PSA: My canned versus dried bean budget clash

I always bought canned beans for quick meals but saw dried ones were cheaper. After testing both, I found dried beans save cash but need overnight soaking. Which side are you on, canned for speed or dried for savings?

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3 Comments

richardprice7mo ago

You're only counting the overnight soak as the extra work? The real time sink is simmering them for like two hours the next day. That's a whole evening of planning. Does that waiting around ever make you just say screw it and order takeout instead, wiping out the savings?

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janac517mo ago

Actually, a pressure cooker changed my whole view on this. I used to avoid dried beans for the exact reasons you said, that long simmer felt like a prison sentence. Now I can go from a bag in the pantry to cooked beans in under an hour with no soak. It turns the whole process from a two-day project into something I can decide to do at 5 pm. The savings add up because it's no longer a chore that makes me bail and spend more money.

2

holly_price7mo ago

Ugh, I read this article about the "passive cooking" method for dried beans. You basically bring them to a boil for a minute, then shut off the heat and leave the pot covered for an hour. It cuts the simmer time way down later. But you're right, even with that hack, it's still a whole thing. My instant pot collects dust because by the time I remember I need to soak beans, I'm already staring at the pizza delivery app.

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