Why do dried beans cook so much faster in a pressure cooker?

At 120°C, a pressure cooker breaks down the pectin and hemicellulose in bean cell walls much faster than boiling at 100°C — and the pressurized environment forces water into the beans simultaneously. Chickpeas that take 90 minutes on the stovetop cook in 35 minutes unsoaked, or 12 minutes soaked.

How does a pressure cooker cook food so much faster?

A sealed pressure cooker traps steam and raises the boiling point of water from 100°C to about 120°C. That extra 20 degrees accelerates every cooking process — collagen breaks down into gelatin, starches gelatinize, and proteins set faster. What takes 3 hours in the oven takes under 40 minutes under pressure.

Pressure Cooker Beginner 40 min

Pressure Cooker Split Pea Soup

Name: Pressure Cooker Split Pea Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: north-american
Ingredients: 400 g split peas; 500 g smoked ham hock; 150 g onion; 150 g carrots; 100 g celery; 15 g garlic; 1500 ml chicken broth; 2 pc bay leaf; 5 ml thyme; 15 ml olive oil; 5 ml salt; 3 ml black pepper

Classic & Ready in 20 Minutes

Split peas, smoked ham hock, and vegetables pressure cooked for 20 minutes — thick, hearty soup on the table in 40 minutes.

Steps

01
Sauté the diced onion, carrots, celery, and garlic in olive oil over medium-high heat for 3 minutes.
02
Rinse the split peas and add them with the smoked ham hock, broth, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Seal and cook at high pressure for 20 minutes.
03
Natural release for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure. Remove the ham hock, pull the meat off the bone, and stir it back into the soup. Discard the bay leaves.
04
Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot.

Pressure Cooker Split Pea Soup

Why do dried beans cook so much faster in a pressure cooker?

How does a pressure cooker cook food so much faster?

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