BREAKING NEWS! Bean cooking plans finalized! A Nation left anxiously wondering no more!
🙄 Anywho, thanks everyone for your help. I rarely soaked my beans before getting these and I don’t see me changing that anytime soon. From all the answers it sounds like I should plan on a 2-2 1/2 hour cook before they’re done. So, I’ll just start the beans about 3 hours before dinner time. If they’re ready a little earlier, no big deal. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.
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Panhead John, FWIW, here's a copy of a bean post I wrote in February this year over on this topic. People love soaking beans, and for the older beans usually available in grocery stores, it's probably a wise thing to do. But now that you're officially a Rancho Gorde Beanhead, read on.
I agree with Mosca in that there is really no need to pre-soak Rancho Gordo beans because they are fresher than anything you get from the grocery. If you do choose to soak them, though, discard the soaking water to get rid of any lectins*.
Soaked or not, you should, however, give them a good hard boil for at least 10 minutes followed by a gentle boil for 20 more minutes or so to kill off any remaining lectins, which are more prevalent in kidney beans than any other bean, but cannellinis like Marcellas apparently have higher lectin contents than some other beans. All dried beans have varying amounts of lectins depending on the bean variety.
I use this 10+20 min boiling method (before simmering until done) for cooking any dried bean for my family, to be safe, or I cook them in the Instant Pot, whose high heat takes care of the lectins in even unsoaked beans.
FWIW, this is what the FDA says about cooking dried beans to get rid of lectins:
Soaking the beans for a minimum of 5 hours and then boiling them in fresh water for at least 30 minutes will remove and destroy this toxin.
Deep Dive into lectins. (Best read during long commercials on TV. ):
*lectins = proteins that bind to carbohydrates. The same features that lectins use to defend plants in nature may cause problems during human digestion. When consumed, lectins in their active state can cause negative side effects. The most publicized accounts report severe reactions in people eating even small amounts of raw or undercooked kidney beans. They contain phytohaemagglutinin, a type of lectin that can cause red blood cells to clump together. It can also produce nausea, vomiting, stomach upset, and diarrhea. [2] Milder side effects include bloating and gas. (Source: https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard...ients/lectins/)
Cooking, especially with wet high-heat methods like boiling or stewing, or soaking in water for several hours, can inactivate most lectins. [6] Lectins are water-soluble and typically found on the outer surface of a food, so exposure to water removes them. An example is dried beans. To prepare them for eating, they are soaked for several hours and then boiled for several more hours to soften the bean, which disables the action of lectins. Canned beans are cooked and packaged in liquid, so they are also low in lectins. However, raw beans simmered at low heat such as in a slow-cooker or undercooking the beans will not remove all the lectins. (Source: https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard...ients/lectins/)
Aren't you sorry you asked?
Kathryn
Oh, you sweet summer child… $40 of Rancho Gordo beans and you still thinking like they’re store-brand pintos in a dusty sack from aisle 8? 😆
You just joined the RG cult... congratulations! That $10/bag initiation fee? Non-refundable, even if your rice finishes before your beans do. 😂
Now, real talk:
Soak or not, these beans don’t play by your clock. They’re fresh, high-quality heirloom beans, that “1 to 3 hours” is their way of saying “don’t you dare try to rush us.” If you soak 4–6 hours, expect them done closer to 45–90 mins. If you skip the soak, set aside a podcast, a beverage, and your expectations...
If you don't soak, you're gambling with time like you're at Vegas. Might be 90 mins, might be 2.5 hours. They’ll get there, just don’t try to schedule your life around them. Let the beans lead, you're just along for the ride...
Reuse the water if you want flavor. That’s where the soul lives. But don’t come crying if someone tells you it’s full of “anti-nutrients” or whatever. Flavor > fear.
Make that red beans and rice with reverence. You’re not just cooking — you’re performing a bean rite of passage. Welcome to the club. No turning back now. 😎
Large Big Green Egg, Weber Performer Deluxe, Weber Smokey Joe Silver, Fireboard Drive, 3 DigiQs, lots of Thermapens, and too much other stuff to mention.
I don’t soak the any more, either. I do a 2-5 minute hard boil, then reduce the heat to simmer, and start checking them at around an hour. They’re never done that quickly, but I can get a sense of how quickly the cook is moving along.
Got plans tonight? Cancel them if so. I will be cooking the red beans and rice this evening!!! Stay tuned for all the fascinating results and commentary to follow!
1. If you soak your beans first, for how long? After soaking, and then starting your cook….10-15 minute boil and then simmer, how long does it usually take for them to be done? 1, 2 or 3 hours?
I soak overnight. Toss soaking water. Sautee aromatics, add beans and water, bring to boil, immediately drop to simmer. Those four types you bought are usually done btw 90-110 minutes for me.
I believe so, if you were closer I'd give ya a bag to try. Look at the ingredients on a can of beans... ok so obviously dry beans are the way to go when possible. Now think about those dry beans you get from the store, how long were they at the back of the shelf before they moved to the front? Don't see too many folks with dry beans in their cart. You won't find many people who can't tell the difference between RG beans and normal store brands, whether that difference has a monetary value...
At that price I can understand your concern! Sorry, but no advice from me.
PS- I am a take it or leave it bean person. But that could mean simply that I have never had really good beans. I never liked coleslaw for the first 30 years, but then had some from (now defunct) Clay's BBQ in Las Vegas and learned I liked them.
Well, I finished my red beans and rice cook just now, using the Rancho Gordo red beans.
As word spread about my bean cook, hordes of people began to gather outside my house…
I looked on in amazement at the size of the crowd!
Heres what I used…
..
Added a little Tasso to go with the andouille sausage
Sauteed the onion, celery and bell pepper, then started the cook…
After about 2 hours they were done, with no pre-soak.
Can’t have red beans and rice without some good ol’ cornbread!
I’ve made at least 50 pots of red beans and rice in my life, usually always using whatever store brand of dried Small Red Beans they had. I’ve done most all of them the same way I did tonight. I soo desperately wanted to go…Wow! like all the rest of the RG people have, seriously! When the beans were done, and later while eating my dinner, I tried the beans by themselves with very little juice, and I also tried the beans by themselves with a little juice. I didn’t want anything to mask the flavor. I couldn’t tell one bit of difference in the flavor of these beans compared to the Kroger store brand I’ve usually bought. 🤷♂️ They were good, don’t get me wrong! But they damn sure weren’t worth the almost $10 for the bag I paid, with shipping
Before you go, well he’s just an old fart that’s probably lost his sense of taste….I can still taste the difference between my Coors Light in a can and the taste of it in a glass bottle. I can also taste the difference between canned Cokes and the ones in a plastic bottle. I’ve always preferred canned drinks. Now, this was just one cook, I’ve still got 3 bags left to try…..but I wasn’t impressed on this first one.
Last edited by Panhead John; July 11, 2025, 08:59 PM.
I’ve never tried RG Domingo Rojo beans, I always go for the goofy stuff with the strange names. When it comes to supermarket beans, I reach for canned over dried. In chili, canned is fine. For bbq baked beans, canned beans in tomato sauce is an essential ingredient.
I wonder if it's because of all the other flavors in the dish that is masking the the the natural flavor of the beans? I don't make beans myself, so it's all guess work on my part.
I think the real test would be to see how they work in a big ol' pot of real American chili. I would make that the next experiment, but maybe leave out the macaroni, so the bean flavor can really shine through.
I’ve used RG in chili. There’s too much else going on. They’ll be excellent, but it isn’t a cost effective way to use them. Same with traditional bbq baked beans.
(I know you were poking a little. Beans and macaroni are fine in chili. I serve it over capellini myself, not the Cincinnati style either.)
Large Big Green Egg, Weber Performer Deluxe, Weber Smokey Joe Silver, Fireboard Drive, 3 DigiQs, lots of Thermapens, and too much other stuff to mention.
Are the Rancho Gordo beans really worth the price?
In my opinion, yes. But you have to adjust your thinking about beans. You’re paying more per pound for beans than you are for chicken, or ground beef, or brisket or pork butts. Why?
Without considering RG, you have two bean options available: supermarket dried beans, and canned beans. Be honest: how often do you reach for dried beans over canned? Because I reach for canned beans 1,000 times out of 1,000. Why? Well, canned beans are really convenient. And they are pretty decent for many things that I make with beans. And like Purc added, it’s 5:30 and I’ve just decided to make some 3 bean salad. I’m opening that can of dark red kidney beans.
Rancho Gordo beans change your thinking about beans, from an afterthought to a main ingredient. And that holds whether you’re making them part of the main dish, or as a side. For me, I won’t make bean soup, or beans and rice, without using Rancho Gordo. In those dishes, the beans are one of the main ingredients, and the flavor and texture are both going to be important. And each bean tastes and feels different. Think of heirloom tomatoes: each variety tastes different. Yet they are all unmistakably tomatoes! Same with RG. Obviously red beans are different from black beans are different from white beans, even when they’re canned. But now you have access to half a dozen different black beans, half a dozen white beans, the same with red, and a wild rainbow of other choices! And sizes! Tiny piquintos give a forkful of beans and rice with even amounts of both; Christmas limas give big bites of creamy beans (you won’t hate these lima beans) with rice extra. You get to decide how the dish is going to look, and taste, and feel.
In some things, they might not be as cost effective. I don’t feel they add a lot to traditional bbq baked beans. I like those best when starting with canned beans in tomato sauce.
It sounds complicated. But that’s only lack of experience with the product. In practice, the beans are extremely versatile and easy to work with. You can do anything from just boiling plain beans in salted water and serving them with butter, basil, and Parmesan, to using them in a 3 day cassoulet. The point being, a quality product will yield a quality result. If it sounds in your head like it would probably taste good, then it probably will.
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To me, it’s more the texture of the bean that I find to be better than what I have used at the store. Seem to have a snappy exterior and a creamy interior bite.
That said, I don’t cook beans that often, maybe 5-6 times a year, which is what I order from RG. So a special occasion type cook I guess. But, yes, they aren’t the cheapest bean out there. My parents have my buy a few bags for them when I order because of that as well.
Your cook looks great too!! And makes me think no soak next cook of beans.
yep, if yer not in the bean club it's imperative that you hit the free shipping milestone. I'm a huge fan of their Mexican Oregano (it looks like weed in a jar and it's pungent!) their Chili powders are also excellent. The Mexican chocolate is ok, but the stuff at Walmart is almost as good so I rarely get that.
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