5 Smart Tricks to Cook Beans Faster — With or Without Soaking

Okay, so I was cooking beans the other day, and it felt like forever before they softened. I even remembered my friend once told me during a visit that adding ginger could help cook beans faster — didn’t hurt to try, right? Beans are a nutritious, protein-rich staple, so I cook them often and hate when they take all day. Also, if you want to keep them in top shape before cooking, learn how to store beans and other dry foods to avoid insects and molds.

Some beans just take their sweet time, and I started thinking there must be smarter ways to cook beans. Infact some tricks or methods that will help reduce cooking time for beans — with or without soaking. And trust me, I love my beans, so I needed a faster, more efficient fix.

In This Article:

• Quick-Soak Trick to Cook Beans Faster (Optional)
• Add a Pinch of Baking Soda to Reduce Cooking Time for Beans
• Use a Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot to Cook Beans Faster
• Start Beans in Boiling Water to Reduce Cooking Time
• Choose Smaller or Faster‑Cooking Beans & Mind Salt Timing for Quick Beans

5 Smart Tricks to Cook Beans Faster — With or Without Soaking

1. Quick-Soak Trick to Cook Beans Faster (Optional)

If you have a little extra time, the quick-soak trick can help cook beans faster. Just bring the beans to a boil for 2–3 minutes, cover the pot, and let them sit for about an hour. This reduces cooking time for beans significantly — perfect if you don’t mind a small wait for softer beans. For more simple ways to save time in the kitchen, see 12 time-saving kitchen hacks to simplify your cooking.

2. Add a Pinch of Baking Soda to Reduce Cooking Time for Beans

A tiny pinch of baking soda in the cooking water can help cook beans faster by slightly raising the pH and softening tough skins. This simple bean cooking hack speeds up cooking for beans, soaked or unsoaked. Just don’t add too much — it can affect the flavor.

3. Use a Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot to Cook Beans Faster

If you have a pressure cooker or Instant Pot, it can cook beans faster in just 20–30 minutes, even without soaking. For those using a regular pot, don’t worry — the other tricks in this post still help reduce cooking time for beans while keeping them tender and flavorful.

4. Start Beans in Boiling Water to Reduce Cooking Time

Add beans directly to boiling water instead of cold. This gives them a head start and helps cook beans faster, soaked or unsoaked. It works on the stove, in a pot, or any regular cookware, and makes simmering much quicker.

5. Choose Smaller or Faster‑Cooking Beans & Mind Salt Timing for Quick Beans

Smaller beans like black‑eyed peas (locally called ewa, used for akara) and honey beans (ewa oloyin, known for their soft texture) usually cook faster than bigger beans like kidney or broad beans.

Even though most beans you buy are dried, choosing varieties that are known to soften sooner helps you cook beans faster with or without soaking. Add salt only after the beans have started cooking — I usually cook them halfway, drain and rinse, then add fresh water and salt so they soften well and stay tasty.

Quick Recap: 5 Smart Tricks to Cook Beans Faster — With or Without Soaking

I have to admit, out of all these tricks, the baking soda hack and picking the right beans are my go-to methods when I want to cook beans faster — though honestly, all of them help reduce cooking time for beans whether I soak them or not. Which 5 Smart Tricks to Cook Beans Faster — With or Without Soaking do you think you’ll try first, or is there a secret trick you’ve been hiding in your kitchen? 😉😃🍽️