Freeze-dried food vs Dehydrated food

A question you’ll find on almost every prepper forum is “what is the difference between freeze-dried food and dehydrated food?”. Here’s your answer!

In general

While freeze-dried foods and dehydrated foods are both excellent to use in your emergency food storage there are some differences to keep in mind. After reading this article you’ll know which food is best for you.

The Cooking

One of the most important differences between dehydrated and freeze-dried food lies in the time to cook it. Whereas freeze-dried foods can be completely rehydrated in 5 minutes of boiling water it can take up to 20 minutes to rehydrate dehydrated food.

With cold water the difference is even more remarkable: 5-10 minutes for freeze-dried food versus 1-2 hours for dehydrated food. If you want something that’s ready to eat quickly you should get freeze-dried.

Cost

Of course cost is an important element in getting your emergency food storage ready. The main difference between freeze-dried vs dehydrated food is that freeze-dried food is a lot more expensive. They can cost a lot per meal: up to $12.

Taste

While you’re probably less picky about your food in a crisis situation the taste does matter! Better food means better mood and better moods means better chances of survival. In this situation freeze-dried food wins the match hands down. The flavor is much better preserved in freeze-dried foods than it is in dehydrated food.

Space required

If you don’t have too much space to store food (like me) the required space is important! There’s hardly a difference between freeze-dried and dehydrated foods so this isn’t much of a factor.

Packaging

Another major difference between dehydrated food vs freeze-dried food is that packaging. Dehydrated foods usually have 1 ingredient in a package. Freeze-dried foods normally have a complete meal in a package. This means you’ll have to buy multiple dehydrated ingredients to create 1 meal. On the other hand it means more flexibility in preparing meals.

Shelf life

Most people don’t want to constantly have to check if their food is nearing its maximum shelf life so this is an important factor in the difference. Freeze-dried food is a big winner here: it can last up 25 years. Compare this to the maximum of 3-4 years on dehydrated foods and you have a significant difference. Make sure you store both foods out of the sun in a cool, dark and dry place to maximize shelf life.

Summary

The best summary I can offer you is this diagram: