Best Grill Brush
There’s nothing we love more than grilling our favorite foods on the barbecue. In fact, this delicious way to prepare meat, fish and veggies is so popular, in 2019 about $1.3 billion was spent by Americans to buy grills and barbecues for their homes.
And while we love all that marinating, searing and sizzling, cleaning the grill afterwards is another story. Few people look forward to the task of scraping off the burnt globs of grease and food stuck to the grill. That’s where a good grill brush can really take the hard work out of cleaning up after a great barbecued meal.
Which grill brush you use will depend upon a number of factors such as the size of your grill, what the surface of your grill is made of, and how hard you want to work to get it spotlessly clean. No doubt when you do find that perfect grill brush, you won’t mind doing cleanup duty after all the food is gone.
We feature five grill brushes you can buy online. Read on to find the one you like best.
Top Pick Best Versatile: Grill Spark Quick/Easy BBQ Grill Brush and Scraper
In your house, you’re the grill chief, the one who handles all of the barbecuing. That includes buying and preparing the food and making sure it is cooked to perfection. Of course, it’s also your job – and proudly so – to clean the grill after each time you use it. You don’t really enjoy doing it, but you know it must get done and doing it well means your grill will last longer, and the food you cook will taste better. Your last grill brush was given to you as a gift and now that it has broken, you are on the lookout for a good quality grill brush to get the job done.
We recommend this cleaning brush from Grill Spark to help you make quick work of cleaning your barbecue grill. This wire brush has a large cleaning area with a round head that performs 360-degree cleaning. Made of three twisted stainless steel wires with a six-inch working area, each wire is densely filled with galvanized steel bristles and is designed to not shed or break off with frequent use.
For stubborn areas, the grill also has a scraper on one end to effortlessly remove heavy, greasy residue that the brush may miss. The scraper is made from stainless steel and is rust-resistant. Finally, the long 10-inch long handle has a smooth, anti-slip finish and a medium thickness for a good, solid grip. This grill brush is suitable for grill types – porcelain, ceramic, stainless steel, cast iron and gas.
Pros:
- 10-inch handle
- Metal hook for hanging brush after use
- Bristles are made from galvanized steel wire designed not to break off
- Has a scraper
- Ideal for use on all grill surfaces
- Hand wash or safe for the dishwasher
Cons:
- Has wire bristles
- Plastic handle may melt if kept too close to a hot surface
Top Pick Best Bristle-Free: Kona Safe/Clean Grill Brush
You’ve always had a grill brush made with wire bristles and had no problem. But recent reports of bristles coming loose, embedding in the food and then people swallowing the wire bristle has made you re-think the kind of brush you should use. If you are looking for a quality grill brush that is bristle-free, you may want to consider this product.
This grill brush from Kona has no sharp edges or metal bristles and has a unique three-brush-in-one design that is ideal for use on all grill types including porcelain, ceramic, infrared, Weber, Char-Broil and more.
The handle on the brush is the perfect length to use at the right angle and keeps your hands away from the heat, allowing you to use of both of your hands with minimal effort. For the best results, it’s recommended to pre-heat the grill before cleaning and repeatedly dip the brush into water during brushing the hot grill for a better steam clean.
Pros:
- Stainless steel hard-wired and bristle-free brush
- 18-inch tough, weather-resistant handle
- Won’t scratch the grill
Cons:
- Takes more effort than a wire bristle brush
- Has no scraper
Top Pick Best Bristle-Free with Scraper: POLIGO BBQ Grill Brush and Scraper Bristle Free
Sometimes even the best grill brush is not enough on its own to clean the baked on goop that ends up on your barbecue grill. You’ve spent too many hours – and wasted too much money on poor-quality grill brushes – cleaning the barbecue after an afternoon of cooking sauce-covered ribs and marinated chicken breasts and wings. If you are looking for a bristle-free grill brush that also has a scraper for those really hard-to-remove bits, then you may want to consider this model from Poligo.
This grill brush has a coiled, triple helix wire design that is heat resistant – with no bristles to dislodge and get into your food. The two shorter sides of the helix are used to clean edges and dislodge debris between the grates. The wide scraper, set at a 30-degree angle with the grill brush, is used to help you efficiently remove large, stuck-on foods without scratching your grill. The long non-slip, 18-inch handle, is ideal for keeping your hands away from the heat.
This versatile grill cleaning brush is suitable for ceramic, gas, smoker, charcoal, porcelain and iron/steel grill grates.
Pros:
- Bristle-free grill brush
- Has a scraper
- 18-inch handle
- Suitable for most grill surfaces
Cons:
- Too bulky to get into smaller spaces and clean between the grates
Top Pick Best Motorized: Grillbot Automatic Grill Cleaning Robot with Carrying Case
It’s not that you hate cleaning – you just feel you could be doing more fun and interesting things with your time, like entertaining your guests at your outdoor barbecues. You take pride in serving up the best feast, but when it comes to scraping all the excess grease and food from the grill, you’re slow to get it done. If only there was a magic robot that would do the work for you. Well, it’s may be technology and not magic, but this automatic grill cleaning robot just might be what you’re looking for to take the drudgery out of keeping your barbecue grill pristine.
This ultimate grill cleaner from Grillbot is motorized to take the elbow work out of cleaning your grill. It is equipped with three strong brass brushes that rotate to scrape off burnt-on food residue from the grill. All you do is place the Grillbot on your grill, press a button and off it goes, rotating on the grill, doing the cleaning for you.
This little robot is made from high quality heat-resistant plastic and has three powerful independent motors and runs on a rechargeable lithium ion battery. A CPU chip controls the speed and direction of the brushes, and a LCD timer and alarm allow you to set it and walk away while it’s working.
Pretty versatile, you can place the cleaning machine on a hot or cold grill and when you’re ready to clean the Grillbot, just remove the three brushes and toss them into the dishwasher. Going to a barbecue at a friend’s house? Surprise them and bring the robot to help them cleanup. It comes with a durable and lightweight carrying case with an ergonomic handle, so it’s easy to take with you.
Pros:
- Battery-operated robot cleans the grill
- Set with a timer and an alarm tells you when it’s done
- Runs on a rechargeable lithium ion battery
- Comes with a universal charger
- Comes with a carrying case
Cons:
- May have to run it twice over really caked-on grease
- More expensive than traditional grill brushes
Top Pick Best Wood: ROLOWAY Cedar Wood Grill Scraper
You like to barbecue but you don’t do it often. You have a traditional bristle grill brush but you’ve heard of the possible dangers associated with bristles coming loose and getting into food. You’d like something different and you’re not sure if you want a brush that uses metal wires. If you’re looking for something really different and effective, you may want to consider this cedar wood grill brush that does not have bristles or wires.
Made of 100 percent natural and premium quality cedar material, the wood grill scraper is sturdy and coated with food safe oil to protect it from being damaged by the weather. What makes this grill brush unique is that it doesn’t come with grooves. The spacing between the grate of a grill are not the same with different barbecues, so standard brushes may not fit exactly right to clean the tops and sides of your grill. With repeated use, the edge of this wood brush forms grooves that are specific to your grill, so you get a customized brush for more efficient cleaning.
This cedar brush can be customized to fit any type of grill after following three steps: heat the grill, move the scraper applying firm pressure slowly back and forth along the hot grates, and the grooves are slowly burned into the scraper that are tailored to your barbecue. The grooves will continue to improve as they become deeper.
Two BPA-free silicone brushes are included with the wooden scraper and it all comes in an attractive, natural-looking gift box.
Pros:
- Made from 100 percent natural, premium quality cedar
- Suitable for any size grill
- Customizes cleaning grooves with increased use
- No bristles or wires
- Has a hanging strap
- Includes two basting brushes
Cons:
- Takes some time to make the grooves
- May be too large for some people
Things to look for:
Consider these things when looking for a grill brush so you will choose one that best suits your needs:
Bristles versus no bristles:
This is probably the most important decision when choosing a grill brush. It’s important to choose a product that won’t leave steel wires in your food. Most quality brushes with bristles are well-made and won’t loose their bristles. Still, it’s always a good idea to inspect your food before you eat it. If you have concerns, choose a brush that has coiled mesh wires or is made of wood for a bristle-free experience.
The handle:
Since it’s often recommended to clean your barbecue grill when it’s hot, you want a grill brush with a long handle so your hands and arms don’t get too close to the heat. As well, some brushes have plastic handles, which is okay, as long as you keep it away from prolonged heat so it doesn’t melt.