Bean Pots

[kalyson]

I'm thinking about making some baked beans in a bean pot, but first I have to purchase one. Not sure what size to get for baking about a pound of beans -- maybe a 3 quart? I've never had or used one, so if anyone knows how they work that would be great. Maybe people mostly just use a regular dutch oven instead...

[Bond Girl]

I remember Paula Wolfert once told me that the best bean pots are the pot bellied kind you get in chinatown. Diana Kennedy in her book on Mexican Cooking expound the virtue of a mexican clay pot...I think there is probably some merit to a bean pot, but as a person living in Manhattan with only 64 sq ft to my kitchen space, I followed David Kinch's advice and cooked my beans in a normal pot (non-reactive) with ionized water, and it turned out fine. So, buy one if you have the space, but I don't think it really make that much of a difference in the grand scheme of things.

[kalyson]

I remember Paula Wolfert once told me that the best bean pots are the pot bellied kind you get in chinatown.  Diana Kennedy in her book on Mexican Cooking expound the virtue of a mexican clay pot...I think there is probably some merit to a bean pot, but as a person living in Manhattan with only 64 sq ft to my kitchen space, I followed David Kinch's advice and cooked my beans in a normal pot (non-reactive) with ionized water, and it turned out fine. So, buy one if you have the space, but I don't think it really make that much of a difference in the grand scheme of things.

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Thanks for the input. Why the ionized water, though?

[kayswv]

Having grown up in New England, bean pots were a part of my life. I have two currently. For a lb of beans the 3 qt will probably be fine. I also have a larger one. They are great as they hold the heat very evenly and keep the food hot a long time. I also use them for making other bean dishes such as six bean casserole with meat additions. With baking in the oven on low temp the kitchen is warm and smells great.

The pots travel well for potlucks and keep the beans warm until served. If you have room in your kitchen or storage area, I believe you will enjoy it.

Kay

[suzilightning]

Having grown up in New England, bean pots were a part of my life. I have two currently. For a lb of beans the 3 qt will probably be fine. I also have a larger one. They are great as they hold the heat very evenly and keep the food hot a long time. I also use them for making other bean dishes such as six bean casserole with meat additions. With baking in the oven on low temp the kitchen is warm and smells great.

The pots travel well for potlucks and keep the beans warm until served. If you have room in your kitchen or storage area, I believe you will enjoy it.

Kay

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what kay said... though i only have the smaller pot i inherited from my mom. it's perfect for just the two of us

[kalyson]

Thanks -- I think I'll try one. It sounds like you can cook beans longer at a lower temperature in them. I'm looking forward to seeing how it works out.

--K

[Richard Kilgore]

I'm thinking about making some baked beans in a bean pot, but first I have to purchase one.  Not sure what size to get for baking about a pound of beans -- maybe a 3 quart?  I've never had or used one, so if anyone knows how they work that would be great.  Maybe people mostly just use a regular dutch oven instead...

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Are you talking about cooking any and all beans, or traditional New England/Boston Baked Beans? If the former, you may want to use an unglazed pot; if the latter, the traditional brown glazed pots are carried by Sur La Table (and I am sure other vendors). In either case you may want to take a look at the thread Dried Beans, what we know and what we don't, a fascinating and useful compedium of information and all the controversies about how to best cook beans.

[Carolyn Tillie]

I remember Paula Wolfert once told me that the best bean pots are the pot bellied kind you get in chinatown. 

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I'm in this camp and promptly went to Chinatown for my $6.00 sand pot. Would never cook beans in anything else again....

[Bond Girl]

The ionized water makes the beans softer. Don't ask my why.....Kinch, himself, couldn't tell me. Other tips includes use good flavorings and cook as gently as possible, and salt in the middle stages.

[rancho_gordo]

My impression is that baked beans take a long time to cook so you probably want to make a lot of them and would need a big pot. I see them a lot at Sur le Table when I go looking for regular bean pots, which they inexplicably seem not to carry any more.

But for a straight pot beans, here's my collection. Inspired by La Wolfert and then taken to extremes by me. And I'm still looking. Next trip to Chinatown will include one of Carolyn's sand pots although in my head they will produce a slightly Asian flavor, even if it's not true.

But part of the joy of cooking in a pot is the way it looks.

[Bond Girl]

RG, your collection makes me jealous. I am in the process of looking for a bigger place, So may be, I get to have one or two of these things in my new apartment.

[Carolyn Tillie]

And I'm still looking. Next trip to Chinatown will include one of Carolyn's sand pots although in my head they will produce a slightly Asian flavor, even if it's not true.

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You crack me up...

If you stop in a Rose Pistola, you will see the exact same Chinese Sand Pots on their wood-fired stove, filled with beans... That was what convinced me the day I ate their beans and Paula confirmed the use of the Chinese pot. For $6.00, how can you go wrong? And they look so cool too!

Actually, the one I bought is more like this, the shorter one on the right, with the handle sticking out the side.

[rancho_gordo]

I know it seems funny, but one of my pots has a distinct caramel flavor and the chamba seem to be just slightly smoky. Who knows what Chinese sand tastes like!

I saw that one at your house. Is the wire for reinforcement or some kind of severe beauty?

[kalyson]

I'm thinking about making some baked beans in a bean pot, but first I have to purchase one.  Not sure what size to get for baking about a pound of beans -- maybe a 3 quart?  I've never had or used one, so if anyone knows how they work that would be great.  Maybe people mostly just use a regular dutch oven instead...

←

Are you talking about cooking any and all beans, or traditional New England/Boston Baked Beans? If the former, you may want to use an unglazed pot; if the latter, the traditional brown glazed pots are carried by Sur La Table (and I am sure other vendors). In either case you may want to take a look at the thread Dried Beans, what we know and what we don't, a fascinating and useful compedium of information and all the controversies about how to best cook beans.

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I'm looking for a pot or pots to cook both types of beans. Thanks for the link -- I'll check it out!

--K

[kalyson]

My impression is that baked beans take a long time to cook so you probably want to make a lot of them and would need a big pot. I see them a lot at Sur le Table when I go looking for regular bean pots, which they inexplicably seem not to carry any more.

But for a straight pot beans, here's my collection. Inspired by La Wolfert and then taken to extremes by me. And I'm still looking. Next trip to Chinatown will include one of Carolyn's sand pots although in my head they will produce a slightly Asian flavor, even if it's not true.

But part of the joy of cooking in a pot is the way it looks.

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Wow! Nice collection. Nice web site, too.

--K

[Malawry]

We have four individual-serving New England glazed bean pots that my mother-in-law gave my husband many many years ago. They are not good for making a batch of beans because they are so small, but I do sometimes use them for onion soup or for making shirred eggs on top of vegetable mixtures. They really are cute though--they sort of get the cupcake thing going, you know: this is my serving and mine alone. Any other suggested uses for these little pots?

[andiesenji]

I have a few bean pots. These are a couple of very old ones that I have had and used for many years.

You can see the "4" on the large one which indicates it holds 4 quarts. The smaller one is about 2 1/2 quarts.

These are both Bauer pots and the one on the left is the older one from when Bauer was still operating in Paducah, KY., before moving to Los Angeles. It has a single handle, the later ones all had two handles. I also have a McCoy and at least one Watt.

They are all great for long, slow cooking in the oven, however many were used to cook beans on top of wood stoves because the entire top would be hot, less heat toward the back, further from the firebox, which was ideal for cooking beans. Since the oven was also always hot, that too was an easy and perfect way to cook beans or stews in these early versions of the "Crock-Pot" ...........

[rancho_gordo]

Very nice. I'd be afraid to use them! Well, maybe not. They do look like proper baked bean pots, don't they?

[andiesenji]

Very nice. I'd be afraid to use them! Well, maybe not. They do look like proper baked bean pots, don't they?

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These old pots are very heavy and very tough. The little one is over 100 years old I have several crocks and some jugs that are even older and still in excellent condition. Many people know about the Bauer "ringware" and later colored pottery but few recognize the earlier items which were often unmarked or had only a B incised by hand into the bottom. There are still a lot of the old pieces around the western Kentucky and southern Illinois area, languishing in cellars and sheds or old barns.

A friend of mine was visiting an elderly relative in Golconda, IL a few years ago and discovered a large collection of Bauer crocks and jugs in the cellar. She called me and asked what I knew about them, then told her great-aunt about the value. The old lady was surprised but didn't want to "bother" with them and just gave them all to my friend who had to rent a trailer to bring them back to Calif. The sale brought in enough to pay her son's tuition to USC for two years.

If you come across one of these priced cheap, buy it!

Bauer history

[kalyson]

I've been going to the ranchogordo site and buying a bunch of beans and things. What a collection of beans! Overwhelming. Now all I have to do is find a nice bean pot to cook them in!

[rancho_gordo]

I've been going to the ranchogordo site and buying a bunch of beans and things.  What a collection of beans!  Overwhelming.  Now all I have to do is find a nice bean pot to cook them in!

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The Spanish Table pots are amazing and very reasonable and if I had to choose a good one or two, I'd probably start there. I cook on direct heat stovetop unless for some reason the pot is too hot and won't simmer and then I use a heat diffuser. I mostly use a cast iron disc but if I want something to really go low, I use the diffuser Wolfert described in her tagine cooking thread

I cook beans a lot and find I cook about 1/2 a pound at a time and I reach for the smaller pots, not the bigger ones unless there's an event.

Found it (Wolfert says: ):

I'm in love with my simmer mat for all my claypot cooking. I finally can walk out of the kitchen for a couple of hours without worrying about spill-overs or too fast reductions. It is worth the money. Fantes.com and chefscatalog.com sell them on line.

It really lowers the temperature but on my stove I find I rarely need it. The cast iron disc works fine and is less obtrusive but I'm glad I have the simmer mat.

I'm not a "gentle " person and, knock wood, I haven't broken a pot yet despite what is now over a year of cooking on direct flame on the stovetop.

Edited November 1, 2005 by rancho_gordo (log)

[kalyson]

I've been going to the ranchogordo site and buying a bunch of beans and things.  What a collection of beans!  Overwhelming.  Now all I have to do is find a nice bean pot to cook them in!

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The Spanish Table pots are amazing and very reasonable and if I had to choose a good one or two, I'd probably start there. I cook on direct heat stovetop unless for some reason the pot is too hot and won't simmer and then I use a heat diffuser. I mostly use a cast iron disc but if I want something to really go low, I use the diffuser Wolfert described in her tagine cooking thread

I cook beans a lot and find I cook about 1/2 a pound at a time and I reach for the smaller pots, not the bigger ones unless there's an event.

Found it (Wolfert says: ):

I'm in love with my simmer mat for all my claypot cooking. I finally can walk out of the kitchen for a couple of hours without worrying about spill-overs or too fast reductions. It is worth the money. Fantes.com and chefscatalog.com sell them on line.

It really lowers the temperature but on my stove I find I rarely need it. The cast iron disc works fine and is less obtrusive but I'm glad I have the simmer mat.

I'm not a "gentle " person and, knock wood, I haven't broken a pot yet despite what is now over a year of cooking on direct flame on the stovetop.

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I wonder why on the stovetop with a bean pot. Hmmmm..... I thought they were meant for the oven, but I'm no expert on bean pots. Do they come out differently on the stovetop, or are you just avoiding the heat the oven generates in the house?

[rancho_gordo]

I wonder why on the stovetop with a bean pot.  Hmmmm..... I thought they were meant for the oven, but I'm no expert on bean pots.  Do they come out differently on the stovetop, or are you just avoiding the heat the oven generates in the house?

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The baked bean pots are for the oven. I think you're not supposed to use them stovetop at all.

I like the stovetop more than the oven. I have a false sens of being more in control. Plus it's what old Italian amd Mexican mothers do, so it's allright for me.