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Dave mack's stupid question of the week-2

post #1 of 20
8/13/06 at 7:57am
Thread Starter 
This always bugged me. When cooking, heating up with aluminum foil....
What side of the foil are you suppossed to place the food on? The 2 sides are different. One is shinier. No "instructions" on the box.

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post #2 of 20
8/13/06 at 8:34am

Re: Dave mack's stupid question of the week-2

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Mack
This always bugged me. When cooking, heating up with aluminum foil....
What side of the foil are you suppossed to place the food on? The 2 sides are different. One is shinier. No "instructions" on the box.
It depends on what you want to accomplish. If you want to keep food cold you should have the shiny side on the outside and if you want to keep things warm or are baking with the foil then have the shinny side on the inside since it reflects heat better.

That’s what a lot of people will say but I really doubt it makes a difference in the long run.
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post #3 of 20
8/13/06 at 8:46am
Thread Starter 

Re: Dave mack's stupid question of the week-2

Cool, thanks.



Just did a bit of surfing.


"Aluminum foil typically has a dull and a shiny side, which occurs during the manufacturing of the material. Typically, neither side is significantly better than the other for the general purposes of cooking, wrapping, covering, or lining processes when preparing or storing foods. However, since there is a dull and a shiny side, and since the shiny side is a better reflector of heat or cold, it may be of some value to use each side accordingly when cooking or storing foods. It is simply that the difference in value is very small and probably not noticable. That said, since the shiny side of foil will reflect heat better, wrap foods to be stored in refrigerated conditions with the shiny side out so warmer temperatures are reflected away and kept out of the wrapped food. Similarly, if an item is being cooked, it may slow some of the cooking process only slightly if the shiny side is on the outside of the item resulting in the heat being reflected. Or if you want wrapped foods to remain warm, wrap the food with the dull side out so the heat reflects off the shiny side and back into the food."

http://www.hormel.com/kitchen/glossary.asp?id=36504
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post #4 of 20
8/13/06 at 2:26pm

Re: Dave mack's stupid question of the week-2

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Mack
However, since there is a dull and a shiny side, and since the shiny side is a better reflector of heat or cold,
Reflector of cold? Does it work like a reflector of darkness?

--
H
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post #5 of 20
8/13/06 at 2:46pm

Re: Dave mack's stupid question of the week-2

Quote:
Reflector of cold? Does it work like a reflector of darkness?
Yeah, "cold" is a meaningless term with respect to it being a quantifiable physical property that anything can be done with. There is only heat, its transfer, and the relative presence or lack thereof.
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post #6 of 20
8/13/06 at 4:01pm

Re: Dave mack's stupid question of the week-2

I'm guessing that food would stick more easier to the dull side, so I always put the shiny side inward when using it to cook.
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post #7 of 20
8/13/06 at 4:56pm

Re: Dave mack's stupid question of the week-2

Quote:
Does it work like a reflector of darkness?
Oh man! That has been my dream product. I always hoped they could invent a "Reverse Flashlight" where you could shine a beam of darkness and take away the light.
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post #8 of 20
8/14/06 at 3:56am

Re: Dave mack's stupid question of the week-2

For that matter, how does it "reflect heat"?
Do all the fast moving molecules bounce off the shiny side better than the dull side?
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post #9 of 20
8/14/06 at 5:13am

Re: Dave mack's stupid question of the week-2

This isn't a stupid question, Dave, especially when you consider that i'm just plain facinated with aluminum foil in general.

I mean imagine that, an extremely thin sheet of metal that can be shaped and used to cook with! What will they think of next!?

Just don't bite down on it, it hurts the teeth. Trust me, don't try that!
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post #10 of 20
8/14/06 at 5:20am

Re: Dave mack's stupid question of the week-2

What side should be use if we're trying to keep Neil V from listening to thoughts in my head? Should I wrap my head with the shiny side out?

Jay
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post #11 of 20
8/14/06 at 6:06am

Re: Dave mack's stupid question of the week-2

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dheiner
For that matter, how does it "reflect heat"?
Do all the fast moving molecules bounce off the shiny side better than the dull side?
There are few molecules between the Sun and us, yet the heat gets here somehow: Radiation is one of three ways heat travels (conduction & convection being the other two).

Radiation can be reflected or absorbed.

--
H
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post #12 of 20
8/14/06 at 7:30am

Re: Dave mack's stupid question of the week-2

Quote:
Just don't bite down on it, it hurts the teeth.

Stupid follow-up: Why ? Because of fillings ? What if you don't have any fillings ? Or...how about the new fillings that are less metallic (composite ?)

Dammit - I want to chew on foil !
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post #13 of 20
8/14/06 at 7:54am

Re: Dave mack's stupid question of the week-2

Dunno... does it hurt the gums or the teeth? I would think teeth would be fairly impervious to foil... But perhaps the foil could be sharp for the gums....

Jay
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post #14 of 20
8/14/06 at 11:54am
Thread Starter 

Re: Dave mack's stupid question of the week-2

Great Myers Mask, John!
And yes, biting on aluminum foli is Marathon man level pain!
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post #15 of 20
8/14/06 at 12:51pm

Re: Dave mack's stupid question of the week-2

I have no idea why it hurts to bite down on foil, but believe me when I say that it hurts like hell, especially when you do it with your back teeth...YOW!!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Mack
Great Myers Mask, John!

Actually, that isn't me, it's some dude's avatar that I "borrowed" from a Michael Myers website that i'm a member of.
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post #16 of 20
8/14/06 at 1:09pm

Re: Dave mack's stupid question of the week-2

The dull side and shiny side are simply a byproduct of the manufacturing process and there is no "right" side to use. Alcoa actually tested to see if there was a measurable difference between the sides (and there wasn't). I guess they got tired of being asked that question.
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post #17 of 20
8/14/06 at 1:12pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Dave mack's stupid question of the week-2

Cool. Interesting that Hormel foods says there is a difference.

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post #18 of 20
8/14/06 at 2:07pm

Re: Dave mack's stupid question of the week-2

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Mack
Cool. Interesting that Hormel foods says there is a difference.
Well, Hormel also makes Chili. Talk about confusion - It's Chili, but it's HOT as hell - so which is it? Chili? Hot?
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post #19 of 20
8/14/06 at 11:57pm

Re: Dave mack's stupid question of the week-2

I vaguely recall that the straightdope website also did its own little experiment in response to this question, and found no significant difference.
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post #20 of 20
8/16/06 at 9:46am

Re: Dave mack's stupid question of the week-2

From Alcoa's FAQs

Which side of Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil should I use, the shiny or the dull side?
Actually, it makes no difference which side of the aluminum foil you use—both sides do the same fine job of cooking, freezing and storing food. The difference in appearance between dull and shiny is due to the foil manufacturing process. In the final rolling step, two layers of foil are passed through the rolling mill at the same time. The side coming in contact with the mill's highly polished steel rollers becomes shiny. The other side, not coming in contact with the heavy rollers, comes out with a dull or matte finish.
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