5 Ways To Reuse Aluminum Foil In The Kitchen

Aluminum foil is just one of those things every kitchen should — and likely does — have. It can be used for cooking, roasting, baking, and aiding in a quick and painless cleanup, but did you know you can actually wash and reuse your aluminum foil, too? Beyond the traditional uses, there are plenty of clever aluminum foil hacks to get a little extra juice out of that shiny roll.

But, before you reuse it, you'll want to ensure its properly cleaned. That foil you used to catch hard, caked-on, caramelized drippings from a batch of roasted sweet potatoes likely won't be redeemable, but foil used to line a pan when baking cookies has lots of life left in it. You can easily hand wash used aluminum foil by soaking it in a bit of warm, soapy water to help lift or dissolve any stuck-on food particles.

Once the bigger chunks have been softened, gently wipe away any remaining grease or food bits until the foil has been restored to its former glory. Press it flat to remove any wrinkles and manually dry with paper towels or a hand towel or let air dry. You now have a perfectly pre-loved piece of foil that can be used for all kinds of things beyond just cooking — and here are some of the best ways.

One of the more unique ways to reuse aluminum foil is for polishing precious metals. Silver cutlery and even jewelry can be polished to perfection with the help of a little aluminum foil. Yes, even if you just used that same foil to wrap up leftovers from last night's dinner. So long as the foil is properly cleaned, you're good to go. And, not that it needs to be said, but foil used for raw meat should never be reused.

To polish silverware with aluminum foil, grab a plastic or glass container that's large enough to hold all the cutlery and line it with the foil shiny side up. Cover the cutlery with boiling water until it is fully submerged and toss in a few tablespoons of baking soda (two tablespoons come recommended for every liter of boiling water needed).

Let this sit for a few minutes until you can see the silverware is revived and shiny. You may need to gently wipe a bit of leftover tarnish off, but this foil trick takes most of the elbow-grease out of the process. In the end, you're left with sparkling silver cutlery.

Cast iron pans, grill grates, and glass or ceramic baking dishes can all be cleaned with balled up aluminum foil. The best part about reusing aluminum foil this way is it doesn't need to be perfectly cleaned in order to be effective, as you're mostly relying on the foil's firm and almost sharp texture to physically remove grime and food particles from your cookware.

If you're cleaning glass or ceramic, simply ball up your used aluminum foil, fill the dish with a bit of warm water and soap, and use the ball of foil to gently scrub away stuck food just like you would with a sponge or scrubber. To clean grill grates with aluminum foil, ball up your foil and firmly run it along the warm grates to lift the solid gunk and bigger chunks of food, taking care not to burn yourself.

This isn't going to do much in terms of the grease that can be left clinging to the grates after a backyard barbecue, so it works best as prep before scrubbing with a grill brush. For cleaning a cast-iron pan with aluminum foil, the process is about the same. The balled-up foil scrubs away food without harming the metal pan. It even removes rust so that you can keep your cast iron in pristine condition thanks to a chemical reaction between the rust and the foil.

Making a cheesecake from scratch can be a delicate dance that typically requires a water bath to bake properly. If you've ever struggled with a leaky springform pan that left you with a damp and soggy cheesecake, you can reuse aluminum foil to prevent a recurring disaster.

A water bath helps a cheesecake cook evenly without drying up in your oven. In fact, it's an essential step in making the perfect cheesecake. But springform pans can be prone to leaking, so reinforcing the bottoms and sides of the pan with some aluminum foil is a simple and effective way to prevent unwanted moisture from getting in. It also offers the most use out of your pre-used foil.

Simply wrap the bottom of the pan in a layer of foil to create a seal that keeps water out of your cheesecake. Because you're using used foil, do a quick scan for any holes or tears before repurposing it in this way and keep in mind that you may need to use a few pieces of foil to fully cover the bottom of the pan.

This one may seem like a bit of a no-brainer but using aluminum foil to line your air fryer or instant pot can be one of the best ways to repurpose any used foil you might have on hand. It makes cleanup easy and can even help certain foods cook better, but there is some nuance that can be applied to get the most out of this hack.

If you're lining your air fryer with foil, make sure that the air is still able to circulate throughout the fryer's chamber. Part of what makes air fryers so great is that they get a nearly 360-degree heat distribution around whatever you're cooking. So, unless you're reheating leftovers that are tightly wrapped in foil or cooking something saucy, the reused aluminum foil could potentially hinder your air fryer's abilities.

With an instant pot, you'll want to avoid lining your pot with aluminum foil if you're cooking acidic foods (such as anything with a tomato base) or anything that's super saucy like soup or pasta. One of the best ways to use aluminum foil in your slow cooker is to wrap your protein in it and rest it on top of whatever else is cooking for a simple one-pot process.

One of the most ingenious ways to reuse old aluminum foil is to turn your favorite sauté pan into a replacement for your microwave. That's right, you can reheat leftovers with the power of steam — and it's a million times better than nuking them in your microwave.

To do this, take bits of your old aluminum foil and roll them up into three or four balls before placing them in the center of your sauté pan in a uniform pattern. Rest your bowl or plate of leftovers on top of the aluminum, and then carefully fill the bottom of the pan with an inch or two of water. Not so much that the aluminum foil is submerged (or the dish is touching), but enough that it won't evaporate before your food is adequately warmed.

After this, cover everything with the pan lid and warm at a low to medium heat until your food is heated all the way through. It's so simple that it may just change how you heat up leftovers forever.