Freeze Drying vs Dehydrating: What’s the Difference?
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Are you feeling confused about the differences between freeze drying and dehydrating? I hear you! These two methods of food preservation are similar in some ways, but quite different and not interchangeable at all. I’d love to help you understand the main differences and find the right food preservation method for you.
Growing up, the only freeze-dried food I knew about was astronaut ice cream. I loved how it was dry and crumbly yet melted into your mouth with this concentrated ice cream flavor! I lived near Kennedy Space Center and always bought some on school field trips.
These days, freeze-drying is much more common than it used to be, but many of us are still quite confused about what it is and how it works.
On the contrary, dehydrating is a timeless, ancient way of preserving food that anyone can do at home without any special equipment.
I’ll cover everything you need to know about these two food preservation methods so you can feel more confident and understand which process is best for you.
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What is Dehydrating?
Dehydrating food in an ancient food preservation method used to remove all the moisture content from food. Without moisture, it is very hard for mold to grow.
You’ve certainly consumed plenty of dehydrated food in your life, like dried fruit (raisins, craisins, dried apricots), apple chips, fruit leather, beef jerky, dried herbs, and more.
At home, there are several ways to dehydrate food. I typically use a food dehydrator or my oven, although you can also air or sun dry some foods or even dry them in your air fryer!
Popular Dehydrator Brands
- Excalibur (my favorite)
- Bosch
What is Freeze Drying?
Freeze drying also removes any water content from food, but the rest of the process is quite different.
Technically, the freeze-drying process called lyophilization or cryodessication, and it can be very hard to achieve without an expensive home freezer dryer with a vacuum chamber.
There are three main steps to freeze drying process:
1) The fresh food is frozen solid.
2) The freeze dryer then lowers the atmospheric pressure in the device and increases the temperature, which allows the water to turn into water vapor.
3) Any final moisture is removed, resulting in a completely dry, very lightweight product.
If you’ve ever sampled freeze-dried fruit or candy, you know that it’s very dry and has a crunchy texture, unlike the soft, chewy texture of dehydrated fruit.
Popular Freeze Dryer Brands
There aren’t main choices for home freeze dryers at this time. The biggest name in the game is Harvest Right, although other brands are coming onto the scene. You can now even buy a freeze dryer at Tractor Supply or Costco!
- Harvest Right
- Blue Alpine
Main Differences between Freeze Drying vs Dehydrating
I’ve already explained the different processes used to freeze dry and dehydrate foods, but there are some other key differences to consider.
Water content
Dehydrating only removes about 70% of the water in food while freeze-drying removes approximately 99%. This also affects the texture of the foods, as freeze-dried foods have a crunchy, crispy texture, while dehydrated foods are usually soft and chewy.
⭐ Winner: Freeze Drying
Cost
Even good-quality food dehydrators are a fraction of the cost of freeze-dryers, which generally cost thousands of dollars. Plus, you can dehydrate many foods in your oven or even air-dry them!
You will also need to invest in oxygen absorbers, mylar bags, and other equipment to store your freeze-dried foods properly.
⭐ Winner: Dehydrating
Long Shelf Life
Dehydrated products can last for years and years when properly, although they do try out and get stale after a while. Think about how an old box of raisins gets really chewy after a while! You’ll extend the life of your dehydrated foods by storing them in an airtight container or even freezing them.
On the other hand, freeze-dried foods can last for decades (up to 25 year shelf life). The shelf life of the food is so much longer with freeze-drying that there’s no question which one is best for long term storage.
⭐ Winner: Freeze Drying
Nutritional Benefits
Since freeze drying works at such a low temperatures, freeze dried food retains even more nutrients and minerals than dehydrated foods. Freeze drying is the best way to preserve the nutritional value of the food.
⭐ Winner: Freeze Drying
Output
Depending on the dehydrator or freeze dryer you have, you can preserve quite large quantities of food.
In a 9-10 tray dehydrator, you can easily preserve pounds and pounds of fresh foods.
Most home freeze dryers are on the smaller size, so you might not be able to preserve quite as much as you’d expect without investing in a larger device.
⭐ Winner: Dehydrating
Maintenance
My Excalibur dehydrator is really plug-and-play. I set the temperature and the timer, then go. There aren’t any parts or valves to maintain and I don’t need to buy any equipment or special containers.
Some freeze-dryers require you to buy oil for the vacuum pump, or you can spend extra to get an oil-free pump.
⭐ Winner: Dehydrating
Size
The average dehydrator can be shoved into a kitchen cupboard or hidden away in the pantry until needed. When you’re using it, it fits nicely on the kitchen counter.
Freeze dryers, on the other hand, can be quite large and you will need a dedicated space for them. They also weigh quite a bit! Even the smallest freeze dryers tend to weigh over 100 pounds, so you won’t be moving it around.
⭐ Winner: Dehydrating
Flavor
I find that freeze-dried foods have a much purer flavor similar to the original fresh food.
Dehydrated strawberries taste exactly like fresh strawberries but with a super dry, concentrated flavor. Dehydrated strawberries taste more like strawberry candy. The heat from the drying process cooks the foods at a relatively low temperature, which changes the flavor slightly.
For example, beef can be dehydrated into jerky, but if freeze-dried, it rehydrates into raw meat.
They all taste great, but freeze-drying will taste more like the food in its original form. Plus, the little air pockets allow you to taste the flavor really well.
⭐ Winner: Freeze Drying
Versatility
You can dehydrate a wide range of foods, including meat, milk, eggs, etc, but freeze drying opens up a whole new world.
You can make your own camping food or freeze-dried meals, like MREs. I’ve seen people freeze dry trays of spaghetti bolognese or steak, then rehydrate them in hot water before serving.
⭐ Winner: Freeze Drying
Time
Dehydrating and freeze-drying food can both take quite a bit of time, but freeze drying usually takes at least a little bit longer (if not a lot longer). Since most of us dehydrators are used to letting the food go for a while, this isn’t a huge deal, but it does mean you can complete fewer batches in a week.
⭐ Winner: Dehydrating
Energy Usage
Since you can dehydrate food with 0 energy at all (air or sun drying), it’s very environmentally friendly.
Dehydrators do use electricity, but they’re nothing compared to freeze dryers that must freeze, reduce air pressure, and evaporate moisture. This requires much more energy (and money) than a regular countertop dehydrator.
⭐ Winner: Dehydrating
Which is better: freeze drying vs dehydrating?
That depends on you, your budget, and your household’s needs.
I find the high price tag of home freeze dryers to be cost-prohibitive. Most people do not have an extra $2-4k to invest in a home freeze dryer, and in most situations, dehydrated foods work well.
I prefer the crunchy texture of freeze-dried foods, but you won’t notice the texture if you throw some dehydrated blueberries or dried cherries in your oatmeal!
Plus, there are so many foods you can dehydrate…We’ve filled our spice cupboard and pantry with dried herbs, veggies, fruits, and more, and there’s nothing that we’re lacking.
We bought a 5-tray Excalibur dehydrator for $100 on Facebook Marketplace a few years ago. Between that, air drying, and using our oven, we dehydrate a lot of food.
I like to think of dehydrating food as an equalizer. Anyone can do it, and you don’t need to invest anything. You can lay fresh herbs on a wire rack or a plate, and they’ll dry out in a few days! It’s available to absolutely anyone, and even if you want to invest some money in it, you likely won’t spend more than $250 at most.
Is a freeze dryer a good investment?
It can be! The freezer dryer has many advantages over dehydrating. I prefer the texture and flavor of freeze-dried products and love that you can freeze dry almost anything.
The main drawbacks are the cost, space, and size. You’ll need a dedicated spot for your freeze dryer and some spare cash.
If I’m honest, I’d love to have a freeze dryer and think I’d prefer it over the dehydrator, but I cannot justify the cost.
However, I did see that Costco is now selling Harvest Right freeze dryers (the most well-known brand), and I like that there would be an extra layer of protection from Costco’s legendary warranty.
Plus, some freeze-dryer companies also take monthly payments to help you pay off your device over time.
How long would it take to recoup your investment? I think it’d take quite a bit of time unless you grow a ton of your own food.
The freeze-dryer is a good option if you have a sizeable garden with lots of fruits and berries you want to preserve, a dedicated space, and some spare cash.
Otherwise, dehydrating is a perfectly suitable food preservation method that has worked for millennia. It’s a great way to preserve food and fits any budget!
FAQs
Nope! Although both methods require you to remove moisture from fresh foods, they’re very different. Dehydrating is a pretty low-tech way of removing much of the moisture in fresh fruits, veggies, herbs, and meats to reduce the likelihood of decay. Dried foods can last for a couple of years, but then they become stale.
Freeze drying is a completely different food preservation method that freezes foods, then reduces the air pressure using a vacuum. Then, the freeze dryer evaporates any moisture, leaving you with a very dry, crunchy food that can last up to 25 years when properly stored. One can be done in a cool, dry corner of your kitchen or with a relatively inexpensive dehydrator, while the other requires a major investment into a specific appliance.
Since you can dehydrate foods using the ambient air in your kitchen, the sun, or the heat from your oven, it’s very low energy and costs almost nothing. Freeze drying requires quite a high initial investment and is much more expensive than dehydrating, even if you splurge on a fancy dehydrator.
