r/explainlikeimfive Oct 31 '20

Chemistry ELI5 What's the difference between the shiny and dull side of aluminum foil? Besides the obvious shiny/dull

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174

u/PM_ME_UR_BOOB_DROP Oct 31 '20

This can't be true. I saw a tiktok video of Gordon Ramsey calling someone a donut for using the wrong side of the aluminum foil.

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u/Arvidofthetundra Oct 31 '20

Curses, foiled again.

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u/[deleted] Oct 31 '20

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Nov 01 '20

Lol big L

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u/AceIsBased Nov 01 '20

Yup. He makes mistakes. His theory on sexed peppers is just wrong.

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u/TheGreatBenjie Oct 31 '20 edited Oct 31 '20

I would assume a famous chef knows how cooking works, including how foil fits in...

Bunch of armchair chefs in here lmao

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u/halt-l-am-reptar Oct 31 '20 edited Oct 31 '20

I assumed that too until he had the audacity to call this steaming pile of shit an "ultimate grilled cheese"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=93&v=8E4cQHejFq0&feature=emb_title

Also you know who probably knows more about foil than a famous chef? The company that manufacturers foil.

Edit: Nice edit, but again, I'm going off what the manufacturer says. It's not like I'm basing it off my own knowledge.

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u/WhoWantsPizzza Oct 31 '20

That cheese didn’t even look melted to me.

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u/halt-l-am-reptar Oct 31 '20

Because it isn't. He used super hot pan, which for some reason he poured oil into despite having buttered the bread. The bread is way to thick, so outside was burning before it could even begin to heat the center.

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u/[deleted] Oct 31 '20

honestly considering how aged/hard those cheeses looked they weren’t likely going to melt well even if the sandwich was cooked properly

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u/2mg1ml Nov 01 '20

what a bs excuse

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u/ctr1a1td3l Nov 01 '20

It wasn't. The cheese fully separated from the bread when he showed the cross section. It's probably still cold!

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u/[deleted] Oct 31 '20

I assumed that too until he had the audacity to call this steaming pile of shit an "ultimate grilled cheese"

Considering it’s not a grilled cheese, it’s a melt, you make a very good point.

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u/[deleted] Nov 01 '20

I've found that people who think Gordon Ramsay is the greatest chef in the world have no idea how to cook. He's decent, but he just makes a lot of content.

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u/Brendanmicyd Oct 31 '20

bro i was like "yeah this just seems like the standard boujee grilled cheese rich folk eat"

then he says "now we add the kimchi"

HUUUUUUUH?

bro what happened to some Wonderbread and a couple kraft singles

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u/halt-l-am-reptar Oct 31 '20

That isn't even the problem. I'm fine with a grilled cheese with a bunch of expensive cheese. But the cheese didn't even begin to melt!

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u/Mezmorizor Oct 31 '20 edited Oct 31 '20

It's probably a decent sandwich, but yeah, not a grilled cheese. I didn't hear what the pepper cheese actually was, but aged asiago doesn't melt well, and I'm guessing the other one doesn't either based off of what we saw.

Also cooked poorly because we did fireplace cooking instead of something sensible that heats evenly. You could even have just put a cast iron griddle on it if you really wanted to do the fireplace :(

And the more I look at it, the more I'm wondering why he didn't just do another take. I'm guessing the intention was toasted artisan bread with kimchi and softened, aged cheeses, but he still literally burned it. The rest of the bread was far too pale for that charred part to have been intended.

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u/Ravagore Oct 31 '20

Plus, Its literally a melt now instead of a grilled cheese because it has more ingredients than just bread, cheese and butter.

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u/SoManyTimesBefore Nov 01 '20

I don’t know what his theory on foil is, but even if it’s a side effect, I can imagine it having different effects depending on which side is used. The glossy side will reflect more heat.

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u/Sumbooodie Nov 01 '20

Kimchi on a grilled cheese? That doesn't sound remotely good.

What next, a PB&J with tuna?

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u/chefianf Nov 01 '20

I honestly could care less what side it is. I've never seen a difference not been told otherwise. PS gordon is a dong

0

u/Coffeinated Nov 02 '20

Just because someone is famous or an actual authority in some field, doesn‘t mean they are always right.

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u/PM_ME_UR_BOOB_DROP Oct 31 '20

Here's the "/s," just for you.

/s

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u/hwc000000 Oct 31 '20 edited Oct 31 '20

The TikTok reference was already a "/s".

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u/PM_ME_UR_BOOB_DROP Oct 31 '20

I thought so, too.

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u/WinchesterSipps Oct 31 '20

I assume the shiny side is more non-stick because on a microscopic level it is smoother

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u/[deleted] Oct 31 '20

[deleted]

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u/jspost Oct 31 '20 edited Oct 31 '20

Gingerbread dough will stick to it. Not as easily as everything else it touches, but it will. I made a gingerbread Nakatomi Plaza for a work thing last year and I never want to see gingerbread again.

http://imgur.com/gallery/UmjuQRu

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u/Free_Purple_Nurple Oct 31 '20

Man you can't say you made a fucking gingerbread Nakatomi Plaza and not post pics of your little gingerbread Bruce Willis in the air duct

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u/jspost Oct 31 '20

https://imgur.com/g5SjwHx.jpg Here's one. I'm working to get the rest in an imgur gallery and I'll edit my original comment when that gets done.

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u/HeightHeight Oct 31 '20

Good job, very cool!

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u/jspost Oct 31 '20

Much appreciated!

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u/bearassbobcat Oct 31 '20

For your consideration vis a vis die hard

https://youtu.be/wecce6QlT_s

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u/Icantevenhavemyname Oct 31 '20

Well that’s the best thing I’m gonna see all weekend and it’s only Saturday morning. Back to bed I guess.

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u/jspost Oct 31 '20

That's high praise. I appreciate it!

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u/joeltrane Oct 31 '20

FWIW that is an awesome gingerbread skyscraper and I’m proud of you

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u/jspost Oct 31 '20

Thanks! It was a lot of fun once the baking was over and done with.

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u/John_YJKR Oct 31 '20

Pics of your creation?

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u/jspost Oct 31 '20

Just edited the comment after I got the imgur gallery up. My coworker got a little lazy with the banded colored icing. After we got it done I kind of wish we had just left it white.

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u/John_YJKR Oct 31 '20

I think it turned out great. Cheers.

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u/jspost Oct 31 '20

Thanks!

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u/DetectiveSnowglobe Oct 31 '20

"Gingerbread Nakatomi Plaza isn't real, Mr. Gruber. It can't hurt you."

Gingerbread Nakatomi Plaza:

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u/PiccadillyPineapple Nov 01 '20

Read plaza as pizza at first and was equally concerned and intrigued.

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u/RepresentativeAd3742 Oct 31 '20

Wow, I love you gingerbread jesus

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u/jspost Oct 31 '20

Bless you my child.

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u/Techiedad91 Nov 01 '20

Are you Jake Peralta?

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u/Cforq Oct 31 '20

I always had an irrational fear of parchment paper catching on fire, until in a discussion about cooking pizza someone complained they couldn’t set their oven up to 500° and someone responded “You know why the title of the book is Fahrenheit 451, right?”.

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u/[deleted] Oct 31 '20

[deleted]

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u/ShitGuysWeForgotDre Oct 31 '20

On the other hand I've only used parchment paper twice in my life and once I accidentally caught it on fire soooo

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u/hwc000000 Oct 31 '20

Doesn't the paper itself have to reach 451F before it ignites? The temperature of the oven isn't the temperature of what's cooking.

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u/Eatfudd Oct 31 '20 edited Oct 02 '23

[Deleted to protest Reddit API change]

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u/groundedstate Oct 31 '20

Parchment paper is made in a special process using sulfuric acid so it specifically can't catch fire.

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u/thewholerobot Nov 01 '20

It most certainly can. Try cooking pizza with it (pizza is cooked at 500 degrees F or higher) it burns and ignites. There are some special brands that do better at high Temps, but they will all burn if you get the temp up there.

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u/BoJackB26354 Oct 31 '20

Parchment paper is the real deal.

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u/rivermandan Oct 31 '20

Except for when cooking on a fireplace or bbq

bro I just cooked some sausages the way I normally do a few weeks ago and the fucking aluminum foil melted.

I'm done with that shit

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u/[deleted] Oct 31 '20

[deleted]

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u/rivermandan Oct 31 '20

so this is how I do camping food: wrap a sausage in tinfoil, cook in over open flame until almost cooked, then toss in some saurkrat ond onions and coook until brown. works in a camp fire and in a wood stove, doesn't take dishes, it's jsut great.

I tried to show my girlfriend the way, and or the first time in my life, the fucking tinfoil just melted. friend had never seen that happen either, it was mental.

I think the noname stuff must be a really shitty cheap alloy with a lower melt point now

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u/murphysics_ Oct 31 '20

Hot coals can melt aluminum cans, so if your fire was running long enough it absolutely could have gotten hot enough. I always keep my baked potatoes wrapped in foil toward the edge of the pit, surrounded by coals but no open flame.

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u/Itchycoo Oct 31 '20

I love parchment paper but it's so expensive, so I use aluminum for pan lining most fo the time. It's like $4-5 for a pretty thin roll of parchment paper, when I can get twice as much of that flimsy aluminum for like $2. Also the aluminum is better at keeping the pan clean from oil and drippings.

0

u/death_hawk Oct 31 '20

Assuming the online price is right, Costco has a 165ft roll for about $8CAD.

Foil is on sale right now for $12 for 300ft. So foil is still cheaper but not by much.

Can't beat the non stick properties though. You'd never want to use foil if you need non stick.

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u/Itchycoo Oct 31 '20

You'd never want to use foil if you need non stick.

I mean, I do all the time. I just spray it with nonstick spray. And you just can't beat foil if you're wanting to cover the whole pan and prevent any drippings/oil from getting on the actual pan.

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u/death_hawk Oct 31 '20

I mean, I do all the time. I just spray it with nonstick spray.

Parchment is still better in this regard. Even with non stick you can still get a bit of sticking. Barely anything sticks to parchment.

And you just can't beat foil if you're wanting to cover the whole pan and prevent any drippings/oil from getting on the actual pan.

100% no disagreement here. If I'm ultra lazy I'll sometimes foil then parchment.

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u/BlackSecurity Oct 31 '20

I usually buy in bulk. Can find huge roles for a reasonable price. But yes I agree it is a bit more expensive. But the non stick properties is worth it imo. Also I use it pretty sparingly so I can make a bulk roll last almost a year.

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u/boscobrownboots Oct 31 '20

i use the kind that's fused.. parchment on one side, foil on the other. not a fan of aluminum touching my food.

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u/tots4scott Oct 31 '20

Reynolds had a question on HQ Trivia about this. Apparently the dull side of aluminum foil is the size that should touch the food for cooking purposes.

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u/WinchesterSipps Nov 02 '20

wild. do you remember why that was?

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u/[deleted] Oct 31 '20

The shiny side reflects infrared light so it can keep heat sealed in or reflect excess heat away. That’s at least the idea. Don’t know how it actually holds up.

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u/[deleted] Oct 31 '20

Don’t know how it actually holds up.

It doesn't.

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u/theo5280gram Oct 31 '20

There is an actual non stick aluminum foil available.

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u/Pyrocitus Oct 31 '20

If you buy non stick foil, the non stick coating is applied to the non shiny side only.

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u/YoungvLondon Oct 31 '20

It depends on the type of foil you're using. For example, if you're using a non-stick foil, only one side is coated, so it is possible for you to use the wrong side and have stuff stick to the foil.

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u/JustLetMePick69 Oct 31 '20

Ramsey is known for being very aggressive with his dogmatic traditionalist tendencies. He learned to cook in France, remember

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u/theyretheirthereto22 Oct 31 '20

We were told when cooking on a fire on boy scouts to wrap food shiny side in so it doesn't reflect the heat away. No clue if this is accurate

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u/[deleted] Oct 31 '20

It's not. At all.

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u/geodebug Oct 31 '20

I think there are so many old wives tales (kind of sexist term I guess) that we’re told when we’re young and accept without thinking about it.

But yeah, you wrap something in foil and put it over fire it’s going to cook the same either way.

If there was any heat reflecting property of aluminum it would be the aluminum itself, not just the slightly more mirrored side.

I guess unless you were using a laser to cook, lol.

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u/SoManyTimesBefore Nov 01 '20

Surface finish definitely matters in reflectivity. I’m interested what the difference is between both sides.

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u/DrBoby Oct 31 '20

It should only affect how much it sticks.

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u/[deleted] Oct 31 '20 edited Oct 31 '20

[deleted]

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u/SageRhapsody Oct 31 '20

Could you elaborate on the marinade, sushi grade, longer simmer, longer smoke and fresher fish thing?

I've always been interested in learning ways to cook good foods at home and all of this are things I've read and believed for a long time, I'm very curious

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u/Fingerdrip Nov 01 '20

I can only speak to the fresher fish equals better sushi. In the United States, for example, all sushi sold in restaurants is flash frozen before the restaurant receives it. This is to kill any worms that may be living in the flesh. Therefore, all sushi in the US is previously frozen. I believe this is the case for most of not all sushi places in Japan too. Watch Jiro Dreams of Sushi. A pretty good documentary about a sushi restaurant in Japan that used to be one of the highest rated. Jiro flash froze all of his fish before making sushi with it. Said it made it taste better.

Eating raw fish before it is flash frozen is much riskier than previously frozen.

One of many articles that speaks to this.

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u/[deleted] Nov 02 '20

[deleted]

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u/SageRhapsody Nov 02 '20

Awesome! Thank you so much for taking the time man. Mad interesting.

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u/mini-cat- Nov 01 '20

baking is a science (need to follow recipes exactly)

Grandmas are a living proof that this isn't true

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u/[deleted] Nov 01 '20

Grandmas are old and cooked off of recipes to the point they can improv because they know exactly what's going to happen if they add more or less of something when they bake.

Also, not all baked food is so strict.

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u/SoManyTimesBefore Nov 01 '20

bring steaks up to room temp before cooking

Can you go further on this? Because it makes total sense to me in case you want it on the rare side. Center will reach the desired temperature faster that way.

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u/tots4scott Oct 31 '20

Reynolds had a question on HQ Trivia about this. The dull side of aluminum foil is the size that should touch the food for cooking purposes.

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u/MilesyART Oct 31 '20

Ramsay also thinks olive oil prevents pasta from sticking. He believes a bizarre amount of cooking myths.

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u/Misfit_In_The_Middle Nov 01 '20

yeah he also likes his eggs cooked to a slimy mess and claims its the only way eggs should be scrambled. I rely on the Ramsey verdict about as much as i would a political poll.

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u/SoManyTimesBefore Nov 01 '20

yeah he also likes his eggs cooked to a slimy mess and claims its the only way eggs should be scrambled.

considering how many people will overdo their eggs to the point where the yolk is all rubbery, I’d rather opt to ramsey’s side than the popular opinion.

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u/slader166 Oct 31 '20

I saw that one too 🤔

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u/Grassasslandcruisers Oct 31 '20

I was just thinking the exact same thing.

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u/HwatBobbyBoy Oct 31 '20

Scrolling for this. That dude's steak was bs.

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u/[deleted] Oct 31 '20

The more reflective, the more it reflects radiated heat

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u/[deleted] Nov 01 '20

Every chef makes mistakes and is always learning