Summertime is synonymous with backyard barbeque. Whether you’re firing up a gas grill or a classic charcoal grill, great flavor begins with clean, well-kept equipment. Be it a time-tested traditional Weber kettle grill or a top-of-the-line Traeger, if you’re not scrubbing away the grease and grime, your grill (and everything you cook on it) will taste like it. A great cleaning tool is your grill grate’s greatest mate, so we’ve compiled this list of the best grill brushes based on expert opinions and online reviews.
“Most people clean their grill before they start cooking,” says Fort Worth, Texas-based chef, restaurateur and grilling master Tim Love. “But you want to get in the habit of also cleaning after you take the food off. The grill is still hot and easy to clean, and this prevents food pieces from getting caked onto the grates.”
For the best summer bbq, clean your grill before and after with one of the best grill brushes ... [+] available.
Neglecting to clean your grill allows rancid grease and other gunk to build up on your grates, which can ruin the flavor of your steaks or vegetables and pose a legitimate health risk. Funky flavors are one thing, but solidified grime on your grill will char and burn—and those charred bits can form potential carcinogens. A well-kept grill will not only make for healthier and tastier cookouts, but it will last longer too.
All you need is a good, sturdy grill brush, and there are plenty of great options on the market depending on your needs. High quality steel bristles are tough on gunked-up grates, while softer brass bristles are great for easier jobs. And bristle-free scrapers are good for eliminating surface bits and residue. Whatever your grate’s state, here are some of the best brushes to get your grill clean and keep it that way.
True to its name, the Kona 360 scrubs every inch of grill grates. Its unique design combines three brushes in one, resulting in maximum efficiency with every stroke. The hard-wired stainless steel bristles on this brush are 60% stronger than conventional bristles, and they cut through the toughest residue without scratching your grill. Plus, it’s safe and effective on all grill types, from infrared to char-broil. For the best results, repeatedly dip the brush in water while brushing a hot grill to steam clean.
A gentler alternative to stainless steel, the brass Grillaholics Pro Brass Grill Brush won’t scratch delicate ceramic or porcelain surfaces. Though you might need to put a little more arm power into your scrubbing, its sturdy 18-inch handle with excellent grip points stands up to the extra muscle. Because of its softer brass bristles, it’s better suited for use on regularly cleaned grills (rather than one you haven’t cleaned since last summer). A lifetime warranty allows you to replace it at any time in case you do end up using it for an extra dirty job.
Innovative steam-cleaning technology allows the Grand Grill Daddy brush to restore a greasy blackened grill to a sparkling sheen. Just heat your grill and fill the brush’s hollow handle with water before turning it on. The holes between the stainless steel bristles release a stream of water that steam cleans char and stubborn burnt food barnacles away in seconds. For harder-to-reach nooks and crannies, a smaller scraper brush at the front is extra handy.
This Amazon’s choice grill brush has a helix-shaped, stainless steel galvanized wire brush pad that won’t melt like nylon brushes, and most importantly won’t shed sharp scraps of metal that could end up in your burger. This impressed reviewer says, “I don’t leave many reviews because I am lazy, but I was shopping for a bristle free brush after seeing a bunch of metal bristles fall off an old grill brush, and there were so many options. A lot of them looked cheap and the reviews sounded fake. I am glad I got this one. It has heft and feels much heavier duty than I expected. I actually just bought a second one to give as a gift.”
When it comes to scraping, an ergonomic handle can make a big difference. The BBQ-Aid Barbecue Grill Brush and Scraper has a luxurious 15” acacia wood handle that not only feels nice on the palm, but also provides enough length to use both hands for leverage. Built to last, the stainless steel brush head is replaceable and attaches to the stainless steel scraper which extends into the handle’s core.
This affordable grill brush boasts some significant strengths. The wide brush head covers a sizable surface area and the shorter sides can be used for cleaning edges or getting in between the grates to dislodge leftover schmutz. The thick handle is comfortable enough to hold, and while it may not last forever—Weber recommends replacing your brush every season—it’s fairly durable. One reviewer writes, “I bought my first one of these Weber brushes in June of 2015. It is now Sept of 2018 and it’s still brushing my grills spotless. It has never lost a bristle yet.”
After trying this neat little non-bristled tool, you might give your old grill brush the brush-off. The GrillFloss is designed specifically for grills designed with cylindrical rods and comes with four interchangeable heads to snugly fit around various rod sizes. If your grate doesn’t have rods, then this one isn’t for you. But for owners of rod-style grills, this nifty brush alternative could be a gamechanger for your cookouts.
If you’re looking for a multi-purpose brushing solution, the versatile Grilljoy is your best bet. Its interchangeable brush heads let you go easily from a bristle-free wide wire mesh head to the woven wire head featuring thousands of bristles. Both heads have an attached scraper and easily snap securely onto a long 20.5” handle with an oversized hook for convenient storage. It also comes with a carrying bag to keep all the pieces together. As one five-star reviewer wrote, “this did a much better job of cleaning the grill than my other brushes. I particularly liked the two different heads.”