Russ I absolutely agree with you. I think everything you state in your post is right. I just wanna add another item to your list: Beans are more tasty when you cook them mixed with vegetables and condiments. During the cooking process the beans double their size. That´s because they absorb a lot water. If we cook them mixed with the other components of the recipe they absorb all the flavors we have choosen, so they integrate better to our dish. In some receipes the beans seem to be like a flavor separated from the other components. That´s because they were soaked or boiled just in plain water so, when we cook them they have no capability of absorbing the other flavors. Some people use to soak them with some condiments and salt, but as you say, the cold cooking is not as good as the hot one. Many of the review articles are taken from this online casino site.
