How Long Do You Cook Beans In A Pressure Cooker

How long do you cook beans in a pressure cooker?

The answer depends on the type of beans you’re cooking, but most beans take anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes at high pressure.

That’s a huge time saver compared to the hours they’d take on the stovetop.

If you’ve been wondering how long do you cook beans in a pressure cooker, you’re in the right place.

In this post, we’ll break down exact cook times for the most common beans, plus a few tips to get them perfectly tender every single time.

Let’s get into it.

How Long Do You Cook Beans in a Pressure Cooker?

When you cook beans in a pressure cooker, the time varies based on the bean variety, their age, and whether they’ve been soaked.

Here’s a quick rundown of the most common types:

1. Black Beans

If you cook beans in a pressure cooker that are unsoaked black beans, plan for about 25 to 30 minutes at high pressure.

Soaked black beans cook beans in a pressure cooker in just 20 to 25 minutes.

Either way, let the pressure release naturally for about 10 minutes before opening the valve.

2. Kidney Beans

When you cook beans in a pressure cooker like kidney beans, unsoaked ones take about 30 to 35 minutes.

Soaked kidney beans cook beans in a pressure cooker in roughly 25 minutes.

Kidney beans need a hard boil for at least 10 minutes to destroy a toxin called phytohaemagglutinin, but the pressure cooker handles that safely.

3. Pinto Beans

Pinto beans cook beans in a pressure cooker in about 30 minutes if unsoaked.

If you soaked them overnight, how long do you cook beans in a pressure cooker then?

Just 20 to 25 minutes at high pressure.

4. Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)

Chickpeas are denser, so how long do you cook beans in a pressure cooker for these?

Unsoaked chickpeas take 35 to 40 minutes.

Soaked chickpeas cook beans in a pressure cooker in about 25 to 30 minutes.

5. Navy Beans and Great Northern Beans

These smaller white beans cook beans in a pressure cooker in 25 to 30 minutes unsoaked.

Soaked, they take about 20 minutes.

Factors That Affect How Long You Cook Beans in a Pressure Cooker

How long do you cook beans in a pressure cooker?

It’s not just about the bean type, these factors matter too:

1. Soaked vs. Unsoaked

Soaking beans overnight cuts the cook time by about 25 to 30 percent.

If you’re short on time, you can quick-soak beans by boiling them for 2 minutes, then letting them sit in the hot water for an hour.

Either way, how long you cook beans in a pressure cooker shrinks when they’ve had a good soak.

2. Bean Age

Older beans take longer to soften.

If your beans have been sitting in the pantry for over a year, how long do you cook beans in a pressure cooker?

Add an extra 5 to 10 minutes to the times above.

3. Altitude

At higher altitudes, pressure cookers take longer to build pressure.

So how long do you cook beans in a pressure cooker at high altitude?

Add about 5 minutes for every 2,000 feet above sea level.

4. Water Ratio

Use about 3 cups of water for every 1 cup of dried beans.

Too little water can cause burning, and too much waters down the flavor.

Tips for Cooking Beans in a Pressure Cooker

Getting the timing right is one thing, but these tips help you cook beans in a pressure cooker like a pro:

1. Add Fat or Acid at the End

Salt and acidic ingredients like tomatoes or lemon juice can toughen beans if added too early.

Wait until the beans are fully cooked before seasoning.

2. Don’t Overfill the Cooker

Beans expand, so never fill your pressure cooker more than halfway with beans and water combined.

3. Natural Release Matters

After the cook time, turn off the heat and let the pressure release naturally for 10 to 15 minutes.

Quick-releasing can cause beans to burst.

4. Skim the Foam

Some beans produce foam that can clog the valve.

A quick skim after cooking keeps things safe.

So, How Long Do You Cook Beans in a Pressure Cooker?

How long do you cook beans in a pressure cooker depends on the bean type, but most beans fall between 20 and 45 minutes at high pressure.

Soaked beans cook faster, unsoaked beans take longer, and older beans need extra time.

Now that you know how long do you cook beans in a pressure cooker, you can enjoy tender, flavorful beans in a fraction of the time.