When cooking with aluminum foil, many people wonder which side—glossy or matte—should face up. The truth is, it doesn’t make much difference in terms of cooking performance. However, there are some subtle differences:
Shiny side vs. matte side
. Shiny side: The shiny side of aluminum foil reflects heat, meaning it absorbs less heat and reflects it more.
Matte side: The matte side absorbs heat more efficiently.
What does this mean for cooking?
No significant difference: While the shiny side reflects more heat and the matte side absorbs it, the difference is so small that it doesn’t significantly affect cooking.
Practical considerations: The main difference comes from the manufacturing process. The shiny side is the result of the final pass through the rollers in the factory, while the matte side is created by the film placed inside during the manufacturing process.
What should you do?
This isn’t crucial: For most cooking tasks, such as wrapping food or lining pans, you can use either side without noticeably affecting the result.
When frying or baking: If you want to reflect heat away from the food (for example, when cooking delicate foods), you can use the shiny side facing outwards. Conversely, the blunt side can be oriented towards the food when you want to retain more heat and keep the food crisp (for example, when cooking vegetables).
Bottom line:
While there are slight differences, in most cases it is acceptable to use both sides for cooking. Choose the glossy or matte side depending on your preference, but rest assured that it won’t dramatically affect your food!
