Tin foil

[calibrax]

Something occurred to me today that I may have been doing something wrong all my life without knowing.

Tin foil : Shiny side out or shiny side in?

If I wrap something to put in the fridge, the dull side is closest to the food.
If I use it to cover something in the oven, dull side is closest to the food.
If I use foil to line a roasting tin, the shiny side is closest to the food.

Never really thought about it before but I'm probably doing it wrong on two of the above...

[bitwrx]

I do dull side out. Makes sense, although I've not actually measured anything...

Although, I have some thermocouples, so can set up an experiment if you're really interested.

[Ekona]

I always do shiny side out, regardless. I have no idea why.

[SmoothCriminal]

calibrax said:

If I wrap something to put in the fridge, the dull side is closest to the food.
If I use it to cover something in the oven, dull side is closest to the food.
If I use foil to line a roasting tin, the shiny side is closest to the food.

What you have posted above is the correct way to do it as that's the way I do it too!

[RumpleFugly]

It makes no odds.

Foil isn't designed to have one side shiny for more or less heat, it's because of its manufacturing process. Whereby when it's passed through the rollers, it is doubled up as a single sheet couldn't be pressed thin enough. Hence one shiny, and one dull side.

[stevensdrs]

RumpleFugly said:

It makes no odds.

Foil isn't designed to have one side shiny for more or less heat, it's because of its manufacturing process. Whereby when it's passed through the rollers, it is doubled up as a single sheet couldn't be pressed thin enough. Hence one shiny, and one dull side.

Correct. Featured on "How it's made" on the television.

Never buy retail tinfoil from a supermarket as it is very poor value. A 200m roll of catering foil from a wholesale outlet will work out a lot cheaper. Same is true of clingfilm.

[markcjd]

SmoothCriminal said:

What you have posted above is the correct way to do it as that's the way I do it too!

And me. Never thought about why, but it must be correct.

[Flibble]

Makes no difference at all for any purpose. There's no significant different in reflected heat from either side and they both work the same when wrapping food.

And to cap it all, it's not even made of tin!

stevensdrs said:

Never buy retail tinfoil from a supermarket as it is very poor value. A 200m roll of catering foil from a wholesale outlet will work out a lot cheaper. Same is true of clingfilm.

The cost in petrol of going to a wholesale outlet offsets the minimal extra cost of buying it in a supermarket though.

[Vieste]

Wibble

[jmorgan]

As long as it stops the voices.