Emily Chan
Aluminum foil is a common household item that seems to have always magically existed. We use it regularly for baking or food storage.
But have you wondered how and when this everyday kitchen tool became a fixture in our homes? And why is only one side of it shiny?
Most of us probably wouldn’t think twice about where aluminum foil came from. But for those curious cats with inquiring minds, here’s a brief overview of the history of aluminum foil.
Aluminum foil can be traced back to the early 1900s. A man named Heinrich Alfred Gautschi was the first person to obtain a patent for the manufacture of aluminum foil.
Several years later, Robert Victor Neher developed a more effective manufacturing method. He has often been credited as the inventor of aluminum foil, but really, he was just responsible for devising an efficient rolling process for the foil.
Because of this, in 1911, a factory based in Switzerland began wrapping Toblerone chocolates in foil. A year later, another Swiss company used foil to wrap cubes of soup stock.
In the U.S., aluminum foil production began in 1913. At first, it was primarily used for wrapping Lifesavers and other types of candy.
During World War Two, aluminum foil grew in popularity. The military used foil strips to confuse the enemy’s radar tracking systems. Families were even urged to save scraps of foil.
They also became known for their use in TV dinners in the 1940s, which is when they became more associated with the kitchen.
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