After the burgers have been eaten, and the dishes put away, the last thing anyone wants to do is clean a gunked-up grill. It’s tempting to leave the grease and char until the grill is fired up again, but that only makes the mess harder to clean. Plus, it can lead to health and safety […]
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After the burgers have been eaten, and the dishes put away, the last thing anyone wants to do is clean a gunked-up grill. It’s tempting to leave the grease and char until the grill is fired up again, but that only makes the mess harder to clean. Plus, it can lead to health and safety issues. Owning an effective grill brush makes that agonizing post-barbecue chore quicker and easier, giving you more time to enjoy the food, the weather, and the company.
Like many grilling tools, brushes are easy to find and often low-priced. Not any old brush will do, though. Some are too flimsy to remove intense grime and food residue; others, mainly wire brushes, can even be hazardous if the bristles fall off and land in your food the next time you cook. As a result, we’ve rounded up the best brushes available today to ensure that cleaning your grill is safe and simple.
To compile this list, SPY spoke with three grilling experts, one of whom is Meathead, a member of the Barbecue Hall of Fame and publisher of AmazingRibs.com. He’s also the author of Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling, and his next book, The Meathead Method, is scheduled to be published in 2025. SPY interviewed another Barbecue Hall of Famer, Steven Raichlen. Raichlen is the author of over 30 books, including The Barbecue Bible cookbook series, and he hosts the television shows Steven Raichlen’s Planet Barbecue, Project Fire, and Project Smoke. Additionally, we spoke with Forres Meadows, a fabricator of live-fire grills and owner of 4sFire LLC.
This trio of pitmasters recommended their favorite grill brushes and mentioned what they like, and even dislike, about each brush. On top of that, they discussed what to look for when buying a grill brush, various grill-cleaning tips, and the rising concern around wire brushes. “On very, very rare but documented occasions, brushes shed wire bristles that can wind up in your food and then in your stomach,” Raichlen explains.
While there are plenty of safe wire brushes — primarily ones made of stainless steel instead of wood — there are plenty of high-quality alternative styles too. For more information on wire grill brushes, check out our FAQ section below.
Aside from the brush head, brush length is another detail to keep in mind. Longer brushes generally make it easier to scrub every part of a grill grate. We recommend a length between 14 to 20 inches, but you can get by with a shorter brush depending on the size of your grill. Meathead also prefers brushes with a flat scraper since they’re better at removing tougher food and grease buildup. Finally, it’s worth considering how easily a brush itself can be cleaned; as you wouldn’t want to spend more time cleaning your brush than your grill.
BEST OVERALL
The Grill Rescue Grill Brush eschews old-school bristles in exchange for a safer and more efficient spongelike head. Simply soak the brush in water and start scrubbing. It’s more effective when the grill grates are hot, the brand recommends a minimum of 400 degrees, as the combo of water and high temperatures breaks down food residue far better than a standard brush does. “I dip it in a loaf pan filled with water,” says Meathead, “and when I wipe it across hot grates the water boils and steams off most of the grease.”
The cleaning head is made of aramid fiber, a durable, flame-resistant material often used in bulletproof vests and firefighter jackets. When it gets too dirty, you can rinse the pad by hand or throw it in the dishwasher. Overall, the Grill Rescue Brush is more expensive than average but not exorbitant. It can also be purchased with a metal scraper, which we think is worth the small additional cost.
“I have every grill brush invented,” says Meathead, who has tested countless brushes over his career. “Grill Rescue is the grate cleaner I grab first.”
BEST BUDGET
This uniquely designed grill brush can tackle any mess it encounters. It uses stainless steel mesh instead of bristles, which allows users to clean between the grill grate, not just on top of it. There’s also a built-in scraper to remove hard remnants of meat and seafood. And, as Raichlen puts it, “There’s no metal bristles that can break free.”
GRILLART sells this brush in two styles. One has three rows of stainless steel mesh, which the brand refers to as “helixes,” and the other has two rows. We would opt for the triple-helix brush since it has a larger surface area but comes at the same low price as the double-helix option. The handle is one inch longer too, which provides extra value.
BEST WIRE BRUSH
Many home grillers avoid wire brushes out of fear that a bristle will come loose and be ingested. That’s a reasonable concern, and Meathead says the instances where that’s occurred are “some serious shit.” While the concern can’t be fully eliminated, wire brushes can be used safely by knowing what to look for when buying and by intermittently examining the state of the bristles after use. Another tip is to wipe the grill grates with a damp paper towel after brushing.
This wire brush from the trusted grilling brand Weber is well-built and has a seven-inch-wide brush head that makes cleaning faster than average. The price is solid, too. It’s not the bare-bones cheapest brush on the market but still a great budget pick. One of the only downsides is that it doesn’t have a scraper.
“Wire brushes remain among the most effective cleaning tools,” Meathead says. “I like this one because the bristles are securely fastened in twisted metal [and] not likely to come out.”
BEST FOR A 360-DEGREE CLEAN
With its U-shaped end, the Chargon Grill Grate Cleaner can scrape all 360 degrees of a grill rod without having to flip the entire grate over. It’s like dental floss for your grill, getting the hard-to-reach nooks and crannies.
The primary drawback is that it takes longer to use than a regular brush because it has a smaller surface area. “The reason to love Chargon is that it can clean top, bottom, and sides in a swipe or two,” says Meathead. “The reason to hate it is that you have to swipe each wire of the grate at a time.”
The item comes at a reasonable price on par with most grill brushes. While it’s strong enough to function as your sole grill cleaner, it could alternatively be purchased in conjunction with a bristle brush and used only for the underside of your grill grate.
BEST FOR SCRAPING
With most grill brushes, it’s a struggle to remove tough, burnt-on food spots unless they have a scraper. If you’re tired of scrubbing and scrubbing to no avail, we recommend the BBQ Dragon Chainmail Grill Brush. Its rectangular head is sheathed in stainless steel rings that scour grill grates fast.
“I’ve been impressed by the chainmail brushes lately,” Raichlen tells us. “It’s another attempt to avoid the risk of stray bristles.”
The BBQ Dragon Grill Brush is on the more expensive end, but that’s expected considering the difference in design compared to a standard bristle brush. It’s 17 inches long, easy to find online, and you can put the brush in the dishwasher after use to get rid of the caked-on gristle.
BEST FOR DEEP CLEANING
One outside-the-box suggestion we received from Meathead is to use the Steamfast SF-370 Steam Cleaner when your grill needs a deep cleaning. Steam loosens grease and char (that’s why it’s easier to clean a grill when it’s hot) and this multi-purpose tool comes with several attachments to accommodate different messes. There are three brushing heads and a squeegee that functions as a scraper.
“You won’t use this daily, but I use it two to three times a year to get off perma-grime and carbon,” Meathead says.
Naturally, the Steamfast SF-370 is far more expensive than a grill brush, but the bonus is that you can use it all around the house, from marble countertops to wood floors.
There are legitimate concerns around wire grill brushes, as bristles can fall off and lodge in a person’s food. The short answer is if you’re concerned, avoid the danger altogether by purchasing a stainless steel or plastic brush. The issue isn’t black and white. All of the experts we spoke with are open to using wire brushes; they just take subsequent caution.
“I’m ok with bristles,” Raichlen says, “but I’m careful after I clean the grill grate. I always wipe it off with a folded paper towel dipped in oil, so if there’s a loose, stray bristle I wipe that off.”
Meadows often uses wire brushes he picks up at the hardware store but replaces them often. “As soon as they start wearing down I get another one,” he says.”
Wire brushes aren’t the first option that Meathead uses, but he says it’s less common for bristles to fall out of stainless steel and plastic than wood. “The brushes where I think the bristles are in danger are the ones mounted into wood,” he says. “The ones that are mounted into metal or plastic seem to be really solidly mounted and not likely to come loose.”
There are several ways to clean a grill with supplies you likely have at home. The first option is to use a nylon scouring pad. They have a coarse surface that can handle most grill messes, and a pack of them doesn’t cost more than a few bucks. Another idea, one which Raichlen and Meadows recommend, is to cut an onion in half and use it to scrub your grill. The acidic juices break down grease surprisingly well. Meadows manufactures his Texas Onion Oiler for this very reason. “The onion, dipped in a little oil, will season your grate and make it non-stick,” he says.
Yes, you should routinely clean your grill brush. Grill brushes get dirty over time and become less effective, potentially even dangerous, if they’re not cleaned. Many grill brushes, including ones on this list, are dishwasher-safe. Otherwise, soaking the brush in warm water and dish soap does the trick. The rule of thumb is to clean a grill brush after every use; while that’s best, don’t worry if you go a barbecue or two and forget to clean the brush.
