The important thing to tender, not-mushy beans is to cook dinner them on the barest simmer, which suggests they’re excellent candidates for the sluggish cooker. And the identical rules for cooking beans on the stovetop apply: Skip soaking the beans; use flavorings to infuse the beans and the bean-cooking liquid; and salt earlier than and after cooking. You’ll be able to observe this method for nearly any dried bean, however know that the cook dinner time will range based mostly on the age and kind of bean, in addition to the dimensions and energy of your sluggish cooker. Begin checking on the six-hour mark to see how shortly your beans are cooking. Hold flavorings in pretty giant items, because the lengthy cook dinner time might flip smaller bits to mush.