We receive calls all the time asking what is the best grill brush? Well I wish there was a simple answer but it’s complicated. The answer is dependent on the type of grates your grill has.
On this page we run down the three basic brushes and how they work on each of the different grill grates. Running this site has given us the chance to use more grill brushes then the average person. Here is our opinion on each of the different types of grill brushes out there.
Flat head brass and stainless bristled grill brushes:
These are the grill brushes that have been around forever and that most people are familiar with. They can be inexpensive and disposable if they are made of plastic. You can purchase a good wood or stainless handle and replace the brush head. While they do a decent job of cleaning the grates there is nothing special about them. If properly taken care of they give you longer life than the other types of brushes. To get the most out of this type of brush hold it at a 45 degree angle to your grates and do not press down. Allow it to glide over the top if you need a deeper cleaning flip your grates over and repeat.
Scrubber type grill brushes:
These brushes clean better than most on all grill grate surfaces. Being bristle-less you do not have to worry about stray metal bristles in your food. Most come with a replacement pad and more pads are readily available. This keeps overall costs down. If it were not for the fact that the metal versions are NOT recommended for use on porcelain grates these brushes would be the clear winner here. The problem lies in the fact that the vast majority of new grills come with the porcelain grate. If your grill does not have porcelain coated grates this is what we consider to be the best type of over all grill cleaning brush.
Triangle head bristled grill brushes:
These grill brushes are made with metal wires with the bristles twisted between them and a plastic or metal handle. They are available with either brass or stainless bristles that do not pull out as easily as they will on a flat head grill brush. These brushes clean very well and since they are available with brass bristles they can be used on most porcelain coated grates. If you have porcelain coated grates this is the type of best grill brush for you.
We recently reviewed a new style of grill brush that changed our opinion on this read about that one here
Gadget grill brushes:
We have seen quite a few of these types of grill brushes pass through here over the years. Everything from steaming , battery powered motorized and the type with extra bristles sticking out the bottom. Most are just that gadgets. That is why you will not find any of these on our site.
The motorized grill brush ones don’t clean any better then your standard grill brush. You also have to spend money on batteries.
The grill brushes that have the extra bristles sticking out the bottom will bend the first time you use them. You need to pull them out every time you get to the cross bar on your grates. You will end up removing them after a couple of uses.
The steaming grill brushes have some merit to them. Most people do not realize that they are getting a hollow plastic handle (like a squirt gun) that just fills with water. You can get a similar effect by dunking your grill brush in water before you use it. Chances are you will rust out your grills lower body and burners very quickly if you use these often.
The onion seasoning grill brushes work fairly well also.
So what is the best grill brush available? We have given our opinion. Lets hear your in the comments.
Mike
aka Sultan of Sizzle
I have been blogging about and selling grilling tool for over 12 years. A Certified Food Safety Professional, KCBS member, award winning writer and have over 10 years experience in the food service industry.
“I have experienced some of the best food this country has to offer and nothing is better than the food that comes off my own grill!”
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