Cooking Covered

Cooking beans in a lidded pot can make them cook a little faster, because much of the steam is trapped inside, making the environment in the pot slightly hotter. Cooking beans this way will make them creamier, but also more likely to fall apart. This is the ideal way to cook beans if you're planning to make hummus or other bean dips, soup or burritos. When covering the beans, leave the lid slightly ajar.

Cooking Uncovered

While it might take a little longer, cooking the beans in a pot without a lid will allow them to keep their shape better. They'll still be tender and cooked through but will be less likely to fall apart. Cook the beans uncovered if you're planning to put them in a recipe where you want them to hold their shape, such as a pasta dish or a salad.

The No-Soak Method

The no-soak method of cooking beans is perfect if you don't have the patience to soak beans overnight or you've decided at the last minute that you want beans for dinner. You'll need a heavy saucepan or Dutch oven with a tightly fitting lid -- cast iron or clay pots are ideal. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the beans by around an inch, and then put them in an oven preheated to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Most bean varieties should be cooked after around 1 1/4 hours, but if they're not, put them back in for 15 more minutes and repeat until soft and tender. If they start to dry out, add a little boiling water.

Getting It Done Quickly

If you're in a rush, a few ways exist to get beans on the table faster. All beans have different cooking times; smaller varieties -- such as adzuki beans and black beans -- tend to cook more quickly, usually within 45 minutes to an hour, after soaking. Check that the beans are still fresh and haven't passed their use-by date -- old beans take longer to cook. You can add a little bicarbonate of soda to the soaking water to help beans cook more quickly. However, if you add too much, the beans may taste soapy. Bicarbonate of soda also slightly reduces the nutritional value of beans.