What's the difference between using aluminum foil and saran wrap?

Question

I am covering a pasta salad i made. Is one better to use than the other or does it matter?

Is one supposed to be used for certain items and the other for other items?

Answer 1

Aluminum foil is good if you want to cook in it. Saran Wrap makes a tighter seal.

Answer 2

Some aluminum foils can give certain foods a different taste (my experience) Saran wrap tends to hold better to glassware, as foil is good in freezer type situations. In my past experience, you should buy the name brand stuff in both Saran wrap and Reynolds foil. My "dollar store" tryouts were disasters.

Answer 3

Foil tends to flake after a couple of days and can get in the food and alluminum was suspected of contributing to dementia.So i would use saran wrap for contact with the food for making an air tight seal, and foil over that to add shape and strength.

Answer 4

You can't use foil in a microwave which is a big difference.

To me things in the fridge or freezer are easier to identify with saran wrap since you can see through but otherwise I don't see much difference.

Of course, it would be a good idea to compare the price. I would guess that saran wrap would be more expensive.

Answer 5

Plastic wrap is less expensive than aluminium foil and makes a more air tight seal for refrigerating salads, etc. Aluminum foil is good to cover foods you are cooking in the oven. To cover a salad in the fridge, for a few hours - it doesan't matter which you use.
A secret I will share is that when we braise foods in our commercial convection oven, we cover them with plastic wrap with an overlay of foil. If you know how to braise, this works wonderfully.

Answer 6

One is made of foil and the other a clear plastic wrap.

I like to wrap leftover meats in foil and then use saran wrap as a lid because I tend to lose the lids quite often

Answer 7

aluminum foil is used to keep cold things that are out of the freezer/frige cold (i.e. water bottles..) and used to keep hot things that are out of the oven/ microwave hot (i.e. lasagna or other hot items that are ready to eat but your dinner guests will be late..)

saran wrap is to cover things so no smell/dust will go on the food.. like when you put things in the fridge without saran wrap there will be a horrible smell of all different types of food squished together or old chinese or sumthing.. also if leave the food out on the counter/table without saran wrap dust could have went on the food

Answer 8

saran wrap if applied properly creates an air tight environment to refridgerate or freeze with and can be microwaved, but not put into a conventional oven, however break the seal first and leave a little opening for steam

foil is not air tight, although close, but if you freeze, foil wrapped products can go directly from the freezer/fridge into a heated conventional oven....but not a microwave

Answer 9

i like aluminum foil .. i like that it will fit around the container better and i never really use plastic wrap if i did i would use it to put underneath something and ONLY with cold foods

the plastic wrap works like the foil but the food that has a plastic covering can spoil quicker the that with the foil - stick with foil .. it is better and you can get it at a dollar store and it still works great ...dollar store plastic wrap is a waste of time

i hope i helped!

Answer 10

I would use plastic wrap.

I generally use foil to keep something hot while I finish with something else. Shiny-side down, it holds in heat. I also use it in baking for various things. The shiny side reflects heat.

Plastic wrap is good for covering things for storage. Foil can react with some foods, like tomatoes. Plastic wrap also forms a much better seal to keep out air and surrounding nasties.