Steamer & Pot: A steamer like this one and a pot like this one or this one suffices. A steamer insert like this one fits inside pots. It is helpful for steaming in parallel, using both the steamer and the pot.

Electric Steamer & Instant Pot: Some people prefer to boil grains and beans in an Instant Pot (3 qt suffices for 1-person cooking). A Steamer Insert is helpful; make sure it's the right size and fits the Instant Pot we purchase. A Carrying Bag for Instant Pot would be helpful for overnight trips. For steaming, some people prefer to steam using an electric steamer.

How do I choose grains? With these guidelines:

• Whole grains. No refined grains. Which grains are refined? White rice is a refined grain. Semolina (also known as 'rawa' or 'sooji' or 'cream of wheat') is a refined grain. Pearled barley is also considered a refined grain (hulled barley is considered whole).
• Preferably organic.
• Preferably in their intact form. Sometimes, I buy broken or cracked grains like 'dalia' (cracked wheat) or steel cut oats. Occasionally, I'll use coarsely ground cornmeal.
• No flours.
• No rice. Why? Dr Greger explains that rice often has a lot of arsenic these days.
• Pseudograins? I buy all three of these: amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa.
• Gluten free? Luckily, I seem to be okay with gluten. So I don't exclude grains with gluten.
• Hard vs Soft: Hard grains like wheatberry or sorghum take a long time to cook in a pot. In contrast, all pseudograins (amaranth, buwkwheat, quinoa) cook much faster. Some grains are also fast cooking: teff and various millets.
• How long to boil grains? See Cooking Tips for Whole Grains. Overnight soaking reduces cooking times.
• Soaking: Soaking improves the nutritional profile of the grain: this article explains. I soak grains overnight. In the absence of soaked grains, I choose a pseudograin or a quick-to-cook grain.
• Do all grains need boiling?: Frozen sweet corn may be eaten raw! Oats only need some soaking. We can also sprout some grains and pseudograins and eat them raw — my favorites are buckwheat, einkorn, kamut (khorasan wheat).

How do I choose beans?

Boiled Grains: I boil them in the bottom compartment of a steamer.