Your Cool Home is supported by its readers. Please assume all links are affiliate links. If you purchase something from one of our links, we make a small commission from Amazon. Thank you!
How long should you soak dried beans?
Most dried beans need to soak for about 8 to 12 hours, though some varieties only need 6 hours while others benefit from a full overnight soak.
If you’ve been asking yourself how long should you soak dried beans before cooking, the short answer is overnight.
That said, the exact soaking time for dried beans depends on the type of bean, the temperature of your water, and how you plan to cook them.
In this post, we’ll cover how long to soak dried beans, why soaking matters, and the different soaking methods you can use.
Let’s dig in.
Why You Should Soak Dried Beans Before Cooking
Soaking dried beans isn’t just a tradition passed down through generations.
There are real, practical reasons why you should soak dried beans before you cook them.
Here’s why it matters.
1. Soaking Softens the Beans
Dried beans are exactly that, dried.
They’ve lost most of their moisture during storage, which makes them rock hard.
When you soak dried beans, they rehydrate and soften, which cuts down your cooking time significantly.
Beans that haven’t been soaked can take two to three hours to cook, while soaked beans cook in about an hour.
That’s a huge time saver.
2. It Makes Beans Easier to Digest
Beans have a reputation for causing gas, and there’s a reason for that.
They contain oligosaccharides, which are complex sugars your body struggles to break down.
Soaking dried beans helps leach out some of these sugars into the water.
When you drain that water and rinse the beans, you’re removing a good chunk of the compounds that cause digestive discomfort.
3. Better Texture and Flavor
When you soak dried beans properly, they cook more evenly.
The outside and inside finish cooking at the same time, giving you a creamy, tender texture.
Beans that skip the soak often end up with tough skins and mushy insides.
Nobody wants that.
How Long to Soak Dried Beans Based on Type
The answer to how long should you soak dried beans isn’t one-size-fits-all.
Different beans have different densities and sizes, so their soaking times vary.
Here’s a quick breakdown.
1. Large Beans (8 to 12 Hours)
Beans like kidney beans, chickpeas, and black beans are on the larger, denser side.
These need a full overnight soak of 8 to 12 hours to soften properly.
If you try to rush these, you’ll end up with beans that take forever to cook and still feel firm in the middle.
2. Medium Beans (6 to 8 Hours)
Pinto beans, navy beans, and great northern beans fall into this category.
A 6 to 8 hour soak works well for these.
You can soak them in the morning and cook them in the evening, or soak them overnight and cook them the next day.
Either way works.
3. Small Beans and Lentils (2 to 4 Hours)
Lentils, split peas, and small white beans don’t need as much time.
In fact, lentils and split peas don’t really need soaking at all.
But if you do soak them, 2 to 4 hours is plenty.
Any longer and they can get mushy before they even hit the pot.
Different Methods for Soaking Dried Beans
There’s more than one way to soak dried beans, and the method you choose affects how long it takes.
Here are your options.
1. Overnight Soaking
This is the classic method and the one most people use.
Put your dried beans in a large bowl, cover them with cold water by about 2 to 3 inches, and let them sit on the counter overnight.
That gives you roughly 8 to 12 hours of soaking time.
Just make sure the bowl is big enough because the beans will double or even triple in size.
2. Quick Soaking Method
Short on time?
You can soak dried beans in about an hour using the quick soak method.
Here’s how it works.
Place your beans in a pot, cover them with water, and bring everything to a boil.
Let them boil for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn off the heat and cover the pot.
Let the beans sit in the hot water for an hour.
After that, drain and rinse, and they’re ready to cook.
It’s not quite as effective as an overnight soak, but it gets the job done in a pinch.
3. Brining for Extra Creaminess
If you want the creamiest beans possible, try brining them instead of soaking in plain water.
Add about 1 tablespoon of salt per quart of water and soak your dried beans in that solution overnight.
The salt helps soften the bean skins and seasons them from the inside out.
It sounds counterintuitive, but it works beautifully.
4. Refrigerator Soaking
If you’re soaking dried beans for longer than 12 hours, pop them in the fridge.
At room temperature, beans can start to ferment after too long.
Cold water slows that process down and keeps your beans safe to eat.
This is especially useful in warm climates.
So, How Long Should You Soak Dried Beans?
You should soak dried beans for 8 to 12 hours for large varieties, 6 to 8 hours for medium ones, and just 2 to 4 hours for small beans and lentils.
The goal is simple, soften the beans, make them easier to digest, and set them up for even cooking.
If you’re in a hurry, the quick soak method gets you there in about an hour.
And if you want the best texture possible, brining overnight is the way to go.
Either way, don’t skip the soak.
Your beans, and your stomach, will thank you.