Here's the great Steve Santo of Rancho Gordo, my source for all things beany, with a simple bean recipe. Click here for Meathead's classic beans recipes.
Approximate equivalents
Here are some useful measurements. They can vary significantly depending on the type of beans, the size of the beans, or the brand of the canner.
Dried beans absorb liquid when cooked so increase the liquid in the recipe when you cook with dried beans.
Dried beans expand to about 2.5 times their original volume when soaked and 3.5 times their original volume when cooked.
1 can of beans = 15 ounces undrained = about 10 ounces drained = 1/4 pound dried beans.
1 pound dried beans = about 2 cups dried beans = about 5 cups soaked beans = about 7 cups cooked beans = 4 cans drained beans.
Beans play an important part in American culture and especially barbecue culture. Hard to find a pit stop that doesn't serve some sort of beans.
Canned beans are quick and easy. Drain the salty liquid, rinse, heat, and they are ready to eat.
Dried beans are much cheaper and taste slightly better. They just take a bit more effort and a lot more time. As Steve Santo of the highly regarded bean grower Rancho Gordo likes to say "The big advantage of dried beans is the liquid they make. Canned beans need to be washed, whereas real beans come with free soup!" If you wish to use dried beans, it's pretty easy.
How to prep dried beans
1) Dump dried beans on the counter and make sure there are no pebbles or other foreign matter in them.
2) Give them a quick rinse in cold water.
3) In a bowl, cover the beans with 3 times their volume of water and soak at least 6 hours. You can soak up to 12 hours if you wish. The longer dried beans soak, the less they need to cook. Beans soaked for 6 hours may need to cook 3 to 4 hours. Beans soaked for 12 hours may be done in 2 hours or so. If you don't have time to soak beans, you can cook with dried beans, they'll just take longer to get tender, perhaps 5 to 6 hours depending on the type and size of the bean.
4) Drain the beans and save the soaking liquid. If the recipe calls for water, use the soaking liquid it is full of flavor and nutrients. Some folks think that you should discard it to reduce flatulence, but I have read reliable sources saying that this doesn't work. I have not conducted definitive tests yet, I'm waiting for my wife's next business trip or when the Cubs make the World Series. Santo says we should use the liquid, and that's good enough for me.
5) After the beans have been added to the recipe, boil for about 5 minutes, cut back on the heat, and let the beans simmer for about 2 hours or until they get soft enough to pierce easily with a fork. Don't boil beans for more than a few minutes or else they will turn to mush. Simmer them.
If you live at altitude, bean cookery can be consterning. Water boils at a lower temp at altitude because the column of air pressing down on the water surface is shorter and that lowers the air pressure, so vapor escapes the water at a lower temp. As a result it takes longer to cook beans at altitude. A rule of thumb is add 10% for each 1000 feet above sea level.
Quick soak option. Cover the beans with 3 times their volume of water, bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Remove them from the heat, cover the pot tightly, and let it stand for 1 to 2 hours.
Pressure cooking option. Dried beans cook even faster in a pressure cooker. Rinse, soak, and cook 20 minutes in the pressure cooker. Then open the lid and cook another 20 minutes or more until the beans are done.
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ThermoWorks Pocket Thermometer - No More Guessing
A good thermometer is why I never serve overcooked or undercooked food. This one has a very thin tip with a tiny thermocouple so it gives an accurate reading in just six seconds. I cannot recommend it more highly. It will improve your cooking overnight and pay for itself in a hurry. And it is inexpensive. Click here for more about thermometers.
AmazingRibs.com is all about the Zen of barbecue, grilling, and outdoor cooking, with great BBQ recipes and techniques: Barbecue baby back ribs, spareribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, steak, burgers, chicken, smoked turkey, lamb, barbecue sauces, burgers, steaks, rubs, and side dishes, with the world's best buying guide to barbecue smokers and grills. It is written, photographed, illustrated, and coded solely by 
About Product Reviews and Best in BBQ Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals are highly recommended products. Awards are based on features, quality, and value. Rest assured that when we recommend a product, it is really because we like it, not because someone has paid us to say so or because the company is an advertiser or sponsor. We purchase most products we review although occasionally suppliers send us samples. We have always been transparent about when we are reviewing a product sample, even before 
With a $30 donation you'll get a 100% cotton brushed twill adjustable low profile cap with the AmazingRibs patch sewn on. I'll even toss in a small bag of BBQ'rs Delight wood smoke pellets. Click here for 
