Cooks traditionally soak beans overnight to soften them a little before cooking, and to remove indigestible sugar that causes flatulence. Although overnight soaking is recommended, you can also bring the beans to a boil in a pot of water and allow them to set for two hours before cooking. Drain and rinse the beans before adding them to the crock pot.

While beans develop the best flavor when cooked slowly, it is possible to cook beans on the high setting of your crock pot. Many prefer this method as it allows them to put the beans in the crock pot by lunch time and still have beans for dinner. After soaking, most dry beans cook in approximately five to six hours on the high setting of your crock pot. This method works well for bean soups or recipes that include other ingredients, such as meats or veggies.

Cooking beans on the low setting of your crock pot requires more time, but infuses the beans with more flavor. Most beans cook to perfection in seven to eight hours on low. This method is preferred for traditional baked bean recipes, or to create savory sauces on the beans.

Several factors affect the cooking time of beans. Some beans, like kidney beans, naturally take longer to cook than others. As a rule, the smaller the bean is, the more quickly it will cook. Storage also affects cook time for beans. Dried beans stored for a long time tend to cook more slowly than those that have been in the cabinet for a few weeks.

Beans cooked on the stove or in the oven lose moisture while they cook, often requiring the addition of water periodically during cooking. The crock pot, however, is designed to keep moisture in. This means that adding too much water in the beginning results in watery beans. Cover the beans with an inch or two of water and adjust as necessary during cooking until you learn how much water you need for the consistency you desire.