Pro Tips for Using Aluminum Foil—In and Out of the Kitchen

You and your aluminum foil. As in any relationship, you have to appreciate its strengths (more airtight than plastic wrap) and accept its weaknesses (the microwave is off-limits). Sure, you fall for its shiny good looks—those crinkly silver swans restaurants send leftovers out in? Try achieving that kind of drama with a plastic bag. But discovering its hidden talents—from helping you spend less time at the ironing board to protecting surfaces while you paint—is what will keep things fresh between you. Herewith, tips, tricks, and good advice to help you make the most of every sheet.

Dos and Don’ts for Using Aluminum Foil

You and your silver roll have been around the butcher’s block a few times. But don’t tear off another bit till you check out these pros’ tips on the proper way to use it.

Do line baking pans with aluminum foil to make cleanup of anything from brownies to oil-drizzled roasted vegetables a snap.

Food can stick to it, however, so you may want to coat regular foil with vegetable cooking spray or use a new sheet with each batch. Cookies will spread out a bit more, brown more on the bottom, and come out a bit crisper when baked on foil than on parchment, says Reynolds Kitchens tester Pat Schweitzer, so use foil for things like Belgian lace cookies and parchment for more substantial varieties.

Don’t use foil to line the bottom of the oven to catch spills and drips.

It will cause food to heat unevenly and, over time, can damage the oven, says Mary Ellen Camire, Ph.D., a product-development expert for the nonprofit Institute of Food Technologists. You’re better off wiping up messes after each use, when the oven has cooled but before the spill has hardened.

Do use heavy-duty foil as a protective shield for poultry.

To keep a chicken or turkey breast juicy and prevent the skin from burning before the rest of the bird has cooked (dark meat, which is higher in fat, cooks more slowly than white), cover it loosely with foil for the first couple of hours of cooking.

Don’t use foil in a microwave oven.

You probably know this, but do you know why? The electromagnetic waves pass through glass, paper, and ceramic, which don’t overheat in the cooking process (they often feel hot after zapping because the food is still cooking inside). But aluminum deflects the waves, causing food to cook unevenly and possibly damaging the oven.

Do use foil to contain the odors of smelly foods before they go into the refrigerator or freezer.

While high-quality plastic wrap works well, says Harold McGee, a food scientist and the author of On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, foil wrapped with an airtight seal (press down hard on the creases) is even better because it’s basically impermeable to odors and moisture. That airtightness means food well wrapped in foil is less prone to freezer burn, says Camire.

Don’t use foil to store foods that are high in acids.

This means tart fruits and dishes made with vinegar, tomatoes, or tomato sauce. After a few days in foil, the acids in lasagna, for example, interact with the aluminum and erode the foil, says McGee. Small amounts of aluminum can then migrate into the food, creating both pinprick holes in the wrap and a metallic taste in the lasagna. Also, white spots (actually aluminum salts) can form on these foods when their acidity reacts with the aluminum. Theoretically you can cut these spots away; they’re not harmful. But they are certainly not appetizing either, so stick to plastic storage for the acidic goods.

Dull Side vs. Shiny Side of Aluminum Foil

Ever wonder what the difference is between foil’s dull and shiny sides? The answer from Alcoa, maker of Reynolds Wrap, which accounts for 60% of all aluminum foil sold in the United States: It’s a coincidental by-product of the manufacturing process. “There’s so little difference in heat reflectivity that it doesn’t matter which side is up,” says senior home economist Pat Schweitzer (of Pat-and-Betty fame in the Reynolds TV commercials). She points out, though, that with Reynolds Wrap Release nonstick foil, food always needs to sit on the dull side.

Clever Household Uses for Aluminum Foil

It may not have quite as many uses as that other silvery wonder, duct tape (what does?), but look around the house and you’ll find plenty of things to do with foil besides safeguarding leftovers.

Smooth out wrinkles in clothing

To get wrinkles out of silk, wool, and rayon clothes that can’t take direct heat, place a piece of foil on your ironing board, then lay the garment flat over it. With the steam button down, pass the iron 3 to 4 inches over the fabric several times. Wet heat radiating from the foil helps smooth out wrinkles.

Grilling assistance

Really hot grill bars equal dramatic grill marks on your porterhouse. To concentrate the heat and keep it from escaping, lay a sheet of foil over the grill for 10 minutes. Peel the foil off before cooking (it cools fast), scrunch it into a ball, and use it to scrape any residue or ash from the bars.

Protect surfaces while you paint

Protect doorknobs and hardware in the kitchen and bathroom when you’re painting by wrapping foil around them to catch dribbles. The foil molds to the shape of whatever it’s covering and stays firmly in place until the job is complete.

Pie crust protection

To prevent a piecrust from burning while the filling cooks, make a foil collar to deflect heat. Take a piece of foil about 25 inches long, fold it into thirds lengthwise, and fasten the ends with a paper clip. Halfway into the baking, slip the collar over the crust (as shown). Leave it on until the pie is done.

Scrubber stand-in

To get baked-on food off a glass pan or an oven rack, use dishwashing liquid and a ball of foil in place of a steel-wool soap pad, says Mary Findley, president of the cleaning-products developer Mary Moppins. It’s one way to recycle those used but perfectly good pieces of foil you hate to throw out.