The short answer
Dry-aging changes flavour; wet-aging mostly tenderises. Across the board, dry-aged steaks cost more per pound (median $67.48 vs $52.65), but that’s partly grade mix: among Prime steaks the gap shrinks to $1.98 ($57.96 dry vs $55.98 wet).
Two ways to age a steak
Dry-aged
The beef hangs unwrapped in a cold, humid room with air moving over it. Water evaporates, so the flavour concentrates — nutty, beefy, sometimes funky — and the meat’s own enzymes tenderise it.
The outside dries into a crust that’s trimmed away. Lost water and trim mean less steak to sell, which is much of the premium.
Wet-aged
The beef ages sealed in a vacuum bag, often on its way through the supply chain. Enzymes tenderise it, but nothing evaporates, so the flavour stays milder and closer to fresh beef.
No crust, no trim, no weight lost — which is why it’s the default for most beef sold.
How long is long enough?
Days aged, for the 30 dry-aged steaks on the board.
- 14 d9 steaks
- 21 d2 steaks
- 30 d7 steaks
- 40 d9 steaks
40–59 days - 60+ d3 steaks
60 or more
What it costs
Median price per pound by aging method, one figure per steak.
Within Prime only
How aging moves the Beef Score
Aging is 22% of the score. Dry-aging on Choice, Choice+ or Select earns one extra point, because it’s rare at those grades.
What if the seller just says “aged”?
An unstated method scores at the bottom of the aging scale. If a seller says “aged” without days, we count it as 14.
Does dry-aged beef ship frozen?
It depends on the seller: 15 of the 30 dry-aged steaks on our board ship fresh; the rest arrive frozen or flash-frozen.
Is longer always better?
Longer means stronger flavour and a higher price. Past about 45 days the taste turns funky and cheese-like, which not everyone wants.