If you have been cooking and baking for a long time, you know the importance of aluminum foil in the kitchen. It is useful for so many things – from baking potatoes and roasting veggies to baking brownies, wrapping sandwiches and covering dishes in the freezer.
Some of you have asked whether aluminum foil can be put into a roaster oven. Keep reading because we’re here to answer that for you!
What exactly is a roaster oven?
A roaster oven is different from a conventional oven in a few ways. While they both cook with dry heat, they are different in size and features. Roaster ovens are smaller so they need less preheating and therefore use less electricity.
A roaster oven’s enclosed structure locks in the meat’s moisture content without the need for continual basting. Also, a roaster oven is small and compact enough to make it portable. You can pack it away into a cupboard after use or take it with you on holiday.
Despite these advantages, a roaster oven is pretty much only good for…roasting! You cannot cook anything soft or dough-based in it like cake because it doesn’t have racks like a conventional oven.
Instead, the food is suspended over the heat source on a rod. That said, there are different types of roaster ovens and some do come with a rack to put baked goods on.
In this case, the only real difference between a roaster oven and a conventional one is its smaller size.
Can You Put Aluminum Foil In A Roaster Oven?
While it’s perfectly safe to put foil in an oven if it’s around the dishes or lining them, it’s not a good idea to put the foil against the elements or to line the oven surfaces.
That’s because the foil isn’t able to stand the high temperatures and may permanently damage the oven. Even more, the reflected heat can damage the heating elements.
However, you can use aluminum foil for lining baking pans. This lining will promise easier cleanup because the food will stick to it, rather than the pan.
Bottom Side
This is one of the most common ways of using aluminum foil in the roaster oven. This is because it can easily catch the dripping liquid or food to ensure the bottom pan stays clean. However, we don’t encourage putting foil at the bottom of the oven, for the reasons outlined above.
Bottom Of The Oven Rack
People tend to line the bottom rack with foil to ensure that excess liquid and food are caught. This is a safer approach compared to the first one. However, this one can lead to uneven heating.
This is because roaster ovens demand streamlined airflow, and the covered rack will adversely impact the airflow. So, don’t use this trick if you want an evenly-cooked meal!
Wrapping It Around Food
We are pretty sure that you have tried wrapping veggies, garlic bread, and meat in aluminum foil before roasting them to contain the moisture and help things cook evenly.
This is a completely safe approach, even if you put the wrapped items in your roaster oven. If you want your food to be crispy though, don’t wrap it as the foil locks in the moisture, causing the food to steam.
Rack
With this method, people wrap the oven rack with aluminum foil and put food directly onto the foil. This is useful for small pieces of fish, slices of vegetables, or patties.
It is safe for the oven, but if the foil rips, the food will fall into the oven. If you’re going to do this, use heavy-duty extra-thick foil and make sure that you add two layers of it. Once the food is cooked, simply throw the foil away.
What About Aluminum Pans?
Aluminum pans are very convenient because, while some see them as disposable, they can be reused if you don’t mind washing them. They are safe to use in a roaster oven (and in a microwave) and discarded or recycled as you prefer.
To Conclude
Hopefully, this has cleared up your questions about using foil in the roaster oven. While it may impede the free flow of air around the food if used as an oven lining, it is perfectly safe to wrap around your food or line the oven rack with.