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. However, there is one such element that belongs to the kitchen that even most connoisseurs are not familiar with, and that is, which side of aluminium foil is the ‘correct side’. 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 answer is no, as both sides serve the same purpose, and there is no one ‘better’ side. The reason why aluminium foil has two different sides is because of a manufacturing process called milling.
​How aluminum foil gets two different sides
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.
Non-stick foil
The only exception where aluminium foil has a ‘correct’ or ‘better’ side is non-stick foil. 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. In case you’re confused as to which side of the foil has the coating, there is always a label that has the non-stick side mentioned.
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.
