Bean Pot

Shel,

A traditional bean pot is designed to be buried in the ground.

Calling something destined to be used in the oven a "bean pot" is the same as calling a kettle a Dutch oven. It's modern usage. But it's not truly traditional.

Thus, anything with a tight-fitting lid will serve.

equipment posts belong in the equipment forum. At least I assume that's part of why we have an equipment forum.

I don't have any power in the questions forum. Just suggestions.

2 qts is too small for a pound of (dry) beans. 3 qts is more like it.

It seems to me that a close fitting pot makes better beans than one that's too large. One that's even close to too small will overflow -- guaranteed. So size is very important. You can always buy more than one.

I've used all kinds of pottery -- Chinese sand pots, Georg Jensen "Iron Mountain" pottery, you name it, with good results. The little, old-fashioned, Boston style do a fine job, and so does enamel over cast iron, and for that matter, plain cast iron.

Heavy seems to be better than light. The beans will burn and stick to the floors and walls of lighter pots.

Bean tip: After soaking your beans, try par-boiling them in water heavily "salted" with baking soda for a few minutes; then thoroughly draining and rinsing before baking. It makes for a creamy, tender, less gaseous bean.

BDL

""Bean tip: After soaking your beans, try par-boiling them in water heavily "salted" with baking soda for a few minutes; then thoroughly draining and rinsing before baking. It makes for a creamy, tender, less gaseous bean""
BDL

If you soak beans over=night in salt and baking soda, it does same thing. I believe it changes the PH of the water and makes beans actually expand more so then in just water, it works well and cuts cooking time down about 1/3 to 1/2 depending on type and size of legume.

I use my moms old crockpot and they come out great:lol:

shel,
i have a pfaltzgraf(sp?) bean pot that has served me well for about 20 years, it holds a pound of pre-soaked beans plus other ingredients. if you google the name, there is a catalogue available.
kathee

Shel,

I'm not sure about your dating status -- but those old fashioned bean pots fit nicely in the "chicks dig it" class. I've never met a woman who thought they were anything other than "cute." You could do worse.

BDL

Shel, there are lots of pots with that design floating around, and you should be able to find one without much trouble.

The pot body shape is more or less traditional. The major difference is that original ones did not have loop handles, because they could break off too easily in the burying and digging up. Instead they either had no handles, or molded in drawer-pull type undercut handles.

And I certainly agree with BDL in terms of capacity.

Crock pot with a removable liner. I use a half size steam table pan that's 4 inches deep then transfer to a warmed serving dish. The stainless is much easier to clean! :lol:

Got a funky glittery pot from New Mexico for my birthday.....apparently there's clay that has sparkles inherently in it. Not cured it yet, still sitting on my coffee table.....looked alittle garish when I opened the box prior to knowing that it's magical. :p:smiles: It'll be interesting to see how it cooks.

Cute bean pots, yeah that's what chicks dig in a guy....

guess they would be the giganti ones......

twinkly eyes and a sense of humor always was my downfall.....

And here I thought it was because I could cook.

BDL