Waxed paper
I tend to use waxed paper as often as it will work in each situation. Why? A few reasons, really.
- It's biodegradable and breaks down in my compost bin.
- It's easy to work with -- it tears off with minimal fuss (plastic wrap gets all tangled on me when I tear a sheet off), it's microwavable, and doesn't it melt when used to line a baking pan (like a cake pan).
- No worries about plastic toxicities.
talking $$ However, it is more expensive than cheapo plastic wrap. And it's not reusable, as foil and plastic wrap can be. It's a single-use item, so the price is calculated based on price per package at the store.
Plastic wrap
I do use plastic wrap for specific purposes.
- Plastic wrap is great for when I need something that is somewhat airtight. I use small squares (6 X 6-inches) of plastic wrap as "lids" for my homemade yogurt. I secure this plastic wrap with a rubber band. My used canning jar lids were either onion-y/pickle-y or scratched and vulnerable to rust/bacteria growth. Neither situation was suitable for my homemade yogurt. So, a fresh piece of plastic wrap works well for the yogurt.
- I also use plastic wrap for freezer pie dough, when flattened into pie-topping circles, and rolled around cardboard tubes. The plastic wrap keeps the dough from sticking to itself, plus it holds in moisture very well, while the dough is frozen.
talking $$ Plastic wrap is washable, so it doesn't need to be a one-use item. I used to wash plastic wrap, and hang to dry by sticking pieces onto a cabinet side, right near the kitchen sink. But I tired of the messy look to my sink area. However, I still reuse sheets that look clean enough. I simply set them aside in a corner on the counter, and use them as needed. If they don't get used within a week or so, then they get tossed. So, in talking about cost per sheet/use, you could figure your cost per use based on washing and reusing, if that's your choice.
Aluminum foil
Although it's the most expensive option between these 3 wraps, I find aluminum foil to be my choice in specific applications in the kitchen.
- Covering roasted meats during cooking time
- As parchment paper substitution when making meringue cookies
talking $$ Aluminum foil's off-the-shelf price is very misleading, if you're of a frugal mindset. Foil is so durable (for a disposable wrap) that it can be washed and reused multiple times.
I typically get about 5 uses from each sheet of foil. Some pieces I get double that, and other pieces/times, I "lose" my piece of foil when I take a dish to someone's home, and it inadvertently gets thrown away. So, we'll go on the average of 5. This winds up multiplying the value of foil, in a sense, by a factor of 5.
Comparing the cost of the 3 wraps
I'll use Dollar Tree's price per roll ($1 each) for my calculations (since that's where I most often buy these wraps).
Waxed paper -- 65 linear feet (12-inch wide)
Plastic wrap -- 155 linear feet (12-inch wide)
Aluminum foil -- 25 linear feet (12-inch wide)
A 12-inch square sheet of waxed paper costs .015 (one and a half cents).
A 12-inch square sheet of plastic wrap costs .006 (just over a half cent).
A 12-inch square sheet of aluminum foil that has been washed and reused 5 times costs .008 (just under one cent, if I wash and reuse each sheet). There is the cost of the soap and water, which probably doubles the cost of foil, per each use, to around .016 (just over one and a half cents).
My end analysis with these wraps is that the cost per use of all three are relatively close. We're talking the difference between about a penny per use, from least expensive to most expensive. So for myself, I can allow other factors to weigh in on my decision on which to choose. Although I wouldn't define myself as an environmentalist, I often choose in favor of what is better for the environment. For kitchen wraps, that would be waxed paper. I simply toss the used pieces into the compost bin.
Also, as far as health ramifications go, I prefer to minimize the risk of transferring chemicals from plastic wrap to my food, as much as possible.
With foil, it can be recycled. However, it requires energy resources for said recycling. So, I'll continue washing my foil to get as many uses per sheet as I can.
For all of the above reasons, if waxed paper can do the job, I'll choose it over plastic or
foil.
There . . . . now wasn't that a fun math problem?!!!
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