After using a few different types of grill brushes, I summarized a few hours of scraping and cleaning to write this article about the best grill brush.
To keep your grill grates clean and in good condition, you need a suitable grill brush to clean with. Over time, your grill grates accumulate old grease, fat, and grime residue from meats, sauces, and other foods.
Whether you like it or not, the grill grates must be cleaned on a regular basis to avoid excessive food residue, grime residue build-up, grease flare-ups, and the transfer of bacteria and carcinogens from food bits to your food.
Key Attributes of a good Grill Brush
They are many grill cleaning brush is in the market. And with that comes the issue of how to choose among so many brands all claiming to have a great product. Very few things that you can use as a telltale sign of a good quality grill cleaning brush.
A grill brush is a tool, and as with every tool, its quality traits, design, features, and safety will decree how good and effective the tool will be.
For example, a brush with a sturdy handle will last longer than a brush with a plastic handle that can break when cleaning surfaces and applying pressure. A metal brush that can clean hot grill surfaces, on the other hand, is better suited for contact use and cleaning the grates when swapping meats than a brush that can only be used on a cool grill.
Design Efforts Made Towards Ensured Safety
Whenever dealing with food, cooking appliances, cooking tools, or anything that will or might come in contact with food, it should be closely scrutinized for safety. Some of these cleaning brushes have brush bristles that are pretty sharp and hard. Grab a brush by the bristles, and you can cut your fingers.
Perhaps the biggest problem is that cheap and unsafe grill brushes’ bristles can come loose, adhere to grease and residue, and end up on your food. This is dangerous as bristles can compare to tiny wire needles, which, if ingested, can cause injuries and send you to the hospital or, worse, the emergency room.
Handle Grip and Shaft Length
The handle and shaft length of a cleaning grill brush are important because if you overlook this feature and end up buying a 6-inch long grill brush with a short shaft, your hands will be closer and all over hot cooking grates during cleaning.
A grill brush, on the other hand, with a good ergonomic grip handle and a long shaft will allow you to easily reach across the grill and get to every corner of the grate while keeping your hands away from heat or, better yet, outside the cooking area.
Build and Quality
For example, if you choose a wire grill brush, we look at how the wire bristles are attached to the brush head. In a good quality grill brush, the bristles will be woven or twisted onto the brush’s head, whereas in poor-quality grill brushes, the metal bristles will be glued or loosely attached to the brush’s head.
Grill brushes with loose or stray bristles are not an option for us and is something you should look out for and avoid. Sometimes BBQ Toolsets include brushes, and although most are of good quality, the cheaper sets include poor-quality cleaning grill brushes.
Heat Tolerance
Always follow the manufacturer’s specifications and verify that the brush can be used on hot surfaces or hot grates. Plastic grill brushes might not handle hot temperatures well and are often mean for use with a cool grate.
Some grill brush manufacturers warn against using their grill brushes on extremely hot grates. If the manufacturer warns against using the cleaning grill brush on hot surfaces, it’s likely the bristles are glued, and the brush will be damaged and unsafe to use. This is a common occurrence and an indication of a low-quality wire grill brush.
Able to Replace The Brush Head
Most brushes can get very dirty over time, and it is common to need to either attempt to clean the grill brush or throw it away after a few months.
The good news is that some grill brushes offer replaceable brush heads, which means that instead of throwing the entire brush in the garbage, you only need to replace the brush’s head. You can keep a few extra heads around your house and replace them as needed.
I always good to use a clean brush on grates but after a few times of scrubbing these things can get a bit dirty. Being able to replace just the head and not the entire tool is always a plus.
Built-in Scraper
Although a great grill cleaning brush can clean grease and grime on the grates, when cleaning other areas of your grill, you will find that charred and dry grime, grease, and fat can ball up and be hard to remove by brushing alone. This is when a grill scraper is needed.
When cleaning your grill’s burner covers and heat reflectors, a scraper can reduce the time it takes to get the job done, and having a scraper built onto the brush makes this task all but more convenient.
Price Range
Grill brushes can be purchased anywhere in the price range of $10 to $30, which is an acceptable cost for a product that will potentially need replacing. There are brushes that will cost upwards of $100, with high-end brands surpassing the 100-dollar mark.
Some manufacturers have figured out ways to add gimmicks and unnecessary features and charge three times more for what a 10 dollar grill brush will do.
Brush Material
There are different brush materials, and some materials will work better than others depending on the type of grill and grates you own.
Stainless steel brushes are great for cleaning your grill and are hard on coated grates. Brass Brushes are made of softer metal and are suitable for casting iron and stainless steel. Brass bristles are good alternatives to stainless. You get a strong grill brush but still softer on your grill.
If you own porcelain coated grates, Nylon is a good brush material to use. Nylon bristles are durable and will not damage the grates, but most nylon brush heads cannot be used on hot grills.
Brush Style
Square or flat brushes are popular. These brushes look like a spatula with an angled head and are great for cleaning larger surfaces and applying pressure while cleaning.
Pipe or tubing brushes are great for getting in tight places, easy cleaning between the grates, but it might be hard to cover a large grill surface area. These brushes have rounded edges, cleaning edges and are shaped like a paint roller.
Our Top Picks for The grill Brushes
1. The Kona Safe Grill Brush – Best grill Brush Overall
We chose the Kona as the best grill brush because it has a comfortable grip, a long handle, and a woven wire stainless steel brush head. The bristles are made of stainless steel and are safe for various types of grates, including cast iron and porcelain-coated grates.
The point that several of the bristles on this brush are stainless steel adds to its appeal. They are made of braided wires forming hundreds of wire loops instead of sharp bristle needles. The idea is that these wires will not fall off and end up in your meal but be strong enough to scrape the gunk off your grates.
Specs: 18 x 10 inches wide | Weight: 12 ounces | Material: Stainless steel | Warranty: 5 years
Effectiveness Score: 4 out of 5
What we like:
- Bristle Free -The Kona Safe Grill Brush is a good alternative to traditional needle-shaped bristles.
- Stainless steel wires mean it will not rust
- The grooved handle allows for good grip.
- Long handle to keep your hands away from the hot grates.
What we don’t like:
The woven wires are safer but not as effective and can flatten over time losing their cleaning effectiveness.
2. The Grill Rescue Brush – Runner Up
The Grill Rescue Grill Brush is a clever invention and a bristle free grill brush. If you do not want a wire brush anywhere near your house or are looking for a bristle-free brush, then the Grill Rescue brush is a good choice.
The reality is that metal bristles are pretty much metal needles and can be a health hazard if ingested. The idea of not having metal strands anywhere around food is appealing to most. The only reason this brush is our runner up is that a wire brush head is very effective at scarping and cleaning a grill grate.
This brush is made using heat-resistant materials like kevlar, and its head is shaped like a sponge with a built-in grill scraper. Unlike a wire brush, this cleaning tool works by leveraging the power of hot steam.
Here is how it works:
- Heat up your grill to 400 degrees.
- Shut it off.
- Sink the brush in water.
- Scrub the grates with the power of steam cleaning.
The water absorbed by the brush’s cleaning head will turn into steam, aiding the cleaning process. Pretty clever!
Dimensions 16.1 x 5 x 3 inches | Weight: 1.05 pounds | Brush Material: Sponge wrapped in kevlar.
Effectiveness Score: 4 out of 5
What we like:
- Replaceable brush heads and replacement brush heads can be bought in packs. ( both brush and scraper end )
- Steam cleaning and disinfecting at the same time.
- Wide brush head design helps clean larger grills with fewer swipes.
- This brush uses steam to clean; as the sponge absorbs and the water comes into contact with the hot grates, the steam cleans the grates.
- The sponges are wrapped in heat-resistant kevlar, abrasive enough to clean but not damage the porcelain.
- The sponges can be cleaned in your dishwasher.
- Durable bristle free brush head.
What we don’t like:
This cool tool is on the pricer side but is expected to outlast many other brushes on this list.
- When you are cleaning your grill with this tool, it will get very steamy
- The cleaning process with this brush can be more complicated in charcoal grills. It is easy to raise the temperature and then shut of a gas grill, but in a charcoal grill, you’ll likely have to run the tool while the coals are burning and hot.
3. The Kona Clean Grill Brush – Good choice
The Kona Clean Grill Brush uses steel looped wires instead of needle-like wire bristles. Although the brush still uses metal wires, these are lopped and less likely to get stuck in your food.
This brush is 18 inches long which will help keep your hands away and distant from the grates, and the bristles are made from stainless steel.
Specs: 18 x 4 inches | Weight: 12 ounces | Material: Stainless steel | Warranty: 5 years
Effectiveness Score: 5 out of 5
What we like:
- Three brushes. The tripe brush design makes this tool very effective and can cover more surface with each stroke.
- The wire bristles are woven and not glued make it this bristle brush more durable.
- A long handle with grooved finger place holders helps you grab this tool well to apply pressure.
What we don’t like:
- It has metal bristles; there is always potential for them to break or come loose.
- It can be considered expensive by some.
4. The Grillart Grill Brush with Scraper – Best for Cast Iron Grates scraper
The Grillart grill brush and scraper brush is similar to the Kona brush, with three different cleaning heads, but this brush includes a scrapper. The installed bristles can clean large grates with ease. We like that the bristles are woven into the brush, so they won’t come loose.
The scraper is an excellent add-on to remove those stubborn grease spots. This brush and scraper feature good grip points to apply decent pressure when cleaning.
This is a strong brush great for cleaning cast-iron grates.
Specs: 18 x 3 inches | Weight: 12.6 ounces | Material: Stainless steel
Effectiveness Score: 5 out of 5
What we like:
- The triple cleaning head design is effective at cleaning
- The wires are woven and not glued make it this bristle brush more durable.
- Long 18-inch handle
- Built-in scraper
What we don’t like
- These stainless steel bristles always add a minor risk factor that one can break off and end up on your food.
5. Weber 12-Inch 3 Sided Grill Brush – Budget Friendly
We are all familiar with Weber and Weber products. They are known for making good and affordable products as well as high-end items like built-in grills. When it comes to BBQ cleaning tools and accessories, they make affordable, functional products, and their grill brush is no exception.
This Weber 3 sided grill brush covers a lot of surface area for quick and easy cleaning of your grill rack. It is constructed of a sturdy stainless steel frame, contributing to its durability.
If you are looking for a budget-friendly grill brush of good quality, the Weber brush is a good fit. This brush bristle design is triangular and woven, making it durable and good for getting into as many corners of the grill as possible.
Specs: 12 x 7 inches | Weight: 0.57 pounds | Material: Stainless steel
What we like:
- Budget-friendly, but it gets the job done.
- Woven bristles 3 sided brush
What we don’t like:
- No scraper
- Shorter handle
6. The Grill Daddy Brush – Steam Brush
The Grill Daddy cleaning brush shares some similarities with the Grill Rescue brush. The Grill Daddy is a wire brush that also uses steam power to clean the grill. Steam is very effective for cleaning anything, including grates, because it helps melt away caked-up fat, BBQ sauce, and grease.
However, unlike the sponge heads on the Grill Rescue, the Grill Daddy head has metal wires to scrape and clean your grill. Another difference between the Grill Daddy and Grill Rescue brush is that the Grill Daddy rescue has a built-in water tank instead of sinking the brush in water.
Specs: 17 x 6 inches | Weight: 3 pounds | Material: Stainless steel | Warranty: Lifetime for body
Effectiveness 5 out of 5
What we like:
- The combination of a wire brush and steam is very effective in cleaning dirty grates. However, you are using metal wires on not a sponge.
- The cleaning wire heads are replaceable.
- The built-in water tank is convenient.
What we don’t like:
Pricey!!!
- The body of this tool is Bulkier than just a simple brush handle.
7. Best Music Grill Grate Cleaner – Best Hand Held Grill Scrubber
If you do not like the idea of loose bristles on your food and don’t mind getting your hands dirty, then a grill nylon scrub pad will be an excellent choice for you. Sure, a nylon scrub pad might not be as effective as a wire brush, but it does bring its advantages and can be effective on somewhat dirty grates.
If your grates are covered with thick, caked-up layers of barbecue sauce, grease, and fat, then it is going to be more difficult to clean with a scrub pad.
What we like:
- No wires; these nylon scrubs are abrasive enough to clean grates.
- These scrubs are dishwasher safe
- It can be used on porcelain-coated grates
- Inexpensive
What we don’t like:
- The crup pads will wear out
- Not as effective at removing tough spots of grime and grease.
- It can only be used on cold surfaces.
Specs: 12 x 7 inches | Weight: 0.57 pounds | Material: Stainless steel
Effectiveness Score: 3 out of 5
8. The Grillaholics Essentials Brass Brush – Best Brass Grill Brush (great for coated grates )
If you are inclined towards wire brushes but want to use softer material than steel wires, then brash brushes are great. Brass grill brushes can be used on coated grill grates or ceramic surfaces. Even though brass head brushers are software, they are still very effective at cleaning.
Specs: 18 x 3 inches | Weight: 14.4 ounces | Material: Stainless brass | Warranty: Lifetime
What we like:
- Woven brass bristles are easier on coated grates
- Three rows of brushes aid the cleaning process.
What we don’t like:
- Since brass is softer, it will also wear out quicker.
Types of Wire Grill Brushes | Stainless Steel Brushes
Bristle Brushes
Bristol brushes are the most popular types of brushes and are effective for cleaning cooking grates. The bristles can be found in different materials, including stainless steel, brass, nylon, and even plant-based materials. Metal Bristle bishes can be found flat or round ( pipe-like shape )
Scrubbers
Scrubber brushes are nothing more than a scour-pad made out of stainless steel wool attached to a handle. Scrubber brushes are more like sandpaper and require more brushing to remove tough dirt and grime. However, if you do not love the idea of using any bristles, scrubbers are a great option.
Metal or Wood Scraper
A metal scraper will scrape anything off a grill grate, but it can also be hard on surfaces. Scrapers are not recommended on coated surfaces as they will scratch the cooking grill surface and damage the coating. Wood scrapers are marketed as a brush alternative.
Nylon Brushes
Nylon brushes are the new tech of grill cleaning brushes. Instead of metal bristles, these brushes bristles are made out of plastic materials and composites hard enough to scrape and cream but soft enough to be safe on porcelain-coated grates.
A nylon brush can only be used on cold surfaces or after letting the grill cool down.
Pros
- Soft and safe for expensive coated grates.
Cons
- It cannot be used on hot surfaces or hot grill.
Aramid Fiber Brushes
Grill Rescue is offering a cleaning brush that is made of aramid fiber. What’s cool about aramid fiber and other clothes brushes is you can wash them in the dishwasher.
Aramid Fiber is a clever material to use on a brush, but it makes sense someone made a cleaning tool out of this material. Aramid fiber is heat repellent and very durable. This material is used on the uniforms of firefighters and other flame-resistant protection gear.
Aramid Fiber grill brushes have gained popularity over the years and are bristle-free which has earned these brushes a reputation for being safe.
Pros
- Work well, and these brushes are a safer alternative to bristle brushes.
- The easiest material to wash.
Cons
- These brushes can be more expensive.
Electric
Electric cleaning brushes are another type of brush that has gained popularity over the years. These cleaning brushes are suitable for daily use and keep the charcoal, pellet, or propane grill clean but cannot beat human power and some elbow grease of a bristle brush.
However, for those who like gadgets and want to keep their hands clean, these electric brushes might be of interest to you.
Pros
- It can be set, and let it do the work while keeping your heads clean.
- Great for up keeping the grates.
Cons
- Expensive
- You will need to use your manual grill cleaning tool to get into the corners and oddly shaped areas of your grill.
Other Alternatives to clean your grill grates without using brushes
Grill cleaning bricks
If you want to avoid brushes period and use something different, grill cleaning bricks are a good option.
However, cleaning bricks are pretty much like cleaning blocks of sandpaper, and while they clean, they are not as effective as brushes. Also, your hands become that handle, and you will be putting your heads very close to your grill, thus why these cleaning bricks are often used when the grill is cold. These stones can leave residue on the grill cooking surface.
Wood grill scrapers
Wood grill scraper is a good niche but not as effective. However, if the caveman in you wants to keep everything around your grill organic, then wood might be a good choice for you.
FAQs
1. How often should I brush my grill?
Is a good idea to brush your grill after each cook when is hot.
2. Are wire grill brushes safe for cleaning grills?
Wire brushes are popular and what everyone defaults to; however, cheap metal brushes can be dangerous as wire bristles can come loose or break off and end up in your food. Also, stiff wire brushes can damage porcelain-coated grates. We recommend looking at alternatives like nylon.
3. Is one Type of barbecue grill cleaning brush safer than another?
Yes. Some brushes are safer than others. For example, the Grill Rescue brush is probably the safest route while still being effective. The second-best options are nylon bristles and scrubbers. Any non-metal wire tool will be safer and better for your food.
4. Which type of barbecue cleaning brush should I use on my grill grates?
The type of brush you can use to clean your grill grates will significantly depend on the grates’ material and grill types. If your grill came with cast-iron grates, then a wire cleaning brush will do well, but if your grill came with porcelain coated or ceramic coated grates, then brass, nylon, and scrubbers will be better and will not chip or damage the coating material.
5. What is the best grill cleaning brush for stainless steel grates?
Nylon or something like the Grill rescue will work well and will not chip and scratch the coating, avoiding rust and extending the life of the cooking grate.
6. How do I clean my grill brush?
Use hot water and soap, and if another brush is available, use it to scrape off as much crud as possible, but many grill brushes can get so dirty that either the head will need to be replaced or the entire brush will need to be replaced. Keep your grill cleaning tool as clean as possible.
7. When Should I replace the brush?
As soon as you notice the brush is worn out, damaged or loose bristles. Also, if the tool is unclean-able, replace it.
The Kona cleaning tools are great, and as a bristle free brush, the Grill Rescue is our choice.
Dishwasher Safety
Follow the manufactures instruction on how to clean the brush in a dishwasher.
We wrote an article on cleaning tips and how to keep your grill clean to help you get the most out of these cleaning tools.
Learn more: Best ways to clean grill grate
Enjoy grilling season 365 days a year! Keep your grill clean and if stainless steel bristles are not for you, try a good brush like the Grill Rescue, which is both a brush and scraper.
The Verdict: The Top Grill brush
If safety is as important to you as it should be, then the Grill Rescue Brush is the best choice. If you want the most cleaning power, the Kona Brush is the best grill brush we could find and one of the most effective brushes we tested. The triple-head design on the Kona is very effective.
Clean your grill as often as you can, and it will last longer and give you hours of joy! Think of cleaning the grill as adding life to it. A clean grill is a happy grill.
