Another great thing to do with dried beans is the 90-minute-no-soak method. Basically, you throw a pound of dried beans in a dutch oven and cover with 2" of water, and a tsp of salt if you like. Put them in the oven at 400 for 90 minutes. That is it. They are tasty, and you can keep them in the fridge and use them like (tastier) canned beans for a week or so.