What side of aluminum foil should touch food

Shiny side up or shiny side down? When it comes to using aluminium foil in the kitchen we probably all have our preference or habit. Maybe sandwiches always get wrapped shiny side out, or chicken gets roasted shiny side down. But does it actually matter which side of the foil that you use?

Índice Show

Which side of the foil are you supposed to use?
Why does aluminium foil have a shiny side and a matt side?
Recipes where aluminium is used

We answer this kitchen conundrum.

Which side of the foil are you supposed to use?

Aluminium foil is a useful kitchen product when it comes to heating, storing and freezing food. Potatoes can be baked in it, fish can be cooked en papillote and leftover food can be frozen in it. The main thing to avoid, of course, is using it to cover food in a microwave: the electromagnetic currents will cause the foil to spark and can cause a fire. This being said, aluminium foil is ideal for wrapping meat and/or vegetables prior to barbecuing or baking--the foil will insulate the contents’ moisture while cooking them through. It also protects the exterior of fragile ingredients from open grilling flames and prevents these ingredients from disintegrating and falling through the grill. It can be used on a home grill or even on outdoor excursions, and in conventional ovens.

The other primary use for aluminium foil is wrapping pre-made or already cooked foods, like sandwiches, burgers and burritos. It works just as well as paper or soft plastics at containing and preserving food, and when free of food residue, it can be recycled as well, making it a more environmentally-friendly alternative, especially to soft plastics. Restaurants often use aluminium foil to wrap guests’ leftovers, though this usually doesn’t look as appealing as using paper-based takeout containers.

But are any of those processes hindered or improved by whether food is in contact with the shiny or dull side of the aluminium foil?

In short, science says it makes no difference at all, and there is no correct or incorrect way to use aluminium foil, as confirmed by Robert L. Wolke in What Einstein Told His Cook and America’s Test Kitchen. You can place either side in either direction whether cooking or freezing food with aluminium foil.

Reynold’s Kitchen, an aluminium foil manufacturer since 1947, says: "It’s perfectly fine to place your food on either side so you can decide if you prefer to have the shiny or dull side facing out." It’s simply a result of the manufacturing process. The performance of the foil is the same, whichever side you use.

Why does aluminium foil have a shiny side and a matt side?

The Aluminum Association explains that the shiny side is produced when two sheets are rolled at the same time, (doubling the thickness of the roll) and which are later separated, meaning the two inside surfaces remain matt, while the two outside surfaces remain shiny.

However, when it comes to using non-stick foil, there is a difference between the two sides, as the non-stick coating is only on one side. In this case place the food on the side marked 'non-stick'.

Recipes where aluminium is used

Aluminium foil can be a versatile tool in the hands of a chef willing to explore its potential applications in the kitchen. In this recipe for beef rolls, for instance, the recipe gives options for frying, baking, or even boiling(!) the rolls in water after they’ve been wrapped in the foil. While this is certainly unusual, it illustrates the dynamic properties of foil for keeping food in a consistent formation while using traditional cooking methods. If this seems perhaps too adventurous, however, this chicken tikka masala and this pumpkin risotto stick to using the foil to keep a baking sheet and the oven free from food debris, while ensuring the moisture levels of the food will be high when finished.

You’ve probably noticed by now that aluminum foil has two sides: one that’s shiny and one that’s dull. Some folks like to cook on the shiny side, and others prefer the dull side, but who is right? And what does it all mean?

Does the shiny side reflect more heat, resulting in a crispier finish? Or maybe the dull side is a better conductor, creating a more even cooking surface?

It’s a mystery that we’re sure not every home-cook has spent time thinking about, but if you’re one who has you’ve come to the right place. We’re going to break it down for you with help from the experts.

Here’s the important thing you need to know: if you use the shiny side, you’re doing it right. And if you use the dull side, you’re also doing it right. According to Reynold’s Kitchen, the difference between the two sides has nothing to do with cooking. It’s just a result of manufacturing.

Reynold’s explained the difference on their site:

The foil is ‘milled’ in layers during production. Milling is a process whereby heat and tension is applied to stretch the foil to the desired thickness. We mill two layers in contact with each other at the same time, because if we didn’t, the foil would break during the milling process. Where the foil is in contact with another layer, that’s the ‘dull’ side. The ‘shiny’ side is the side milled without being in contact with another sheet of metal. The performance of the foil is the same, whichever side you use.

The shiny side is face-up on the roll, and the dull side is on its underside.

In other words, feel free to use whatever side makes you happy.

But, if you are using non-stick foil, there is a difference between the two sides because the non-stick coating is only applied to one side. If that’s the product you’re using, the dull side is what you want. (It’s been imprinted with “non-stick side” if you should forget.)

Aluminum foil is often used in home baking or home barbecue. What we call tin foil is actually called aluminum foil. The use of aluminum foil has several advantages: one is to prevent food from sticking to the bakeware and to facilitate cleaning of the bakeware; When baking food with seasonings, it can prevent the seasoning from falling; third, it can prevent moisture loss and keep the food fresh and tender; fourth, covering aluminum foil when baking bread or cakes can prevent the surface from becoming too dark; fifth, yes Heat the food evenly to prevent burning.

But when using aluminium foil, which side should face the food? We observed the aluminium foil carefully and found that its two sides are different. One side is very shiny, the other side is darker in color. The bright side is called the photosensitive side, and the darker side is called the matte side. When we use it, we need to use the matte side to touch the food, and the photosensitive side is exposed. If you accidentally use it upside down, the photosensitive surface touches the food, which may cause the food to stick to the aluminum foil.

Either side of the foil can be used to place food on, unless you are using Bacofoil® The Non-Stick Kitchen Foil, then the food should be placed on the non shiny side side, as this is the side that is coated with a food safe silicon to stop food from sticking.

CultureDaily DelightFoodVideo

Photo by Flickr user Plusea

As grilling season approaches full-swing, an age-old question has resurfaced: which side of the aluminum foil is supposed to be facing outwards when cooking?

Even those who have never touched an oven or grill know that aluminum foil has two sides: one shiny, one dull. But is there a difference?

While some cooks profess the need to cook food with the shiny side pointed inwards, because it will reflect heat waves (sure, grandma), the heartbreaking truth is that there’s really no difference. (With that said, there is an ongoing debate regarding “aluminum oxide” and whether or not it should be touching food).

The two sides are different because aluminum foil is run through heavy rollers in the factory in a double layer; the sides that touch the highly polished rollers end up with a brighter finish, and the other sides end up matte.

Reynolds Kitchen, which makes aluminum foil, has even gone on record saying, “The difference in cooking is so minimal that we really say there’s no difference. There might be a small difference, but there’s no need to worry about it.”

There is one exception. When it comes to nonstick foil, the dull side (nonstick side) should be the side that actually touches food.

Fun fact: tin foil and aluminum foil, while often used interchangeably, are quite different. Before aluminum became readily available during the late 19th century, a lesser thin foil made of tin was used commercially (tin foil).

Also, have you ever wondered why your roll of aluminum foil tends to fall out whenever you attempt to tear off a piece? Get ready to have your mind blown and your life changed forever. This is how you fix that issue in one simple step.