Shiny vs. Dull: Does It Matter How You Use Each Side of Tin Foil?

Whether you're a chef at heart or a casual cooker because hey, you need to eat, aluminum foil is used by nearly 320 million Americans annually according to the Statista website.

But why are the two sides of tin foil different? Does it matter how we used the shiny side versus the dull side? Outside of keeping tin foil out of the microwave, what exactly are the right and wrong ways to use the shiny stuff that doesn't always fit in our kitchen drawers properly?

According to the website, All Recipes, the reason aluminum foil has a shiny side and a dull side is purely because of the manufacturing process.

The final stage of the process is called cold rolling which further reduces the desired thickness and improves the material's final resistance and flexibility. During this process, the foil comes out shiny on the side that is in contact with the polished steel rollers, and dull on the side that is not in contact with the rollers.

So there you have it. It doesn't matter how you use your foil. The shiny side wasn't intended for say hot food to stay hot for example or the dull side to help things cool according to All Recipes. Line your food however you want to as neither side will impact or change anything.

Even according to Reynolds Wrap itself, you do you.

With standard and heavy duty foil, 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.

Of course, there IS one exception. If you're using a non-stick aluminum foil for any reason, make sure you use the side that has the non-stick coating.