What is the difference between the sides of foil

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Any object with a temperature above absolute zero emits infrared radiation. This means that the heated coils, sides, and racks in your oven are emitting infrared energy. Even the heated vessel and the heated food itself emits this energy. However, when you cook food in an oven, the major source of cooking heat is convection.

The hot air of the oven transfers heat to the food being cooked. Only a little of the heat transfer in an oven is through infrared radiation, which is invisible light rays. A shiny surface should make no difference to convection but it will make a difference to radiation.

Shiny surfaces reflect waves more than dull surfaces. The reason one side of the foil is shinier than the other is because it is smoother and has fewer little imperfections: hills and valleys. So, the shiny surface of the foil should reflect more radiation than the dull surface, which will be better able to trap incoming waves rather than reflect them back. But it should not affect convection, the major source of heat transfer.

Consider a baked potato. When wrapping potatoes in aluminum foil for baking, you probably tend to place the dull side out. In reality, in the long length of time it takes to bake a potato, either side will work basically the same. The foil will be heated through convection and this energy will be transferred to the potato, and as the moisture in the potato heats up, the potato is cooked through steam. Rather than which side is out, a bigger difference may be made by how tightly the potato is wrapped.

Any air trapped in the aluminum foil pouch and surrounding the potato may act as an insulating barrier, slowing the transfer of heat. So, wrap your potatoes tightly before baking. Since I already mentioned the manufacture of foil through the explanations given above, I may as well write a bit more about how foil is made.

The manufacture of aluminum foil is similar to making pasta at home. A large block of almost pure aluminum is rolled through giant steel rollers, several times, reducing the thickness of the aluminum block and spreading it out to make it longer.

Lubricants are added to facilitate the operation. Know all about the signs, risk factors and more. Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community.

Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive. Let's work together to keep the conversation civil. The kitchen can be a confusing place for most novices. Things like how to chop vegetables or how to properly heat food can intimidate those who are not familiar with kitchen regulations. Aluminium foil is widely used as a tool in the kitchen, but little do we wonder why one side is dull, and the other shiny.

Today we will find out why. Since aluminium foil comprises of two sides, have we been using it wrong? Does the shiny side reflect more heat while the dull side is a better conductor?

The reason why aluminium foil has two different sides is because of a manufacturing process called milling. The process of milling is responsible for two differently appearing sides. In the process, heat and tension is applied to stretch the foil to the desired thickness, and to do so, two layers are milled in contact with each other to prevent foil breakage during the process.

The side of the foil that is in contact with another layer ends up becoming the dull side, while the side which is milled without being in contact with another layer ends up becoming the shiny side. Hence, the origin of two dissimilar sides. In this foil, the non-stick coating is only applied to one side, which is dull side, so using the shiny side would be futile.

Aluminium foil has no one side that is superior to the other, and either can be used for the same purpose. The reason the two sides are different is because of the manufacturing process called tilling.

However, when it comes to non-stick foil, there is a designated side, which is the dull side, as the non-stick coating is only applied to that side.

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