What's More Frugal?

[tigger_too_wooh]

This could be considered "another" philosophical question if you would like, but...


As I was cleaning up after making lunch for my kiddos, I was wondering... what is more frugal- lining your baking tray with aluminum foil so you don't have to wash the pan? or not lining the pan with the foil and washing the pan?


What do you thinK?

 

[DanC]

line it with foil, the wash and reuse the foil.

 

[Bleaux]

Frugal would be reusing the foil. Not washing the tray is just a time saver.

 

[sun22beam]

If your pans look anything like ours, you have to use foil. There is too much burnt on from over the years...and I worry about metal that is worn out. I don't wash foil though...haven't thought about that one. hmmm?

 

[Ragnarok]

Depends on what I am cooking. If I am lazy, I use disposable pans for like BBQ ribs with heavy glaze. If I am baking cookies, I use parchment paper on air flow pans that if anyone touches, they know they will be talking to Jesus and playing a harp. For other cooking needs, I have the ugliest pans on earth that I usually line with foil out of sheer fear! LOL NO NO NO do NOT reuse foil, despite washing it due to contamination, especially if raw meats were placed on the same! Shucks, go to a dollar store and buy seventy feet of foil for a buck to line the pans. Better yet girls, get the guys to take you OUT to dinner!

 

[K Ma]

I guess you would have to cook & bake to answer this question....:rofl:

Seriously, when I get around to doing so I consider how messy it is going to be. If we are talking things that can overflow and burn to the pan while cooking - definitely line with foil. If it is something like cookies, just use the pan. I think in this question "frugal" should be measured by "time consumption."

And now I am completely hungry after reading Rags' response. :hungry:

 

[cybermom]

I'm with Rags. I use parchment on airflow pans for cakes and cookies etc.. I don't change the parchment for each batch but I just throw it away when I'm done, and I still wash the tray. For anything else (baked chicken etc.) I use my Pampered Chef Stoneware-and I wash it. (really more of a scrape and rinse thing).

BTW- I hope we're not just throwing away the aluminum foil!!!! I hope we're tossing it into the recycling bin!

 

[tigger_too_wooh]

DanC- You win! LOL



And yes, I recycle the foil. I line my baking sheet when I'm heating up chicken nuggets and smilie fries in the convection microwave (because it's smaller and more economical that heating up the oven) for my kids at lunchtime. So I was sitting there wondering if the cost of the aluminum foil that I was using cost more or less than the time/energy/water/soap that I would use to clean the pan. So... totally worth it just for the timesaver!



:theyareon Confession: I reuse my parchment paper after baking cookies. :faint: Unless they are something gooey, that paper looks perfect even after baking a batch of cookies. Please don't hold this against me.

 

[sun22beam]

DanC- You win! LOL



And yes, I recycle the foil. I line my baking sheet when I'm heating up chicken nuggets and smilie fries in the convection microwave (because it's smaller and more economical that heating up the oven) for my kids at lunchtime.

Don't you love smilie fries? Do your kids eat their eyes first and laugh an evil laugh like mine do? LOL

 

[JerryP]

Make a deal with the person who most likes what you are going to make. You make it, they get some and they wash the pan. It's a variation on licking the bowl.