The most important and most effective is soaking though. Don’t skip the soaking even if you add epazote and remove the foam.
Sooooo, all experiments run for this post are for beans soaked for 12 hours at room temperature using filtered water. Then drained and rinsed and cooked in just plain, fresh, unsalted water.
Ok, now that we’ve had have that discussion let’s get to the next point.
Instant Pot Black Beans
My fist tests were run with Black Beans and that’s how I found out that the discrepancies of timing are often times likely due to what the beans are meant for.
After cooking for 30 minutes + complete natural pressure release the beans were nice and soft and perfect to use for a soup. They were cooked to the necessary consistency to blend into a smooth black bean soup.
However, they were way too soft to drain and use for a salad. They were much much softer than the black beans you’d find in a can for example.
The canned black beans are pretty firm and after draining ideal for a salad for example.
So the next goal was to find the best pressure cook timing to achieve firm beans for salad AND a consistency somewhere in between for Instant Pot Beans and Rice. Not too firm and not too soft.
After 20 minutes of high pressure cooking and full natural pressure release the Instant Pot Black Beans were thoroghly cooked through but still firm. I was able to drain them and use them in a salad.
After 25 minutes they had that perfect consistency for Instant Pot Beans and Rice.
Instant Pot Pinto Beans
I thought all beans the same size would cook in the same time but no. It seems different beans have a different composition and cook differently.
Pinto Beans cooked faster in my experiment compared to black beans. I was very surprised actually. So much so, that I will have to rerun this experiment. Pinto Beans were the last beans I experimented with and I’m wondering if my Instant Pots (<– yes, plural, I have several because I’m obsessed, haha) were maybe overheating and cooking stuff faster?
Anyway, the Adzuki Beans definitely confirmed the fact that different beans cook at different times regardless of size.
The Instant Pot Pinto Beans were perfect for draining and using in salads after just 15 minutes high pressure and full natural pressure release.
Perfect for rice and beans after 20 minutes high pressure cooking + NPR. And suitable for soups after 25 minutes HP + NPR.
Flavoring Instant Pot Beans (salt while or after cooking)
Depending on what you want your Instant Pot Beans for you may or may not want to flavor them.
If you want your beans for a salad which will have a salad dressing it’s probably best to simply cook them in filtered water and nothing else. Drain the water and use the unflavored beans for your salad.
For Instant Pot Beans and Rice or for soup you’ll probably want to flavor while cooking. There is a couple simple rules to follow. Add onion, garlic, spices (except salt) before or during cooking but salt after cooking. Salt can keep beans from softening up so you want to avoid adding while they are cooking but rather once they’re already soft.
What I love to do is to prepare a “sofrita” first. You hit the sautée button first and while the pot heats you peel and finely chop onion and garlic. Once hot, add a splash of oil, the chopped onion and garlic and sauté until nice and brown. Then add beans and water and cook as instructed in the recipe card below.
And here the printable fool-proof timing guide for Instant Pot Beans:
Instant Pot Beans
Ingredients
- 1-3 cups beans - (black beans, pinto beans, adzuki beans, kidney beans, navy beans, or mung beans)
- water
Instructions
- Add beans to a large bowl and cover with abundant filtered water. At least 4 times as much water as beans. Cover with a clean dish towel. Soak for 8-12 hours on the kitchen counter. (If you soak them longer timings will differ!)
- Drain beans and rinse really really well.
- Add beans to instant pot and cover with fresh water to about 2 inches above the beans (two thumbs thick).
- Put on the lid and turn the knob to the sealing position.
- Press manual (or pressure cook on newer models) set to high pressure and adjust timing follows depending on if you need the beans for salad/rice and beans/soup:Black Beans: 20/25/30 minutes + 20 mins NPRPinto Beans: 15/20/25 + 20 mins NPRNavy Beans: 25/30/35 + 20 mins NPRKidney Beans: 25/30/35 + 20 mins NPRAdzuki Beans: 5/10/15 + 20 mins NPRMung Beans: 0 + 10 min NPR / 0 + 15 min NPR / 1 + 20 mins NPR
- Let pressure release naturally for specified time above, then, if safety pin hasn't dropped on its own yet, release remaining pressure manually.
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Shelley Bazinet says
Hi Lorena,
I made my first Instapot beans today using Bob’s Red Mill dried fava beans.
I used times I found somewhere else before I found your site.
12h soaking, 12 minutes cooking, 10 minutes NPR.
They came out very mushy and the pot was a mess.
Have you tried these?
Lorena Grater says
No, sorry. I have never tried fava beans. If the beans were complete much I assume they need much shorter cooking times. Maybe try 2 minutes + full natural pressure release. If they are not cooked through you can always put the lid back on and get it all back to pressure for another minute of two, then do another NPR.
Doreen Kurtz says
Regarding overcooked beans, possible reason: When the cooking time is up, the multicooker will automatically change to the “keep warm” function and begin slowly losing pressure. I think my beans overcooked during the pressure release at “keep warm” default setting.
From NYT cooking: Some recipes will call for a specific time for natural release, before a manual pressure release. For this, you’ll want to turn off the pot, and wait for the time called for in the recipe has passed. Next attempt I will turn off the pot during the natural release, should help.
Lorena Grater says
I always, always, always leave the keep warm function on and the pressure release (when I make a lot of beans) can be as long as 45 minutes and still they don’t overcook. I really think it’s all up to bean age and water hardness/softness. That seems to be the biggest culprit.
ejmquilts says
I tried your method using Aurora Natural Organic black beans. I soaked for 11 hours, then pressure for 22 minutes and 20 minutes NPR. They were perfect “rice and beans” style. Thank you. I intend to vacuum seal and freeze most of them.
Lorena Grater says
Thank you so much for the details!! That helps a lot. I hope we can eventually crackdown on the brands that might cook faster than others.
Victor Zuclich says
I soaked kidney beans and pinto beans together for 12 hours and then used the 25 minute high pressure cook time with the Insta pot and the 20 minute natural release the beans were absolutely mush.
Lorena Grater says
Victor, may I ask what brand you used? Did you take a photo of your mushy beans? I’m really trying to get to the bottom of this. I know now that bean age plays a major roll in cooking time, however, I’ve tried 10 different brands and keep getting the same great results so I’d love to figure out which brands might be the ones cause mushy beans.
Bekah says
I just got an Instant Pot yesterday and so I am starting to experiment myself! I am also thinking that the water used and the minerals in the water used to soak the beans have an effect as well. I have well water, and the previous landlords didn’t soften it very well and it had a lot of iron. Soaked chickpeas cooked on the stove in ~25 minutes. Now the new landlords soften the water very well and chickpeas on the stove would take a couple hours. I was also reading that age can affect cooking times of beans as well…so you may be on to something there! Before I had gotten the Instant Pot the cranberry beans I cooked on the stove were very unevenly cooked. Some were crunchy and some were falling apart. Last night I cooked them (from the same 5lb bag) in the Instant Pot and was so pleased that they were all evenly cooked! Thank you so much for this guide that you created! I will definitely be referencing it a lot going forward.
Lorena Grater says
thank you so much for your comment. That is very VERY interesting that you had such drastic cooking time changes due to water hardness. I will have to think of a way to get my hands on had water. My water out of the faucet is pretty soft. No calcium residue anywhere.
Victor Zuclich says
Hi! The Red kidney beans were Goya and the pinto beans were Publix brand. Sorry, I didn’t take a picture
Lorena Grater says
Thank you so much for coming back and commenting. I’ve never seen this brand before. I googled it and only cans shop up in the image search. You did you dried beans, right? Next time I visit the US I will try buy from that brand to keep on testing. Thank you!
Justin Montes says
Thanks for your post! Do you have the times for black eyes peas? Thank you.
Lorena Grater says
Unfortunately, I haven’t tested those. I hope I can eventually.
Cheryl L King says
I also wondered if elevation might effect the time?
Lorena Grater says
It does but not with such crazy discrepancies as reported. Elevations plays only a role at over 2,000 and it’s 5% per 1,000 feet. So 5% more cooking time at 3,000 feet, 10% at 4,000 feet, 15% at 5,000 feet etc.
Charlotte says
Hi. I live at an altitude of 9200 feet so I must make adjustments (my candy thermometer says water boils at 180 degrees). Am I correct in assuming your times are for >2000 ft altitude?
Lorena Grater says
I am at almost sea level so yes, you have to add 5% per 1,000 above 2,000 ft. So for 9,000ft it’s 35% longer cooking time.
Dawn says
Kidney beans way overcooked.
Heather says
I really prefer to soak beans first, even when cooking them in the IP, and this is one of the few posts online that is for soaked beans. I feel like us “pre-soakers” are a dying breed. Many of the posts that do exist use the same cooking time for every type of bean. Thank you so much for sharing this!!!
Lorena Grater says
You are very welcome :)
Dolly says
This is the first time I actually learned something from a Post for food. Thank you for your guidance!
We have gone crazy over last season with cooking beans. This is great!
Lorena Grater says
I’m so happy to read you found the post useful :)
Marc says
Hi Lorena,
Loving your guides. I recently got a pot-in-pot setup for my InstaPot and noticed the time to cook soaked black beans and the time to cook brown rice (from your other guide) are very close. I am wondering if I can do both at the same time? Do I put water in each of the smaller pots as well as the larger InstaPot pot? Welcome any tips you have for doing pot-in-pot rice & beans so I don’t have to double the cook time. Thanks.
Lorena Grater says
Yes!!! You can absolutely cook both at the same time. I actually cook lentils and white rice at the same time by adding the lentils to the bottom of the pot, then add the trivet and then cook the rice in a separate pot on the trivet. Works like a charm. Or if you have two small pots that fit into your instant pot that works, too of course. The 1:1 ratio for the rice applies for the pot in pot method, too. Yes. So you add water to the instant pot, add the trivet and then your small pot with 1:1 ratio of rice to water. And the beans need to be sufficiently covered in water so they can expand while still submerged in water all the time. Does that make sense?
marc says
Sort of. I have a 3qt InstaPot and two smaller pots designed for the 3qt Instapot that fit snugly inside however the trivet won’t fit with the two smaller pots also inside. So I put some water in the main pot and then also put water in each of the smaller pots….maintaining the 1:1 ratio for rice within its smaller pot and making sure the beans are covered in its smaller pot? Does it matter how much water I put in the main pot?
Your black bean recipe calls for 25 mins + NPR and your brown rice calls for 24 mins + NPR, with those being so close, it sounds like I can cook them together very easily but what if I wanted white rice?
This is all very helpful to me (and hopefully others!). Thanks for sharing.
Lorena Grater says
Oh wonderful. I didn’t know there were small pots specifically for the 3 qt. The amount of water you need in the bottom is specified in the instruction manual. I don’t have a 3 quart so I don’t know. The 6-quart needs 1 cup of liquid to get to pressure and the 8 quart needs two. So the 3 quart probably 1/2 cup? Yes, the 25 mins + NPR will work perfectly for both brown rice and beans. If you want white rice you’ll have to use cooked beans (canned or previously cooked) so that way you basically just reheat them. OR you could use mung beans. They cook very fast.
Jeremy says
I just made a batch of navy beans and it turned out perfectly as per your instructions for salad consistency!
IRENE SMITH says
Hi Lorena I made one batch of beans that were overcooked I’m sure because I boiled them for 10 minutes first. I was advised that beans need to be boiled like this to remove toxins but I’m guessing that doesn’t apply with the pressure cooker. Can you advise if its safe to cook kidney beans without boiling prior to adding to the instant pot? Thanks
Lorena Grater says
Hi Irene, no you do not need to boil them they boil in the instant pot. In fact, the instant pot won’t get to full pressure UNTIL the beans are boiling anyway :)
Angela Smith says
First off, they tasted great! The issue was they were overcooked. I used your average dried black beans. I DID NOT SOAK at all. I used 6qt Instant Pot, 20 minutes high pressure + 20 minutes npr. They tasted great but I was wanting them more of the bit firmer texture like in a can, for salads and nachos etc. I think next time I will try 12-15 high pressure + 20 minutes npr.
Lorena Grater says
Hi Angela, yes, unfortunately after many many comments I’ve found out that bean age plays a MAJOR role in cooking time and the sad part about is, there is no way to determine bean age. My beans always take the same time though so I’m at least confident saying that if you always buy the same brand in the same store your timings should “in theory” always be the same.
rb says
Times like these = pantry reorganization time. We haven’t been to a store more than once in almost a month. Tried this with dried kidney beans out of package 3 years past best by date (vacuum sealed and stored in a dark cool pantry for 4 years).
I soaked 3 cups of beans for 24 hours on the counter top. Drained and rinsed until the water was clear. Filled the cooking pot 2 inches over the beans. No salt. Instant Pot on Pressure Cook (High) for 25 minutes with 20 minute NPR. Did NOT turn on Keep Warm. Had to pressure release after 20 minutes. Beans came out fine.
Linda Teders says
Oh I love reading this! For I also have really old beans. And hard water, so the two should, in theory, cancel themselves out. Good to know
Mertz says
I’ve done some testing of dry beans in the instant pot and have a list that I use. I soak them overnight (about 8-10 hours). My times are much less than yours, and I don’t know why. I buy them from the grocery store and use them within a few months:
Navy beans:
10h soaking, 7 minutes with quick pressure release (they are almost overdone at this point)
Black beans:
24h soaking, 6 minutes cooking
10h soaking, 10 minutes cooking
3h soaking, 12 minutes cooking
Pinto beans:
10h soaking, 7 minutes cooking
Lorena Grater says
From hundreds of comments from people I ended up figuring out that the #1 reason for large discrepancies in pressure cooking times is “bean age”. Which makes it incredibly frustrating because it’s something we cannot determine. I’ve even called different bean packagers to see if there is a way of finding out and there literally isn’t. The only good thing is, that “generally” if you buy the same brand at the same store all the time in most cases the timing will always be the same because the age of beans tends to be the same.
Patricia Greenberg says
perfect – I used Peruvano beans and cooked them with the Pinto bean instruction. Thank you very much!