Why You Should Never Line the Bottom of Your Oven With Foil (2024)

Maybe you just cleaned the oven or you just had a brand new one delivered. We love baking but no one likes to make a mess to leave behind in the oven that needs to be cleaned yet again.

It might seem like a good idea to try and protect the sparkling inside of a clean oven with a layer of foil. It does the trick when we want to avoid scrubbing the pan after making a cheesy baked casserole or one of your reliable go-to weeknight sheet pan dinners. But that layer of foil that is such a help to avoid a messy after-dinner cleanup might cause a whole set of problems when you try to line the bottom of the oven to avoid cleaning it later.

Can You Use Aluminum Foil as an Oven Liner?

Using aluminum foil in the oven may seem like a shortcut to keeping it free from messy spills and pies that bubble over, but lining the bottom of the appliance with foil can cause a number of problems with the equipment and performance.

What Can Happen?

• Putting foil on the bottom of the oven increases the intensity of heat and this can lead to surfaces that overheat. The result will likely be scratching, chipping, and damage to the porcelain finish.
• A layer of foil will block air flow and circulation which will cause malfunction of the heating elements of the appliance.
• Putting foil on the bottom of a gas oven can interfere with the flame, leading to improperly cooked food and fluctuating internal temperatures.
• Similarly, foil on the racks of gas or electric ovens can block heat and airflow, leading to improperly cooked food.
• The foil may not be able to withstand the high intensity of heat and can melt onto the bottom surface of the oven. This can be impossible to remove and cause permanent damage.
• The heat reflected off the foil can cause baked goods in the appliance to cook at a faster rate.
• The residual heat reflected off of the foil can also result in the oven's heating elements burning out.

What the Experts Say

What do the experts say when it comes to lining the oven with foil?” “Leave it out,” says Nick Webert, Senior Director of Care Field Service Operation for Samsung.

“When cooking, it’s important to think about what you’re putting inside your oven beyond your favorite recipes. For example, aluminum foil may seem like a great, cheap tool that can keep your oven clean when dealing with excess spillage but in reality, it could damage heating elements in your appliance. Lining your oven with foil will actually increase the intensity of heat that will result in surface damage and even go as far as preventing even cooking. So leave it out, invest in an oven-safe cleaning cloth, and enjoy your golden brown cookies, holiday ham, and more!”

Anthony Contrino, Culinary Producer and host of Today’s original series, “Saucy” says, “Oh hells no!" when it comes to putting a layer of aluminum foil in the bottom of the oven. “If you're worried about spills, you can place a large, heavy-duty baking sheet on the lower rack to catch drips and spills.”

The Bottom Line

Avoid any damage to your kitchen appliance and skip the aluminum foil on the bottom of the oven to keep it clean.

What Is a Good Alternative?

There are safer options to protect from residual spills when using the oven. When the oven is in use for baking and you are worried about drips and spills reaching the bottom of the oven you can use a cookie sheet to catch any mess. Place your pie dish or casserole dish on the cookie sheet and it will catch any overflow.