A grill brush is one of the must-have accessories for your grill. You'll need it almost every time you cook if you want to keep your grill clean, your food aesthetically pleasing and free of off-flavours. And, after all, it's much more pleasant to put food on a clean grill. The choice of grill brushes is not small. They vary in length, material, handles and even more so in price. So how do you choose when you can buy a grill accessory for €3 or €30?
Length
When choosing a grill, it is worth starting with the dimensions. The length of the brush should be determined by the size of your grill. For small grills, such as the smallest kamado, touring or other compact grills, a short brush of 20-30 cm will suffice. If your grill is 40 centimetres or more in diameter, choose the longest tools (around 50 cm). For gas grills, we recommend brushes that are 40-50 cm long.
How do I know which brush to use? You will need to scrape the surface of the grill furthest from you. And to do this safely, with as little hand heat as possible (the brush is best for cleaning hot grates). So the optimal solution is to choose a brush with a diameter of +10 cm for the grill (not the outside of the grill).
For example, in Proflame Kamado the grill diameter is 45 cm, so the optimum length of your brush is 55 cm
Of course, a shorter brush is also possible. In this case, it will take up less space in your work area and you can exert more force during cleaning. In practice, however, heat does play a decisive role and a long brush with a sturdy shaft is preferable.
The strength of the handle and the brush itself
It is on this crucial criterion that the choice will be much less than at first sight. Many manufacturers use the cheapest raw materials in order to entice the buyer with a very good price. And the vast majority of buyers, especially inexperienced buyers with nothing to compare them with, are easy victims of austerity. So, here we have to remember the proverb: "You pay twice for the scruples...".
The strength is needed so that when the brush is pressed down during cleaning (which it will be), the handle does not break and all your force is transferred to the grill. This is especially important for longer brushes, over 30 cm.
Brush head area
In the shops, you can see brushes made up of 1, 2 or even 3 parallel strips with bristles. If you have a large grill area, a 3-bar brush is the ideal choice. The grates will be cleaned very quickly, making this uninteresting part of the grilling process much less frustrating. What's more, 3-strip brushes usually have a very sturdy handle and the brush head is angled towards the handle, so you can exert a lot more force when cleaning.
Single- or dual-bar brushes have their own advantages. They make it much easier to clean every space between the grates. The V-shaped end of the brush is also worth mentioning. This tool makes it extremely easy to clean both the grille and the gaps.
You can also sometimes see brushes in the shops that resemble shoe brushes. These will be particularly handy when you want to see clean flat surfaces - such as the inside of the grill, metal planes, deflectors or other utensils. Of course, if the tool has long bristles, it will also be quite handy for cleaning the grates themselves and their gaps.
Bristle material
Stainless steel
Stainless steel brushes are the most appreciated. Their metal does not rust, they are robust and resistant to environmental influences. After all, the most common place to store a brush is on hooks on the grill racks or grill table. And the barbecue, after all, is outdoors all year round. These metal brushes are particularly suitable for cleaning stainless steel, cast iron and other metal grills.
Brass
Brass grill brushes are softer than stainless steel and are therefore recommended for porcelain or ceramic coated grills.
Plain metal
They have the advantage of a much lower price. At the same time, however, they also have a shorter service life compared to stainless steel brushes. They are much softer and often thinner, so they do not clean off burnt-on grill marks as well. So is it worth wasting time and going back to buy the same thing often?
Another downside of these brushes is that they can "contaminate" stainless steel. It is the simple contact between metal and steel that can cause your stainless steel grill grates to rust if the protective layer is damaged and moisture gets in.
Nylon
These brushes are new to Lithuania, while they are widely used abroad. Their bristles are not as strong as metal bristles, but they get the job done.
Cleaning with this type of tool will take much longer than with stainless steel brushes, for example. It should also be noted that they can only be used to clean cold or cool grilles: nylon is not heat resistant. And if dirt is hard to get off, you can spray your cold grill with natural cleaners. You can see how to do this in the video link:
However, these brushes also have their advantages: they won't damage metal, porcelain, enamelled grills or cookware. They can be washed by hand or in the dishwasher. They are also safe to clean and clean in the kitchen, and can be washed and scrubbed with water or brushes.
Fixing the bristles
This is one of the aspects traditionally appreciated only by highly experienced grill enthusiasts and professionals. It is, however, very important.
There have been disasters in America, Germany and other countries with a long tradition of barbecue. The reason for this is that the metal bristle has come loose during cleaning. It sticks to the grill itself and then to the product being grilled. Then, when it gets into the food, it can damage the oesophagus, the stomach or other organs.
However, it is not a good idea to panic and rush to throw away all the brushes you have. Just choose quality tools from reputable manufacturers. Also, check from time to time how firmly the bristles are gripped in the holder. And perhaps the most important point: a good brush costs a few euros. Replace it like you change the oil in your car. Don't use them until they are no longer cleanable...
And if you're really scared, choose brushes with nylon bristles or twisted wire loops.
Scraper
Some brushes have an attached scraper with a smooth or serrated edge. If this is convenient for you, it's definitely worth buying one. We also recommend that you buy the scraper recommended by your existing grill manufacturer. Its edge and dimensions are usually specially selected to suit the size, shape, diameter etc. of your grill.
Other criteria
The ergonomics of the handle is certainly not the most important criterion, but if the brush is comfortable to hold in your hand, cleaning will be more comfortable. Also, pay attention to the material of the brush and whether it slips out of your hand.
Quality. It is worth just feeling the brush in your hands and looking at its strength and the joints between the parts. I have often seen brushes where the tip with the hanging hole / hanging strip comes out of the handle so easily that the brush doesn't even stay on the hook in the shop. Not to mention the use...
Although it seems elementary, not all brushes have a way to hang it up: there is no hole in the handle, no hook, and no loop attached to the end of the brush. We can guarantee that if you didn't pay attention right away, you will the very first time you clean. The standard location of the grill brush is on a hook near the grill.
Some manufacturers offer brushes with interchangeable heads. So if you buy a good quality brush with a sturdy handle and a comfortable grip, you will definitely save money by buying replaceable parts instead of the whole tool.
Price
Once you have seen the possible differences between brushes above, you should probably no longer have any questions about why brush prices differ. There are no miracles here, and as is typical of everything to do with grills - price equals quality.
So we wish you would not rush out and buy the first tool you come across, but rather choose something that will make grilling a pleasant, comfortable and safe process rather than a chore.
