Dried beans

If you’re familiar with the way your particular beans cook in your particular slow cooker, and are confident they’ll be done in eight or so hours, go ahead and use dried beans in your dishes (but don’t cook them with anything acidic, like tomatoes or wine or vinegar, or they won’t soften properly). Otherwise, cook them separately (on the weekends, perhaps), so you can check on them occasionally and make sure they’re not under- or overcooked, and add them at the end of cooking. In my experience, black beans, all types of white beans, pinto beans, and cranberry beans are reliably done (and not overdone) after eight hours, so you’ll find those in some of the main dishes here. See for details about how to cook dried beans to keep in the fridge or freezer.