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Hack your BBQ with this nifty aluminum foil trick

Turn up the gas and prepare to have your mind blown. Turns out, you've probably been using aluminum foil wrong your whole life. And this 4th of July weekend, when you might be using aluminum foil to assist with grilling your meat and vegetables, is the perfect time to rectify the error and amaze your BBQ guests.Chances are you've been frustrated with the aluminum foil roll jumping out of the box w
Reynolds wrap end locks
YouTube/CrazyRussianHacker

Turn up the gas and prepare to have your mind blown. Turns out, you've probably been using aluminum foil wrong your whole life. And this 4th of July weekend, when you might be using aluminum foil to assist with grilling your meat and vegetables, is the perfect time to rectify the error and amaze your BBQ guests.

Chances are you've been frustrated with the aluminum foil roll jumping out of the box when you try to tug out a sheet. It turns out there's actually a hidden design feature to fix this fumble.

Next time you're using foil, turn the box over and look at one of the ends. There's a small perforated dimple that says something like "Press here to lock end." If you've never pressed there, go for it.

Pushing in these guys deploys little wings into either side of the inner roll the foil is wrapped around, securing it into place.

It's not just aluminum foil either. Check out your plastic wrap too. It likely has one of these push-tab features.

Their origin is lost in the fields of time, or corporate trade secrets, but Reynolds Wrap spokeswoman Britta Olson said the company started adding them in 1995 because they're "always looking for ways to make life easier in the kitchen."

Nearly two decades later, most folks are still unaware of these handy tabs. Wrapped inside that obscurity is something of a revealing consumer truth.

"Oftentimes, people do not take much time to study the instructions for well-known things that have ‘obvious’ uses, like tape, paper, or scissors," Olson previously told Slate. "End locks on our Reynolds Wrap and Diamond foil packaging are somewhat of a hidden feature and benefit.”

No longer. Consumer product mystery, consider yourself exposed.