If you use aluminum foil in the kitchen, you may have noticed that one side of aluminum foil is shiny and the other side is dull. That leads to questions like "is one side of the foil better than the other"?

The answer is it doesn't matter. According to the USDA, it does not make any difference which side of the foil contacts the food. The mostly aluminum, molten alloy is rolled thin and solidified between large, water-cooled chill rollers. During the final rolling, two layers of foil are passed through the mill at the same time. The side coming in contact with the polished steel rollers becomes shiny and the other side comes out dull.

There are some who believe the shiny side reflects the heat away from the food. While shiny surfaces do reflect light energy, in an oven, that reflection does very little to reflect the heat, and you likely won't notice any differences in which side of the foil you use. Reynolds, a manufacturer of aluminum foil, even states that the side you use will not have an effect on the food, as long as it is regular aluminum foil. Non-stick versions will have a side that you put in contact with the food, though. Be sure to read the directions.

The side of the foil you use doesn't matter, but make sure you are using the foil box correctly. There is a hole on the side that many people don't notice. You poke it with your finger, and you can stop the roll inside the box from spinning so you don't accidentally remove too much foil.