I had a discussion over the holidays about aluminum foil and how I prefer to use the sheet rolls versus the pre-cut styles.  One of my family members tried to tell me that the two different sides of aluminum foil are intended for different uses while cooking.  I called BS - foil is foil.  Then, because our phones are always listening and trying to sell us things based on what we say (my tin foil cap conspiracy theory!) I started seeing ads for Reynolds Wrap foil and then, Facebook Reels with foil in it.  Scary stuff!  Side note - my step-dad Rick has a foil ball he started it covid and it's been going ever since.  It probably weighs around 20 pounds right now!  Check this thing out:

So, down the rabbit hole I went - watching videos.  Video after video, I saw people claim that one side of the foil does one thing and the other side does something different.  If you have never looked closely at foil - go grab it from your pantry and rip off a sheet.  What you'll see is one side is shiny - like reflective and shiny, whereas the other is dull and gray-ish.  I couldn't wrap my mind around the idea that the side of foil would really have any impact on cooking.  My family member tried to tell me that the shiny side reflects and the dull side absorbs.  I still said no freaking way would it matter which side was up when baking.  It was a rather lengthy discussion and I needed to know I was right so they can read about it here :)

A bit about foil - did you know it is used by over 320 million Americans each year?  It's primarily used to line sheet trays or to cover food while roasting.   Foil was first invented in 1910 when it was invented in Switzerland.  Each year, over 800,000 tons are produced here in the US for consumer and restaurant use.  Around 75% is used for packaging foods, cosmetics, chemical products and cooking, whereas 25% is for industrial applications such as thermal insulation, cabling, and electronics.

So I got online and went to the Reynolds Wrap site to find the answer:  Does it matter which side of foil you use?  The answer is....NO!

The two foil finishes, which are actually "matte" and "gloss" according to the manufacturer, are a result of the foil interacting with the foil roller during manufacturing.  Their official statement is:

"With standard and heavy-duty foil, it's perfectly fine to place your food on either side so you can decide if you prefer to have the shiny or dull side facing out."

So, there you go!  Use whatever side you want and your food will be the exact same!