Aluminum is the most abundant element on earth, and since 1940, aluminum has been popular in many household and professional kitchens. Cookware and foil made from aluminum are durable and withstand high temperatures. But what about aluminum foil in an oven?
You can put aluminum foil in the oven without worry, as it is typically able to withstand the highest temperatures that most residential ovens can reach. Foil is commonly used in the oven to line baking sheets, wrap up food, retain moisture, or as disposable pans and trays. It should never be used to line the bottom of the oven, as this could damage the oven and the food in numerous ways.
There are many things to consider when it comes to putting aluminum foil in the oven such as the location of the foil and what type of food it comes into contact with. In this article, we’ve laid out a guide for cooks that use aluminum foil for baking and roasting.
Is It Safe To Put Aluminum Foil In an Oven?
It is safe to put aluminum foil in the oven. There are some cases where lining the oven in aluminum foil could harm the oven. However, using aluminum foil to cover food in a roasting pan for one-time use is perfectly safe.
Some recipes for cookies, baked fish, or roasted vegetables call for parchment paper. If you don’t have any parchment paper on hand but have a roll of aluminum foil, you may be wondering if the aluminum foil is a good substitute.
Read more here to discern the difference between the two and decide what works best for you.
According to the World Health Organization, food that already contains aluminum will contain 375% more aluminum after being cooked in aluminum foil than it was in its pre-cooked state.
Excess aluminum consumption over a long period of time poses a health risk to sensitive populations who already struggle with bone, muscle, and kidney issues.
You may have heard that aluminum foil use can lead to Alzheimer’s, but there is no research currently showing a relationship between aluminum foil use and mental decay.
According to the Alzheimer’s Society based in the UK, only 1% of the aluminum found in the body can be traced back to aluminum absorption from food and drink.
Convection ovens are most commonly used in household kitchens, and any reference to an oven in this article is referring to a convection oven.
Microwave ovens are not suitable for aluminum foil. Read more here if you are wondering whether or not you can use aluminum foil in your dehydrator which acts as a low-heat oven.
4 Ways To Use Aluminum Foil In the Oven
There are many different ways to use aluminum foil in practical culinary applications. However, we’ve broken down the most relevant uses for cooking at home. Below you will find safe ways to use aluminum foil in the oven.
#1: Cover Food
Aluminum foil can be used to cover pans of all shapes and sizes. It can also be used to wrap whole pieces of food for roasting or baking.
Different types of pans that can be wrapped in aluminum foil are sheet pans, casserole dishes, and roasting pans. When covering a dish with aluminum like a lid, secure the foil tightly enough over the dish so that it does not come off in the oven during cooking.
Covering food with aluminum foil is useful for holding moisture in a dish such as a casserole, fish filet, or roast. The foil protects the top of the food from burning. Certain recipes may call for an aluminum cover with holes poked in it to let the steam escape.
Aluminum foil should never be placed loosely in an oven, even if it is wrapping an individual piece of food like a baked potato. Always place food items wrapped in foil on a durable piece of kitchen equipment made for the oven such as a baking sheet or roasting pan.
#2: Line Baking Sheets & Pans
When proteins and sugars are heated, they produce a natural golden brown skin from the process of Maillard Reaction or caramelization, respectively.
This brown matter from the Maillard Reaction sticks to the surface of the pan and creates fond, the delicious but sticky substance that is difficult to clean.
To reduce fond from sticking to the bottom of a baking sheet, you can line the pan with a piece of aluminum foil. For example, when roasting chopped potatoes drizzled in oil, the sheet pan would be lined with foil prior to putting the potatoes on the pan.
Lining a deep dish pan before baking a casserole is another safe way to reduce time during clean-up. Note that there still may be some residual grease on the bottom of the pan afterward, but nothing too difficult to scrape off.
When lining a baking sheet or roasting pan, make sure the entire piece of aluminum foil is intact on the pan. Using smaller pieces of foil could possibly cause contamination if the foil were to break off onto the food.
#3: Catch Grease Drippings
There are certain cases when roasting a large piece of meat in the oven would cause grease to drip down to the bottom of the oven.
This could cause long-term damage to the oven or a messy clean-up for later. At its worst, grease drippings could cause a small fire inside the oven.
To avoid this, aluminum foil is commonly used to catch grease. However, foil should never be placed loosely on an oven rack or at the bottom of the oven. It should be wrapped around a baking sheet, dripping pan, or roasting pan first.
#4: Soften Hard Clumps of Brown Sugar
When you need brown sugar in a pinch and don’t have the energy to break up the clumps by hand, you can wrap the large piece of hardened sugar in aluminum foil.
Then place the wrapped sugar on a baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes. This will help the sugar become loose and malleable. Cool any leftover sugar completely before storing it in a container.
What To Avoid When Using Aluminum Foil In the Oven
To err on the side of caution, there are some aluminum foil techniques and applications that should be avoided in the oven. This list may clear up some common misconceptions about when it is safe to use aluminum foil.
#1: Do Not Use Aluminum Foil When Cooking Acidic Foods
There are certain foods that are not safe when cooked in aluminum foil. Highly acidic foods should be avoided. The acid in the food can break down the metal found in aluminum and transfer it to the body. Examples of these foods are listed below.
- Lemons
- Limes
- Plums
- Grapes
- Grapefruit
- Blueberries
- Pineapple
- Oranges
- Peaches
- Tomatoes
- Vinegar
Note that while the above foods are rarely roasted individually, they may be a component of a dish that would be roasted in an oven. Take extra caution when reviewing a recipe that contains an acidic food and also calls for aluminum foil during cooking.
#3: Do Not Use Aluminum Foil to Line Oven Racks
When someone temporarily lines an oven rack with aluminum foil, they have the best intentions of creating a natural net to catch food scraps.
However, they just are causing the uneven cooking of their food by blocking the airflow required of a convection oven.
Convection ovens operate to heat food evenly from all sides. Imagine an arrow containing hot air traveling clockwise in a circular motion around a food item to heat it on the top, bottom, and sides.
If the foil was directly below the food item in the oven, it would prevent the hot air from properly heating the bottom of the food.
Why Does My Oven Say “Do Not Use Foil?”
If your oven’s manufacturer’s recommendations state that foil should not be used, it means that foil should not line the bottoms, sides, or racks of the oven. Aluminum foil is perfectly safe to use when it’s wrapped around foods or baking pans as stated above.
What Temperatures Can Aluminum Foil Withstand?
The melting point for aluminum foil is 1220 degrees Fahrenheit. Most regular household convection ovens will not reach more than 500 degrees Fahrenheit, making them safe for aluminum foil.
Ovens that may be able to reach temperatures above 1000 degrees Fahrenheit such as pizza ovens are not safe for aluminum foil.
Butane torches, which are popular for browning foods such as creme brulee, should be kept away from aluminum foil, as they can reach up to 2600 degrees Fahrenheit.
Because aluminum is a conductor, it can be used to start a fire in a survival situation. Chances you won’t start a fire with aluminum foil in a home kitchen unless you have it set up to conduct energy between a piece of cotton and a AA battery.
Should the Shiny or Dull Side of the Aluminum Foil Be Up In the Oven?
The two sides of aluminum foil can be distinguished by a shiny side and a dull side. Does it matter which side is face-up during cooking?
According to recent studies, when using regular aluminum foil, it does not matter if the shiny side is facing the oven or facing the food. However, some people swear that the shiny side reflects more heat and could alter the cooking process.
Note that there is a “right” and “wrong” side of foil if you buy the non-stick aluminum foil. The dull side should be imprinted with the non-stick symbol and placed face-up on the baking sheet.