Have you ever looked at aluminum foil and wondered why one side is shiny and one side is not?
Have you looked at it and asked yourself if you should put the shiny side up or down?
Well it does not matter. There is no right or wrong side to aluminium foil.
The variation is due to how aluminium foil is manufactured. The side that has contact with the rollers is shiny. The side that does not have contact with the rollers is dull. So, it does not matter. They are both essentially the same.
Now I am curious, am I the only one that has looked at aluminium foil and wondered if there is a right or wrong side?
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{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
I have always wondered about it. I always just use the shiny side. LOL. It’s so much prettier. Right?
I’ve always heard to put the shiny side down to keep the heat in, for cooking casseroles and other things. Other than that, I don’t think dull or shiny matters.
@Lisa, According to Reynolds there is no difference. I was never sure if there was or wasn’t. http://www.reynoldspkg.com/reynoldskitchens/en/faq_detail.asp?info_page_id=743&prod_id=1789&cat_id=1337
Isn’t if funny how we go through life doing things and never actually think about it.. like this.. I never thought about a right or wrong side..
LOL. Glad I wasn’t doing anything wrong.
Mikki´s last blog ..Food Network Egg Fail
I was always curious too!!
I always put the shiny side up. Like Marin said, it’s prettier!
I was always curious as well.
Now I’m curious – am I the only one that still calls it “tin foil?”
@Leigh Ann, My mom always called it tin foil. So, no I don’t think you are the only one.
I have always wondered which side was the right side, but I have always left the shiny side showing! It’s prettier anyways, haha!
Heather´s last blog ..My Kitchen Must-haves!
The ONLY thing to remember about the foil is that the shiny side reflects light, and therefore heat, so your food won’t cook as fast if you’re using it in the oven. Aside from that, I, too, use the shiny-side-up method!
I know that there is no difference in the way foods are cooked, but I always put the shiny side up anyway.
Nate @ House of Annie´s last blog ..Modern Kaiseki Dinner at Maru in Aoyama
This is something I wondered about too. Someone once told me the shiny side should always go up, so that’s what I’ve always done. Nice to know that it really doesn’t matter.
How funny! I have thought this same exact question too. In fact, I will put whatever I’m wrapping in the middle of the dull side and always wrap it with the shiny side out! Anyone else?
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Leigh Ann, we call it “tin foil” around here too.
Peggy´s last blog ..Please Pray
It’s funny, my mother drilled into me that the shiny side reflected heat and the dull side absorbed heat. Many years later I met my hubby, and his mom told him the same thing, in a different decade and on the other side of the country!
Shiny side up around here!
I’m so glad you posted this. My boyfriend is always telling me I put food on the foil the wrong way, I didn’t think it mattered and now I have proof!
That’s funny. I always thought that the shiny side was the right side and should face out. I guess for no other reason than that it was shiny.
I call it tin foil, too! Perhaps just because it is shorter!
If you are using Reynolds Release Foil, it does matter, so don’t forget to check the box for instructions. (PS – release foil is amazing)
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@Catherine, I have never tried the release type foil. I guess maybe I should.
@Lynn,
It is pretty amazing! It’s not cheap, but a sale paired with a coupon (they tend to come out around the holidays), it is worth it. I use it for my Crunchy Granola Bars and my Peppermint Bark specifically. I can usually get a few uses out of one piece if I manage not to get any holes in it.
Catherine´s last blog ..Ways to Get Bushels in Farmville
i always was curious about this too!
sarah k. @ the pajama chef´s last blog ..Cran-Oat Muffins