Did you learn the hard way too that a "quick" soak is never actually quick? I did the same thing with black beans last month and ended up scraping the bottom of my pot at 10pm while my kid asked why dinner was taking forever. Now I just soak them in the morning before work, or honestly I buy the cans when I'm short on time and call it a fair trade.

When they dodge with the old "it depends on the role" line, I just stay quiet for a second and say something like "totally get it, but I don't want to waste your time either, can you give me a ballpark for the budget on this one?" Keeping it friendly but not letting it drop worked better for me than being blunt. One recruiter tried the "what are you making now" redirect and I said my pay now is set for my current job and I'd rather focus on what this role pays. Took a couple times to get comfortable saying it out loud, your mileage may vary depending on the recruiter. Some will still push back and that tells you something about how they operate.