Beans are amazing.  They are full of protein, fiber, nutrients and antioxidants.  They are so easy to make and are very inexpensive.

Before we got our instant pot we would buy canned beans regularly.  It usually cost about $1 per can.  We would eat them almost daily.  We had tried making them from dried beans and that was a fail.  We had to soak them overnight, then boil them for hours.  The texture was never right and they didn’t taste very good.  No one liked them and they usually ended up in the trash.  This was wasteful and disappointing. 

When we got the instant pot everything changed.  We could now make beans in 20-40 minutes without soaking.  This was good because we usually plan our meals last minute and by the time we decide we want beans, we don’t have time to soak them.  We also save a bunch of money since a one pound bag of dried beans also costs about $1, but you get three times the amount. 

Now we make beans on a daily basis.  They are filling for our growing children, and there are so many ways to make them. Many times we just eat plain beans.  Sometimes we make refried beans, chili, seasoned with tacos, cold on a salad, soup or hummus…there are many options.

While they are very easy to make in an instant pot, they do take some experimenting.  I haven’t messed up chickpeas, yet.  They cook the longest and I usually put them in the pot with several cups of water and some salt for 40 minutes. 

The other types of beans are a bit trickier.  If you don’t pressure them long enough they will be tough and not very tasty.  If you cook them too long, they’ll get mushy. 

I have found that most beans cook best if I only do one pound at a time.  I rinse them off and put them in the pot with about 2 inches of water covering them.  Seal the lid and cook for 20-30 minutes and slow release the pressure (let the pressure release on its own). 

Sometimes I add flavor to the beans before cooking them such as beef or chicken bouillon or taco seasoning, other times I leave them plain.  It’s fun to experiment.

If beans are not something you’ve tried in your instant pot yet, I encourage you to give it a try.  If you mess them up, you’re only out $1, but chances are, you won’t.  So if you are like us and have hungry growing children, go get some dried beans and fill their bellies.