If you can’t use
aluminum foil in the bottom of your oven, what should you use instead? If you want to avoid cleaning up caked-on drips and spills, there are a few things you can do:
Put an empty baking dish on the rack below the food you are cooking. It will catch drips and make clean-up easier.
Use a silicone oven liner on your cooking racks. These heat-resistant, non-reflective accessories will help you keep your oven clean without interfering with cook times. Be aware that oven liners are only suitable for electric or convection ovens and should never be placed on the bottom of the oven. You should not use oven liners in gas ovens, microwaves or countertop microwave ovens.
If you’re looking for alternatives to using
aluminum foil on baking sheets, consider parchment paper. It is non-reflective and won’t scratch non-stick surfaces.
Before using parchment paper, it is important to review the manufacturer’s recommendation for max parchment bake temperatures. Generally speaking, parchment paper should never touch the sides of your oven or be used for intense radiant cooking functions over 450 degrees (i.e. broiling). Additionally, do not use parchment paper in gas ovens with an exposed flame.
If you’ve used
aluminum foil in your oven in the past, you may want to make sure it didn’t affect the heating elements. Take some time to calibrate your oven, and schedule service if you think something is amiss.