The primary purpose of a freeze dryer and a dehydrator is the same, and that is food preservation. Although, both machines follow different processes to do that. For thousands of years, mankind has been preserving food using various methods. Sun has been a natural dehydrator in the past. Nowadays, with the advancement of technology, we have modern machinery to do the same.
A dehydrator works using fans and hot air (low heat) to extract maximum moisture (80-90%) from food items while a freeze dryer plays with both colder and hotter temperatures as well as the pressure (sublimation method) to remove water content (95-99%) from food.
As both these machines follow different procedures to preserve food, the final results also vary. A dehydrated food item looks dry and smaller in size while freeze-dried food looks nearly the same texture as fresh food. Similarly, the shelf life of both outcomes varies too.
What is a Dehydrator?
A convenient machine for conscious eaters that preserves food without affecting much of its nutritional value. An electric food dehydrator has a heat source along with fans to circulate the heated air throughout the drying process. There are trays in every dehydrator where the food items can be placed evenly without touching each other to ensure proper dehydration from all sides.
From small kitchen appliances to large commercial dehydrators, you will find so many options available in the market depending on your requirements and budget.
What is a Freeze Dryer?
As the name indicates, a freeze dryer is an intelligent machine that freezes the food first to convert all the water content into ice, and then at low pressure, the food is heated in a certain way to convert water into vapours. This is how a freeze-dryer dries the food.
A freeze dryer is based on a sophisticated sublimation method and it takes more time as compared to a dehydrator to completely freeze dry the food, but retains shape and texture better.
Is Freeze Drying or Dehydrating Better?
Honestly, it depends on your requirements and lifestyle, but I can help you find the best one for you. Here is a list of the pros and cons of both freeze dryers and dehydrators, which can help you choose what’s best for you.
Dehydrator Pros and Cons:
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Freeze Dryer Pros and Cons:
| Pros | Cons |
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Now, you can decide which is better for yourself.
How is Freeze Dried Food Different than Dehydrated Food?
As mentioned earlier, the process of food drying for both machines is different, the results are also different. But, let’s see a clear picture of what is different, how much is it different, and how it impacts our lives.
Freeze-Dried Food:
- Freeze-dried foods mostly retain their original texture and shape.
- Freeze-dried foods can be rehydrated within a few minutes just by adding water.
- There is a wide range of food items that can be freeze-dried and stored without any refrigeration such as produce, cheese, leftover meals, dairy, etc.
- Most of the freeze-dried food items are almost the same size as the fresher version, but lighter in weight. Nearly 95% – 98% of water is removed from food items.
- If stored properly, freeze-dried food is good for years, even decades.
Dehydrated Food:
- Dehydrated foods are usually hard, crunchy, or maybe tough and don’t retain the original texture, e.g. apple chips.
- In most cases, you need to boil food in water for 5-10 minutes before consuming it. The methods vary for different types of foodstuff.
- You cannot dehydrate every food item such as avocados, olives, prepared meals and most dairy products.
- Dehydrated food is lighter and smaller in size as 80% – 95% percent water is removed via heated air.
- Dehydrated food usually offers a shelf life of 6 months to 2 years.
Does Freeze-Dried or Dehydrated Food Taste Better?
It varies from food to food and also depends on your tastebuds. Some people love the crunchy texture of bananas, thus they prefer dehydrated crunchy banana chips instead of freeze-dried bananas, which soften in the mouth.
There are some fruits which taste better after dehydration as they taste sweeter than the original version. Similarly, there are some freeze-dried foods that taste really delicious as the original flavour is enriched.
Is One More Healthy Than the Other?
Although, dehydration and freeze drying are both healthy methods of preservation because they do not involve any chemicals/preservatives, but freeze drying is considered the healthier method. The reason is the nutritional value of both food types. Freeze drying doesn’t destroy minerals and vitamins while dehydration compromises some nutrients such as Vitamin A and C.
How Long Can Dehydrated Food Last?
Mostly, dehydrated foods have a shelf life of 3 months up to 2 years but it varies from food to food. Interestingly, if we store dehydrated products properly as we store freeze-dried products, we can get a much longer shelf life. It can be as long as 10 – 15 years.
As far as storage is concerned, if we store dehydrated items in air-tight containers with oxygen absorbers, we can get a good long shelf life. But, if we store these items in a cool dry place at optimal temperature, we can significantly improve the shelf life of dehydrated foodstuff.
Do you know that dehydrated fruits can stay good for up to a year without any extra storage care? But, if we care for and store it properly the shelf life could be as long as 12 – 15 years.
Dehydrated vegetables stored in pantries have a shelf life of 3-6 months only, but with oxygen absorbers, in air-tight packaging, and away from heat and light, the life will be significantly increased. Now, vegetables can be good for 2 – 7 years.
How Long Can Freeze-Dried Food Last?
Freeze dryers remove almost all the moisture from food which increases its shelf life significantly. But, as we discussed the importance of proper packaging and storage, it matters here as well. Mylar bags, air-tight containers, optimal temperature, and a dark place play a vital role in shelf life. With proper storage care, freeze-dried foodstuff can last for 25 – 30 years.
Which is More Affordable?
Undoubtedly, a dehydrator is a compact, cost-effective machine, easy to maintain, and provides final results in less time (within 8 – 12 hours) as compared to a freeze dryer, which might take a full day (24 hours) to complete one batch only.
Dehydrators can save you a lot of money by dehydrating extra produce at home. On the other hand, freeze dryers are bigger machines with fine-tuned machinery inside and carefully designed to implement sublimation. The machine requires frequent oil changes and has high power demands.
Which is the More Popular Pick?
Dehydration is a popular and widely used technique at homes as well as at the commercial level. The main reasons are ease of use, quicker results, and low costs. But, as people are becoming more and more conscious of the nutritional value of food, freeze dryers are gaining popularity.
Freeze dryers do not compromise nutrition. Also, freeze-drying is impressive as we can retain the texture, colour, and shape of foods for a very long time.
Final Thoughts
If you are confused about which one you should buy, then make a list of your requirements and see which products match your requirements better. In my humble opinion, if you are simply looking for something to save fruits/vegetables or meat wastage, then a dehydrator is the best option.
If you are a traveler or need more and more portable food without compromising on nutrition and taste buds, freeze dryers are for you.