The Aluminum Foil Cooking Mistake Everyone Seems To Make

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Aluminum foil is a highly versatile and helpful cooking tool. It can be used for cooking potatoes on the grill, or baking foil-wrapped salmon. But just like every other cooking tool, there's a right way and a wrong way to use it. Sadly, far too many cooks seem to make the same aluminum foil mistake, which is thinking that it's always non-stick.

Non-stick aluminum foil does exist, but it's a special kind with a non-stick coating applied, which standard aluminum foil does not have. Even with non-stick foil, people commonly believe that both sides are non-stick when only one actually has the coating. Regular aluminum foil is great if you want to protect your non-stick pans from building up residue, but if you're cooking something like meat or fish, it won't help it not stick to the pan.

A lot of people think that regular aluminum foil is non-stick because it has two sides, one shiny and one dull. This comes from the milling process used to make it, in which one side is in contact with a massive steel roller, which makes it shiny, and the other side does not.

If you're using non-stick aluminum foil, ensure you're using the side with the non-stick coating. Many foils come with labels that tell you which side is the right one, but if yours doesn't, use the dull side. This is typically the side the coating is applied to. Using the shiny side will still make it stick to your food.

If you're not working with non-stick aluminum foil, you need to take additional steps to prevent your food from sticking. Use cooking spray, olive oil, or some other kind of grease. If it does stick, give it a minute before trying to remove it and gently use a spatula to slide it off. If you're using aluminum foil in the air fryer, be sure not to block the air flow to the food.

Sometimes, it's better to avoid aluminum foil altogether. For example, acidic ingredients react with aluminum and may give your foods a metallic taste. Don't use it when baking, either, since it can tear easily and it conducts too much heat, which can burn the bottoms of your baked goods. It's best to use parchment paper, or a non-stick silicone baking mat.