For most parchment paper, both sides are exactly the same and are treated with non-stick silicone, meaning you can place either side down on the pan.
For the best non-stick results, place the shiny or glossy side facing up toward your food.
For most modern parchment paper, both sides are coated with silicone and are equally non-stick, meaning there is no right or wrong side.
Which Side Goes Up? Here's the good news: most parchment paper is coated on both sides. “I can't speak for other brands, but our parchment—both the roll and sheets—is double sided meaning you can use either side,” Jenna Davis, director of brand marketing at If You Care, explained in an email.
When using parchment paper, always keep the shiny side facing up toward the food. This side is coated with food-safe silicone, providing the non-stick surface needed to keep cookies and pastries from sticking. The duller side is the uncoated paper.
For parchment paper, it generally does not matter whether the shiny side faces up or down. Most modern brands feature a nonstick silicone coating on both sides, making it universally reversible.
Although parchment never stopped being used (primarily for governmental documents and diplomas) it had ceased to be a primary choice for artists' supports by the end of the 15th century Renaissance. This was partly due to its expense and partly due to its unusual working properties.
Most premium parchment paper brands feature a non-stick silicone coating on both sides, meaning you can use either side. However, some cheaper, store-brand options are only coated on one side, meaning only one side is non-stick.
Parchment paper is a silicone-coated, heat-resistant paper used to create a non-stick surface. It eliminates the need to grease pans, ensures sticky treats release cleanly, and makes cleanup a breeze.
Parchment paper can pose health, safety, and environmental issues, primarily because of how it is manufactured and used.
When lining a pan with parchment paper, make sure the shiny side shines up at you. Facing the shiny side up is necessary for the nonstick factor that helps avoid damaged desserts and makes this kitchen tool so dear to many.
Wax paper has a wax coating, which means it can only be used at room temperature or for storage in your fridge or freezer. Parchment paper doesn't have this coating and is heat resistant, so it can be used in your oven. The table below provides an overview of wax paper vs.
For most parchment paper, both sides are exactly the same and are treated with non-stick silicone, meaning you can place either side down on the pan.
When using parchment paper for cookies, make sure it doesn't hang over the edges or touch the oven walls to avoid burning it. If you're baking big batches of cookies, you can re-use your parchment paper sheets up to three times.
The answer is usually no. Since parchment paper boasts an inherent non-stick property thanks to its silicone coating, additional sprays or greasing are often redundant. However, a light spritz of cooking spray doesn't hurt your super sticky and syrupy bakes, like toffee desserts or food with loads of melty cheeses.
Parchment paper can pose toxicity concerns depending on how it is manufactured and the coatings applied to it. The primary risks stem from three specific factors:
They stopped making true tin foil in the 1940s because aluminum was cheaper, lighter, more durable, and—crucially—did not leave a metallic aftertaste on food. Although true tin foil hasn't been produced for nearly a century, the name "tin foil" stuck around out of habit.
Parchment paper is a well-loved kitchen essential for professional and home chefs and bakers alike.
For most premium parchment paper brands, there is no top or bottom; both sides are coated in non-stick silicone and can be used interchangeably.
You do not have to wet parchment paper, but doing so makes it incredibly easy to mold into pans, Dutch ovens, and bowls. Wetting eliminates stubborn curling and keeps the paper from fighting you while you pour in your batter or dough.
For the best non-stick results, place the shiny or glossy side facing up toward your food.
You should place the shiny side up on your baking sheet for the best non-stick performance, as the silicone coating that repels food is usually on that side, making cleanup easier, though some brands are coated on both sides, and in that case, it doesn't matter which side you use.
Segedie's top recommendation is to opt for uncoated parchment paper. Uncoated parchment paper can also safely be used again and again without leaching toxic substances and remains also one of the safest toxic-free choices for take-along food (like lunchbox sandwiches) and food storage.