The Aluminum Foil Side You Never Knew About

Which side of the aluminum foil do you use? Dan Fox, an Instagram user who frequently shares home and cleaning tips and tricks, explained in a new video how you're actually supposed to use aluminum foil.

Aluminum foil is one of the most useful items in the kitchen. However, it has two sides – one shiny and one matte – and many users aren't always sure how to use it: should the shiny side face outwards or towards the food?

According to Fox, it all depends on what you need the foil for. If you are wrapping cold food, you should place the matte side towards the food. Conversely, if you are wrapping hot food, you should use the shiny side inward. Fox explained that the shiny side of the foil better retains heat.

British chef Tom Kerridge also mentioned before that the shiny side of the foil preserves the heat of the food. "There are two sides to aluminum foil - the shiny side and the less shiny side," Kerridge explained on the BBC's "Fresh Start" program. "Always remember - dull side up, shiny side down, it's the reflective side, it preserves heat as much as possible, and makes cooking more efficient."

On the other hand, the "Culinary Lore" website explains that the difference between the sides is a result of the manufacturing process: a block of aluminum is rolled through giant steel rollers several times while being heated, to flatten and extend it. With each pass through the rollers, the thickness is reduced until the sheet reaches the desired thickness. When the sheet reaches 5 mm thickness, it is passed through cold rollers. At this stage, the sheet is so thin that it might tear, so two sheets are passed through, creating two sides: the side in contact with the steel rollers becomes polished and shiny, while the other side, in contact with the additional sheet, looks matte.

In other words, both sides are made in exactly the same way and from the same material, and there is no difference in the performance of either side.