Bean Basics

Whatever Hamlet may have said,  I think our query is a bit more pragmatic:  To soak or not to soak, that is the question!  The other question is about salt.  Everyone will tell you that salting beans too early will ensure that they never soften.  This is an oft-repeated and totally erroneous statement.   Adding acidic ingredients, like tomatoes, will have that effect, but salt is best added early.

To get the creamiest, least ruptured beans, you should soak them.  But really, if you don't have time, I don't think anyone is going to care.  Your cooking time increases, but you can still get great results.  However, here are the methods you can use:

Pre-Soak:  Soak overnight, preferably brining them in salt water (3 T. Salt to 4 quarts water) 8-24 hours.
Quick-Soak:  Boil 10 minutes and then let sit 1 hour.

Slow-Cooker:  Soaked beans, cook on low about 8 hours.  Unsoaked, cook on high about 8 hours.
Pressure-Cooker:  Pressure cooking really speeds up bean cooking--I love it.  Lorna Sass has some charts for pressure cooking in her fabulous book, "Great Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure".  I'll see if I can scan in the chart and post it.

1 cup dry beans makes about 3c. cooked beans.

Here is a chart and some comments from vegparadise.com:

BEAN (1 cup dry)	CUPS WATER	COOK TIME	CUPS YIELD
Adzuki (Aduki)	4	45 - 55 min.	3
Anasazi	2 1/2 - 3	45 - 55 min.	2 1/4
Black Beans	4	1 hr. - 1 1/2 hrs.	2 1/4
Black-eyed Peas	3	1 hr.	2
Cannellini (White Kidney Beans)	3	45 min.	2 1/2
Cranberry Bean	3	40 - 45 min.	3
Fava Beans, skins removed	3	40 - 50 min.	1 2/3
Garbanzos (Chick Peas)	4	1 - 3 hrs.	2
Great Northern Beans	3 1/2	1 1/2 hrs.	2 2/3
Green Split Peas	4	45 min.	2
Yellow Split Peas	4	1 - 1 1/2 hrs.	2
Green Peas, whole	6	1 - 2 hrs.	2
Kidney Beans	3	1 hr.	2 1/4
Lentils, brown	2 1/4	45 min. - 1 hr.	2 1/4
Lentils, green	2	30-45 min.	2
Lentils, red	3	20 - 30 min.	2-2 1/2
Lima Beans, large	4	45 - 1 hr.	2
Lima Beans, small	4	50 - 60 min.	3
Lima Beans, Christmas	4	1 hr.	2
Mung Beans	2 1/2	1 hr.	2
Navy Beans	3	45-60 min.	2 2/3
Pink Beans	3	50 - 60 min.	2 3/4
Pinto Beans	3	1 - 1/2 hrs.	2 2/3
Soybeans	4	3 - 4 hrs	3

Many people are concerned with the reputation that beans have for causing flatulence. Starting your bean ventures with small amounts helps to increase your body's enzyme production gradually. Soaking and cooking the beans thoroughly helps to break down the complex sugars (oligosaccharides) which challenge our digestive systems.
Some herbs that help the digestion of beans can be added during the cooking process. These include bay leaf, cumin, and winter or summer savory, fresh epazote (available in Hispanic markets). Many people from India maintain the tradition of chewing on dried fennel seeds or drinking a cup of fennel tea at the end of a legume meal to aid the digestion.
QUICK-SOAK METHOD: When time is limited, you can wash and pick over beans and put them into a stock pot with water to cover by 3 inches (7.5 cm). Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes to remove toxins. Then cover and allow to soak for 1 hour. Discard soak water, add fresh water, and cook until tender.
As a general rule of thumb, 1 cup of dried beans will yield about 2 1/2 - 3 cups (.5 to .75 liters) of cooked beans.

PRESSURE COOKING

For pressure-cooking beans you can choose to soak the beans overnight, use the quick-soak method, or forego soaking altogether. There are well-known chefs, like Emeril Lagasse, who do not soak beans before pressure-cooking.
Whether you choose to soak or eliminate that step, put the beans in the pressure cooker with 3 times as much water as beans. Cook at 15 pounds of pressure for 30 minutes for small beans. For large beans, such as limas or fava beans, pressure cook for about 40 minutes.

COOKING FRESH BEANS

Because few people actually grow beans and go through the time-consuming process of shelling and cooking them, most of the information about preparing beans refers to dried beans. However, fresh beans are delicious and easy to prepare and can often be found at farmers' markets. Fresh black-eyed peas, garbanzos, cannellini, limas, and others offer excellent flavor and nutrition.There are two methods of cooking fresh beans: boiling or steaming. To boil, drop the shelled beans into boiling water to cover, and boil gently for 5 to 10 minutes. You may want to add some onions, garlic, herbs of your choice, and a dash of salt to the water to flavor the beans.
To steam, put about an inch of water into the bottom of a saucepan, and place the beans into a steamer basket that fits into the saucepan. Cover the pan, and steam over boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes.
After fresh fava beans are cooked, their tough skins are usually peeled and discarded. When left on, they give the beans a bitter flavor. To peel the skins, use a small paring knife and peel away one end. Then squeeze the opposite end and the bean will slip out easily.