The Shiny Side of Aluminum Foil Has Been Confusing Me for Years

The shiny side looks like it should reflect heat.

The dull side looks like it should absorb heat.

That seems logical.

If something is shiny, surely it’s reflecting something.

If something is dull, surely it behaves differently.

And that sounds reasonable enough that you could build an entire kitchen theory around it.

Except there’s a problem:

The difference between the two sides isn’t actually because they’re made from different materials.

They’re both aluminum foil.

So why do they look different?


The Answer Is Surprisingly Simple

The two sides look different