Should I use oil when pressure cooking beans?

Hi,

I've seen books and websites that insist a tablespoon of oil for each cup of beans must be added to the pressure cooker--claim is it is for safety--that the skins of the beans fly off and can plug the vent--and the oil prevents that from happening by controlling the foam...

I am considering getting a pressure cooker for beans as I want to get away from the canned stuff--but I don't want the oil...saw your video and it didn't appear your husband was using oil...so just trying to figure out if I can safely pressure cook beans with just beans and water and no oil.

Thanks.

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Sassy Sez: The use of oil when pressure cooking beans hails from the "olden days" when jiggle-top cookers ruled the kitchens. You are correct, adding oil prevents the foaming that naturally occurs when you cook beans, and ensures that a bean skin wouldn't fly off and clog the vent.

With the now-popular-and-updated pressure cookers (like these I recommend from Magafesa), this is not as much of a concern. When Jeff and I started cooking beans, we didn't even know about the "oil rule" so we have simply never used any. And we have never had any difficulty whatsoever.

So you can use oil. Or not. It's totally up to you.

By the way, there are for sures two beans that need oil added to the pressure cooker due to their delicate skins, and that is black soybeans and lima beans.

Hope this helps, and happy (pressure) cooking. xo