# Tin foil question **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 3, 2008, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tin-foil-question/475592 "2008-12-03T23:50:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SpecialAgentJem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@SpecialAgentJem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpecialAgentJem)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tin-foil-question/475592/1 "2008-12-03T23:50:17Z")
I’m having a debate with my flatmate… Which way up does the tin foil go on the baking tray - Shiny side up or, Shiny side down? Or does it even matter?! Which way up do you place your tin foil? I place mine shiny side down (just in case you were interested! 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tin-foil-question/475592/2 "2008-12-04T00:03:40Z")
According to [Cecil Adams](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1135/should-a-baking-potato-be-wrapped-in-foil-shiny-side-in-or-shiny-side-out), it doesn’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![ASAKMOTSD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tin-foil-question/475592/3 "2008-12-04T00:52:10Z")
But does that apply to hats? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tin-foil-question/475592/4 "2008-12-04T01:00:58Z")
> [@ASAKMOTSD](#): > > But does that apply to hats? To block mind control rays, the shiny side faces out. [Cite.](http://www.ehow.com/how_2049858_make-tinfoil-hat.html) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tin-foil-question/475592/5 "2008-12-04T01:04:01Z")
You’re lining the baking tray with the foil for easy cleanup, I assume? In that case, you should do shiny side down. Shiny side up will reflect slightly more heat back up into the food you’re cooking, increasing the chance of burning the bottom. Although I’m sure in practice it’s such a small difference it doesn’t really matter. ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tin-foil-question/475592/6 "2008-12-04T01:05:37Z")
You’re not making a hat, are you? ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tin-foil-question/475592/7 "2008-12-04T02:59:21Z")
Check these folks out. They can help. > **[Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie](https://zapatopi.net/afdb/)** > > Information about psychotronic mind control blockage using an Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tin-foil-question/475592/8 "2008-12-04T03:13:37Z")
Almost never makes a difference. It’s shiny on one side and dull on the other because two sheets are run at once on the manufacturing line, back to back. The side where the sheets touch is the dull side, IIRC. I can think of one time when Alton Brown specified a side, and that was making his ribs: “Place each slab of baby back ribs on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, shiny side down.” (quote from the [Food Network recipe](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/who-loves-ya-baby-back-recipe/index.html), not the show itself.) In this particular case, I’m almost certain he said it was to slow the radiant heat (only one of the forms of heat an oven puts out) so that the ribs didn’t cook too quickly. Most of the time, though, even AB says it doesn’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tin-foil-question/475592/9 "2009-07-13T02:50:39Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > I can think of one time when Alton Brown specified a side, and that was making his ribs: “Place each slab of baby back ribs on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, shiny side down.” (quote from the [Food Network recipe](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/who-loves-ya-baby-back-recipe/index.html), not the show itself.) In this particular case, I’m almost certain he said it was to slow the radiant heat (only one of the forms of heat an oven puts out) so that the ribs didn’t cook too quickly. > > Most of the time, though, even AB says it doesn’t matter. Well, I have something to add tonight. My son cooked multiple slabs of ribs tonight. He cooked them using AB’s recipe. He used shiny side **down** for three slabs. They came out gorgeous browned. He cooked one slab shiny side **up**. It came out with _no hint of any browning_. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tin-foil-question/475592/10 "2009-07-13T02:54:06Z")
OK, so what side do zombies prefer? ---
**Author:** ![Debon\_Err](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ea924/32.png) [@Debon\_Err](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debon_Err)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tin-foil-question/475592/11 "2009-07-13T03:31:54Z")
Brains! ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tin-foil-question/475592/12 "2009-07-13T12:46:44Z")
Damn, is it safe to kill a zombie if a fellow mod brought it back from the dead? Guess we’ll find out. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tin-foil-question/475592/13 "2009-07-13T14:28:16Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Damn, is it safe to kill a zombie if a fellow mod brought it back from the dead? > > Guess we’ll find out. Apparently not – reopened. Ooh look, shiny! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tin-foil-question/475592/14 "2009-07-13T15:29:14Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Well, I have something to add tonight. > > My son cooked multiple slabs of ribs tonight. He cooked them using AB’s recipe. He used shiny side **down** for three slabs. They came out gorgeous browned. He cooked one slab shiny side **up**. It came out with _no hint of any browning_. Foiled again! ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tin-foil-question/475592/15 "2009-07-13T17:26:55Z")
Yeah, I read this one in the \*Imponderables \*series years ago and the consensus in that book was that you’re ALL right! Every last one of you, no matter what you’re arguing! (Sort of.) Or, as the book put it: 1) there IS a difference between shiny and dull and 2) the difference is so miniscule that you need laboratory instruments to measure it. You, or your flatmate, or both, need to find something else to worry about. Like how the other party loads the dishwasher totally wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tin-foil-question/475592/16 "2009-07-13T17:36:59Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Ooh look, shiny! An intriguing comment, in view of the thread topic! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tin-foil-question/475592/17 "2009-07-13T18:12:36Z")
This is all very boring stuff. I know: let’s hijack this thread into an argumentative, name-calling, frothing-at-the mouth screed about whether it should be aluminum or aluminium foil. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tin-foil-question/475592/18 "2009-07-13T18:14:12Z")
> [@ASAKMOTSD](#): > > But does that apply to hats? Foil hats aren’t a problem: you just don’t want to get your asshat on upside down.