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votes
Best grill brush?
So I'm a new grill owner (gas) and don't yet have an actual brush to clean the grates off between use. So far I've just been scraping them clean with whatever I have nearby (foil has worked well enough) but I want to buy an actual brush.
Thing is, I keep hearing all this horror talk about wire brushes getting lodged in your gut due to them shedding. Any recommendations for a good brush? Either a wire one that is known to be high quality, or a nylon one that is built well? Any other tools you use often on your grill that I should invest in?
I’ve been using a wire brush for twenty years + and never noticed any wires sticking to the grate
Yeah, and if it does you have probably done something very wrong.
Or you need to replace your brush. They do break down eventually.
I've been using a wood scraper for about a year and it's been great for my gas grill. The wood is sturdy enough to clean the grates while not scratching the heck out of them.
I'll second a wood scraper, they work best when used immediately after the cook (or before the next cook when your grates are screaming hot). To add to this, for OP, cut an onion in half and use the inside of the onion to "clean" the grates after warm-up and before putting your food on. This will help with non-stick purposes, making using a wood scraper even easier to give your grates a quick clean before eating.
I've heard about this -- it actually works (the onion)? Seems crazy to me.
Also what wood scraper did you get? I've heard that they can be difficult to 'burn in'
They come in different thicknesses. Look for one that's wider, they're generally thinner.
This is what I use as well. I didn't even realize the metal bristles were a potential problem until a friend of mine had to go to the doctor to get one removed from the back of her throat.
I got the Weber triangle shaped one and have loved it. America’s Test Kitchen user tested a bunch and it was their top choice.
https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/2019-grill-brushes
I always get those red plastic ones and they work just fine. Nice and easy to see if any get left behind on the grill. Just don't clean when the grill is hot or you'll have melted plastic all on your grill.
I have a relatively expensive and heavy duty wire scraper and also a wood scraper and I use both. I have had bristles come off the wire scraper, which is when I started looking at alternative methods for cleaning, but I found that any of the other methods for cleaning the grill didn't get the grill as clean, so I use multiple tools. I also don't clean the grill directly after use, always before use; this helps protect the grill. In the summer, I tend to oil the grill about once every other week. As the grill ages, I've had to use the wire brush less and less and sometimes I don't need it at all.
I got one of these https://grillrescue.com/products/grill-brush-w-scraper I'm not someone that grills a lot but it has worked well so far. I also rub a cut onion over the grates before cooking as well.
I’ve been using https://grillbros.com/ for years.
Our old wire brush wasn't really getting all the gunk off (and I'll admit the stories about wires got to me) so we ended up switching to the Scrub Daddy brand one ("BBQ Daddy" -- why does that feel so awkward haha). It's like a mesh-wrapped head and it's meant to be used with a bucket of water while the grill is hot so that it steam-cleans a bit. It's expensive but it's a much sturdier brush than most I've seen and the shape is good for leverage. I also do a big seasonal deep-cleaning once a year when we put the grill into the garage for winter.