Theoretical measures of the extent of instability of a fluidized suspension are shown to provide effective dimensional criteria for cold-modeling applications. The criteria are discussed and their flexibility demonstrated with regard to fluidization-quality predictions in dimensionally matched systems, which nevertheless fail to satisfy the dimensionless scaling rules. Experimental measurements of instantaneous pressure fluctuations in pressurized air-fluidized beds of various powders confirm the applicability of the proposed cold-modeling procedure.