Soaking in a cup of water then placed into a wet towel has always worked for me. I let them soak for 12- 24 hours then I put them in a wet paper towel, place the towel in a zip lock bag. I normally place the bag on my dvr player to add warmth to speed up the process. Be careful not to roast the beans, I did it one time, that sucked. The appliance may get too warm and dry things out, so I place a few magazines or thick cardboard between the beans and the device. Check them at least every day, if not more. Doing it this way has always given me great germ rates.