What You Should Use Instead Of Aluminum Foil For Your Grill

Though it's a go-to kitchen and cooking essential for many, when it comes to outdoor grilling, aluminum foil may not be the most budget or earth-friendly choice compared to other options — and it's not that great for your grill, either. 

A simple solution to keeping small veggies from slipping through the grates, food from sticking to the grill, and easy clean up (just ball it up and toss), aluminum foil has some big disadvantages you should consider before lighting up your grill. While yes, something like a grill basket, cast-iron skillet, or lidded metal cookware will cost you more upfront, you'll save money in the long run by not repurchasing these over and over again. And not only is this a smarter way to spend your money, but choosing one of these reusable options instead of disposable aluminum foil is more eco-friendly, so you'll be doing the environment a favor as well as your bank account.

So you know that aluminum foil is more expensive in the long run than a reusable option and worse for the environment, but you're considering turning to it anyway to avoid a laborious cleanup. Though you may have been told to clean your grill by covering the grates with foil and leaving it on high heat, in addition to being wasteful, Weber explains this method can impede ventilation and damage your grill's internal components, meaning you could end up spending a lot more than just what it costs to replenish your aluminum foil roll.

But cooking directly on the grill or using a grill basket doesn't have to mean spending hours scrubbing and removing seared-on drips and spills. A simple solution is to prep it with cooking spray or cooking oil. For gas grills, avoid fire danger by turning off the gas supply or removing the grates before spraying.

It can be hard to kick long-held kitchen habits, but when it comes to aluminum foil, consider a more economical, environmentally-friendly option before you fire up that grill!