8 Best Grill Brushes for Cleaning Grates with Minimal Effort
Updated: Apr. 05, 2023The best grill brush does more than just keep your grate clean—it makes you a better (and safer) outdoor cook.
Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.
There are a handful of essential tools that every pitmaster needs to have on hand, like a thermometer, apron and fire starters or charcoal chimney. However, the most essential item everyone, from the casual cook to the pro chef, needs is the best grill brush.
Keeping your grates clean can extend the life of your grill. Some grilling experts say the secret to grilling the best-tasting food is to always cook on a clean grate. Food is also less likely to stick or burn if you start with a base that’s free of ash and debris. It’s a good idea to go over the hot grill with your brush after removing the food, and once again the next time you’re heating up the grill.
Always be careful of worn-out grill bushes, particularly brushes with wire bristles. While it’s a small risk, people have ended up in emergency rooms when a bristle breaks off, gets in the food and ends up in someone’s throat or digestive tract. Replace your grill brush often—if you can pull out a bristle, it’s time to replace the brush. Here are our top picks so you can find the best grill brush to get the job done.
Best Stainless Steel Grill Brush
This sturdy grill brush has a two rows of stainless steel bristles that reach all around the grate. The 10-inch handle has a comfortable grip, and it’s long enough to keep your hands away from the heat. It can handle any kind of grate, including cast-iron, porcelain and enamel-coated. It’s strong enough for regular use without shedding bristles, and at less a budget-friendly price, it’s reasonable enough to replace when the time comes.
GrillArt Bristle-Free Grill Brush
Bristle-free wire grill brushes eliminate the worry of bristles ending up in your food. Made of rust-free stainless steel, the flexible, double-helix design of GrillArt’s bristle-free grill brush enables thorough cleaning of all grill types. The handy, built-in scraper is a big plus for dislodging stubborn debris on the edges and undersides of grill grates.
Great Scrape Wood Grill Scraper
If you’re really worried about shedding bristles getting in your food, skip them all together. The Great Scrape Woody Shovel is made from red oak and beech hardwood, and the 20-inch length will reach all over, even the largest grilling surfaces. It’s pre-treated with food-safe mineral oil to keep the wood in tip-top shape. Another nice feature: As you use it on a heated grill surface, the top edge will develop ridges that fit perfectly into the spaces on your grill grates. If you keep the end flat, it also works well on grill griddles. Consider this a more unique gift for outdoor cooks.
Char-Broil Nylon Grill Brush
The grill brush from Char-Broil is the best nylon bristle brush out there, and the ideal choice for scratch-free cleaning of porcelain- or ceramic-coated grates. Meant to be used on a cold grill, the grit-infused bristles are angled to effectively clean between and under grates. The brush head is removable to make quick work of cleaning and replacement. The nylon bristles are red, so you can spot them easily if any get into your food. It also has a hook so you can hang it on your grill’s tool bar.
BBQ-Aid Grill Brush and Scraper
If you’re a fan of old-school quality, you’ll like BBQ-Aid’s grill brush and scraper. Use the notched scraper to remove burnt-on crud and let the durable, stainless steel grill brush take care of the rest. While most wire bristle brushes need to be replaced every year, this model features a replaceable head so you don’t have to replace the whole brush. To complete the tool, the handle is made from durable acacia wood.
Alpha Grillers Stainless Steel Grill Brush
Well-made and easy to use, this 18-inch stainless steel grill brush from Alpha Grillers covers five times more surface area than conventional brushes for faster cleanup. Stainless steel bristles are stiffer than brass bristles, and tend to last longer. Plus, if you wet a stainless steel bristle brush, you can effectively steam clean a hot grill!
How We Found the Best Grill Brush
As shopping experts, our only job is to help you find a winning product. We start with the research and reporting basics—what products are made of, what they look like and how much they cost—to ensure that we’re only recommending the buys that are worth your time and money. Then, we research the features that speak to the product’s quality, taking advice from industry insiders and subject matter experts on what makes a product a smart value (or worthy of a splurge). Finally, we do the work of combing through user reviews to see how real people interact with the product, and if it stands up to the test.
Shop smarter with our expert recommendations for tools, gear and money-saving deals on can’t miss DIY and home products. Sign up for the Stuff We Love newsletter.
