If metal conducts heat better than paper, why do taquerias wrap hot burritos in tin foil rather than something more insulating like paper?

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If metal conducts heat better than paper, why do taquerias wrap hot burritos in tin foil rather than something more insulating like paper?

In: Chemistry

3 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

There is a couple of reason I would wrap food in tin foil instead of paper.

One is that paper can absorb and let moisture through but tin foil does not. Keeping water from evaporating is a major part of keeping them warm. You can have waxed paper do not let moisture through.

Another reason is that tin foil when you bend it likes to keep the new shape. So you can wrap it around the food and it kept the shape. You can also crumble the edge bit and you have closed it and nothing else is needed. For paper, tape would be needed so another step is needed and it is harder to open it.

The way you can fold and tear the foil can be an advantage when you eat it.

Foil might be more conducive than paper but as others have stated it reflects infrared light.

The main reason you wrap food is to stop convection with hot air rising from the food, foil does that better than paper.

So it might be more conductive but I have another advantage that might it the better or just simpler option.

Anonymous 0 Comments

It’s probably cheaper to get a big roll of tin foil than individual pre-cut parchment paper.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Foils also reflect heat back inside. Since the foil is very thin and therefore can’t absorb that much heat, it doesn’t conduct as much heat away as it keeps heat in.