Parchment Paper vs. Wax Paper: Understanding the Differences and Uses

Parchment paper and wax paper are common kitchen staples that often get mistaken for one another. While they may look and feel similar, their properties and ideal applications differ significantly. Knowing when to use each can save you from kitchen mishaps and ensure optimal results in your cooking, baking, and food storage endeavors.

What is Parchment Paper?

Parchment paper is a cellulose-based paper treated to create a non-stick, heat-resistant, and water-resistant surface. It is a food-safe paper coated with an ultra-thin layer of silicone, making it ideal for baking and cooking applications. It can be found in rolls or pre-cut sheets in the baking aisle of most grocery stores.

When to Use Parchment Paper

• Baking: Parchment paper is a baker's best friend. Its non-stick properties eliminate the need to grease baking sheets and cake pans, ensuring that cakes, cookies, quick breads, and candies release cleanly and in one piece every time. Substituting parchment paper for aluminum foil when baking cookies will help to avoid burnt bottoms.
• "En Papillote": For a fancy French cooking technique, use parchment paper to seal food with aromatics and a bit of liquid, then steam it all together.
• Heat Pressing (Tortilla and Panini Presses): Wrap your sandwich in parchment paper when using a panini press to keep everything neatly inside and avoid messy cleanup. When using a tortilla press, parchment paper will ensure your dough doesn’t stick, giving you the best results every time! If you keep the temperature 425°F and lower, these handy kitchen presses can do wonders for your sandwich-making game.
• Ironing Fabrics: Using parchment paper for ironing fabrics keeps your iron free from sticky buildup. When fusing interfacing or placing an iron-on patch on fabric, sticky adhesives may ooze and burn onto your iron’s soleplate. To avoid this, set a layer of parchment paper between the iron and the material to prevent any residue transfer.
• Cooling Melted Chocolate: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle your designs directly on the sheet. Or dip your strawberries, bananas, and dried fruits in melted chocolate and place them on the lined baking sheet. Chill the baking sheet in the fridge for around 30 minutes, and voilà! Once the chocolate has hardened, it peels off the paper with ease.
• Freezing Foods: You can use parchment paper to wrap and separate foods to keep them from sticking together, for example, storing burger patties, meats, or individual servings of leftovers. However, freezer paper is recommended for the best barrier against air and moisture, which helps prevent freezer burn.
• Making Fudge, Caramel, and Candy: Parchment paper will do an excellent job lining pans, wrapping individual pieces, or creating barriers between layers when storing-the differences between the two papers for use with confections are minimal.

When NOT to Use Parchment Paper

• Broiling: Do not ever use parchment paper in the broiler. Despite its heat resistance, parchment paper can’t handle the heat of any broiler, which can reach temperatures upward of 500°F.
• Grills and Smokers: With open flames and long periods of heat, you should avoid using parchment paper in grills and smokers.

What is Wax Paper?

Wax paper is a paper coated with a thin layer of paraffin wax, making it non-stick and water-resistant, but not heat resistant. It typically comes in a roll and has a similar look and feel to parchment paper.

When to Use Wax Paper

• Countertop and Fridge Applications: Wax paper is useful in tons of countertop and fridge applications. It’s more malleable than parchment paper and holds its shape better, which makes it ideal for wrapping and storing foods like cheeses and sandwiches.
• Lining Surfaces: Because it’s less expensive than parchment paper, wax paper can often be more useful for lining surfaces and keeping them clean (like, say in the case of rolling out pie dough on a countertop). It can help keep your countertops clean when placed on top of them as you knead dough or roll out a pie crust.
• Cold Food Storage: The lining of wax on wax paper makes it the better choice for cold storage such as wrapping food for the refrigerator or freezer. It is also moisture resistant, which is another perk of using it for food storage.
• Freezing Foods: You can use wax paper to wrap and separate foods to keep them from sticking together, for example, storing burger patties, meats, or individual servings of leftovers. However, freezer paper is recommended for the best barrier against air and moisture, which helps prevent freezer burn.
• Making Fudge, Caramel, and Candy: Wax paper will do an excellent job lining pans, wrapping individual pieces, or creating barriers between layers when storing-the differences between the two papers for use with confections are minimal.
• Wrapping Sandwiches: If you want to keep your sandwich fresh and soft for a long time, go for wax paper instead of parchment paper. The wax protects against air, preventing your sandwich from drying out and maintaining its freshness.
• Microwaving: You can use wax paper covers to prevent splatters and hold moisture in while microwave heating.

When NOT to Use Wax Paper

• Oven: It will melt when it comes in contact with even relatively low heat, and at a higher heat will catch on fire just like any other piece of paper would.
• Broiler: It should never come near the high heat of the oven or broiler.
• Heat Pressing: We do not recommend using wax paper, as the wax will melt and could become a fire hazard.
• Grills and Smokers: With open flames and long periods of heat, you should avoid using wax paper in grills and smokers.

Parchment Paper vs. Wax Paper: A Head-to-Head Comparison

Feature	Parchment Paper	Wax Paper
Material	Cellulose-based paper with silicone coating	Paper coated with paraffin wax
Heat Resistance	Yes, oven-safe up to 425°F (218°C)	No, melts at relatively low heat
Non-Stick	Yes	Yes
Water Resistance	Yes	Yes
Best For	Baking, cooking, "en papillote," heat pressing (under 425°F), cooling chocolate	Cold food storage, wrapping sandwiches, lining surfaces, microwave splatter cover
Reusability	Yes, if clean and intact	Yes, if clean and intact
Cost	Generally more expensive	Generally less expensive

Reusing Parchment and Wax Paper

Parchment paper and wax paper are reusable as long as they have no odors and are still intact and clean. Once your parchment paper starts to darken, it should be discarded.

Alternatives to Parchment and Wax Paper

If you are using parchment or wax paper to prevent sticking, nonstick cooking spray can work similarly. However, most foil is not nonstick, so don’t forget to lightly grease it. For grilling and smoking, Reynolds Wrap® Grill Foil, which is sturdy and non-stick and can withstand high grill temperatures, is a good alternative. For juicy smoked meat, the ultimate choice is Reynolds Kitchens® Pink Butcher Paper, which has added wet strength for smoking juicy meats.

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Read also: Recycling Wax Paper: What You Need to Know

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