They may be and for most practical purposes are, but I’d bet a dollar that the infrared thermal reflectivity of the two are quite different.
I just did, and I’ll double down on the shiny and dull side having a very small but not negligible difference on a grill (open flame), in a dark oven, yes they will be the same, but when presented to a flame the difference in reflection of visible and infrared light waves will have a difference on the heat absorbance/transfer. Shiny side to the flame cooks cooler than shiny side up.
And keeps more heat on the rack. Hence, for cleaning, shiny side down.
Can someone summarize in twenty words or less what the bottom line conclusion is?
Well that’s something I’ve learned today
I mentioned the wire brush issue to my wife a couple of grills ago and she found a small wooden paddle specifically designed for "grate scraping" and voila! Problem solved. That thing is perfect for knocking off the chunks that the fire did not incinerate.
Great way to cut down on too many visitors hanging around for a burger or steak too
If I understand what I'm reading it's saying there's no real difference between the dull side and shiny side of the aluminum foil as far as reflecting heat.
"All in all, bright and matte sides of a household aluminum foil have the same total reflectivity spectra. The matte one being, by a small amount – about 2% – more reflective than its bright counterpart."
That works. Thanks.