Your pressure cooker is an ideal place to cook dried beans and legumes. Always start with the shortest pressure cooker cooking time in this table for a particular bean; you can always continue cooking beans under pressure for an additional couple minutes until the desired texture is reached.
The bean cooking times in this table begin when the pressure cooker reaches high pressure. With the exception of lentils and split peas, the cooking times given are for cooking presoaked beans.
Recommended Cooking Times for Dried Beans and Legumes
| Food | Cooking Time (in Minutes) |
|---|---|
| Azuki beans | 9 to 13 |
| Black beans | 13 to 15 |
| Black-eyed peas | 9 to 11 |
| Chickpeas (garbanzos) | 20 to 25 |
| Cranberry beans | 15 to 20 |
| Gandules (pigeon peas) | 15 to 17 |
| Great Northern beans | 12 to 15 |
| Kidney beans, red or white | 12 to 15 |
| Lentils, green, brown, or red | 8 to 10 |
| Navy or pea beans | 10 to 12 |
| Peas, split green or yellow | 8 to 10 |
| Pinto beans | 8 to 10 |
Sauce can split after reheating when fat, water, proteins, or starch fall out of balance. Learn why it happens, which sauces can be rescued, and how to reheat them safely.
Find out why pancakes turn tough, chewy, or dense. Learn how to mix batter gently, check leaveners, control pan heat, and cook a fluffy test batch.
Rescue salty soup with measured dilution, liquid exchange, or unsalted add-ins. Learn what potatoes, lemon, sugar, and cream can—and cannot—do.
Cool a large pot of soup, stew, or other leftovers safely: divide it into shallow containers, use an ice bath when needed, and refrigerate promptly.
Learn why refrigerated rice firms up, how to restore its texture, and how to cool, store, and reheat leftovers safely to 165°F.
Use a gentle warm spot, cover the dough, and follow visual cues to help a small batch rise in a cool kitchen without overheating or overproofing it.
Learn how poaching, simmering, and boiling differ by water movement, temperature, and best uses, plus how to control the heat and check doneness safely.
Learn why melted chocolate turns thick and grainy, how to rescue it as sauce or ganache, and when baking or starting over is the better choice.
Test baking powder with warm water, read the bubbles, and learn when to replace it. This simple guide also explains storage, dates, and common testing mistakes.
A side split usually means the loaf expanded at a weak point instead of opening through its score. Learn how scoring, steam, shaping, proofing, and pan fit affect the result.
