Cooking Times

The length of time for cooking recipes varies per recipe based on the factors listed in our Tips & Tricks.

Type of Food Boil Time Wonderbag Time
Chicken and meat on the bone 15-30 minutes At least 2 hours
(the longer the more tender)
Boneless/skinless chicken and meat 10-15 minutes At least 1 hour
(the longer the more tender)
Rice (white, brown) 5 minutes At least 45 minutes
Pre-soaked dried beans 15 minutes Small beans: 2-3 hours
Large beans: 4-5 hours
Root vegetables 15 minutes At least 1 hour

Avoid hours of stove-top tending when you cook beans in your Wonderbag! We recommend pre-soaking beans the night before and to avoid using anything acidic (like tomatoes) or salt (including stock with salt added) when cooking so that beans can soften completely.

Below is a simple chart that shows the approximate times and quantities to get you started on your bean adventures. Increased boiling times will lower the bag time.

Bean Type (or similar size) Quantity Water Boiling Time Wonderbag Time
Lentil 1 cup 1 cup 10 minutes 1-2 hours
Black Bean 1 cup 1 cup 15 minutes 3-4 hours
Garbanzo Bean 1 cup 1 cup 15 minutes 4-5 hours
Kidney Bean 1 cup 1 cup 15 minutes 5-6 hours

High Altitude Note: Since the boiling temp at higher altitudes is lower than sea level you should increase your stove top time proportionally depending on how high you are. For example, one at 7500 feet would cook meat for 30-40 minutes (vs. 20-30 minutes at sea level) and root veggies and chicken for 20-30 minutes (vs. 10-15 minutes at sea level). Again, every recipe requires a different cook time, so the above metrics are a simple guideline.