Everyone cooks beans their own way, so this is really just me writing down my process for a kitchen staple, for my own reference.

Measure out dry beans and soak overnight or quick soak:

Put beans in large pot with plenty of water and 1 1/2T of salt. Bring to full boil for 2 minutes. Heat off, soak one hour, then drain and rinse.

Cover with an inch/2.5cm of water, bring to a boil, and skim. Reduce heat to simmer and, for 8oz/250g of dry beans, season with:

2t      salt (6g, if not using table salt)
2t      cumin
2t      onion powder
2t      garlic powder

For a pound/half-kilo of beans, bring everything except salt up to a full tablespoon and adjust salt if needed during cooking.

I love the aliums, but they don’t always love me when fresh. Dried and powdered seems to work a little better. Again, this is just my beans. You do you.

Add 1-2t of smoked paprika for a really deep, warm flavor. I tend to do this when the beans are in more of a starring role, and leave it out when they’re going to be a component in a dish (or if smoke and chili will be included elsewhere).

Cover and simmer until beans are tender, at least one-and-a-half hours. Stir and check water level at every 30 minutes, making sure there’s at least 1cm on top of the beans.