The 7 Best Wire Grill Brushes of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

How We Tested

Over the course of several weeks, we researched popular wire grill brushes, using our insights to develop a standardized methodology to test them side by side. We then put the brushes to use at home on our own grills, and we used these findings to put together our list.

To evaluate each grill brush, we used each one to clean dirty grill grates that had baked-on food particles and grease stains. We tested each brush both wet and dry to see which way was more effective, making note of whether it removed gunk well and how much force was needed. We also considered the ergonomics of each brush, noting whether its handle was long enough to comfortably reach the back of a large grill and if the brush head was at a proper angle to make scrubbing easy. Finally, we cleaned each brush, evaluating how easy it was and whether the unit dried properly after.

Other Options We Tested:

• Grand Grill Daddy Grill Cleaning Brush: This grill brush has a unique design with a water reservoir built into its handle. The idea is that when switched on, the brush will drip water onto the grates as you clean, creating steam to loosen up food particles. However, we found that the mechanism was poorly designed—sometimes it wouldn't drip at all, and other times it would dump too much water onto the grill. The reservoir leaked, even when its nozzle was supposed to be closed, and the opening to fill the water tank was tiny and impossible to clean. This inconsistent performance and the brush's high price keep us from recommending it.
  

What to Look for in a Grill Brush

Safety

A grill brush may seem like a pretty innocuous tool, but those little metal wires can get dislodged while cleaning the grill. If a bristle comes loose and sticks to the grease or residue on a grill grate, it could make its way into someone’s food the next time you cook. Luckily, you can prevent such a thing by choosing a well-made wire grill brush, properly maintaining it, and replacing it at the first signs of wear and tear. Look for wire bristles that are hard-wired (not simply glued) into a firm food-grade plastic or metal brush head and cut evenly. A visibly straggly bristle should be a deal-breaker; where there’s one, there’s likely to be more. And if you can pull a bristle from the brush, don’t buy it.

Materials

The most effective grill brushes are made with brass or food-grade stainless steel bristles. Brass is softer than stainless steel but strong enough to get a grill grate good and clean, so if you’re worried about scratching or otherwise damaging your grill, but still want the strength of a metal bristle, brass is a good option. If you want to avoid metal wires altogether, there are a few good grill brushes with synthetic bristles, like nylon, and even some made of natural plant fibers. Some nylon bristles are even brightly colored, so you’d notice if one broke away from the brush. You can also buy a grill brush with a scour pad-type head, though this style is generally less durable than a bristle-style brush.

Heat Resistance

It’s important to get a heat-safe grill brush. If the instructions warn against using the brush on a hot surface, it’s a good indication the bristles are glued (as opposed to structurally secured) and are more likely to fall out with repeated use. And if the brush head and shaft aren’t all constructed of metal, be sure to look for “heat resistant” or “heat safe” in the product description.

Handle Length 

Grill brush handle length is really a matter of preference. While a longer handle may seem like a better option if you’re cleaning a still-hot surface, a shorter handle can actually provide more leverage and flexibility when scraping and scrubbing various parts of the grill, allowing you to get into the edges, inside grates, and more. A thick, twisted wire handle will have more give (and less leverage) than an equally long solid wood handle, so consider that when choosing a handle length, too.

Brush Style

Square or rectangular grill brushes work like any other type of brush and often have rows or sections of bristles in a grid. This style may be easier to keep clean, but if the brush head panel isn’t really filled out, it may require more elbow grease to be effective. A pipe cleaner-style brush head, on the other hand, has bristles going in every direction—and usually has a lot more bristles in general. The round design makes it easier to get between the grates when cleaning with a back-and-forth motion, and this style can also be turned on its side to really get into and underneath the dirtiest parts of the grill grates.

Integrated Scraper 

Some grilled-on gunk is too much for a grill brush to handle alone. A grill scraper can help dislodge those pieces, and scraping before brushing can also help prolong the life of a brush. Many square or rectangular brushes have a built-in scraper, but if the brush head isn’t replaceable it may make more sense to have a separate scraper so you’re not paying extra for a longer-lasting tool that will get thrown out when you replace your brush. But this is a matter of preference; if you’d rather have one tool than two, a built-in scraper can be a time and space saver.

Maintenance

Grill brushes should be cleaned often because you don’t want to transfer any gunk back onto your grill. You can usually dislodge any bigger particles by knocking the brush against something or using a second wire brush to clean your main brush—just be sure that the second brush doesn’t leave any wires behind in your grill brush. Most brushes can then be cleaned with warm soapy water, but be sure to thoroughly rinse and dry them when you’re done; some metal bristles can rust, but you don’t really want water collecting in any brush head.

Of course, the most important thing to remember about maintaining a grill brush is that when the bristles become bent and smashed or any bristles start to come loose, it’s time to replace the entire brush, or at least the head, if that's possible.

Types of Wire Grill Brushes

Bristle Brushes

Bristle brushes are the most effective and ubiquitous tools for cleaning a grill, and the bristles can be made of stainless steel, brass, nylon, or natural materials. Flat brushes feature a panel of bristles, sometimes in rows or sections, while pipe cleaner-style wire brushes have a 360-degree filled-out bristle design.

Scrubber 

If you’d like to avoid any type of bristle brush, you can get a grill brush that has a scour-pad head. It’s basically a steel wool pad affixed to a handle. Generally, though, these are less effective and far less durable than bristle brushes. That said, some people like to use scrubbers as more of a polishing step after they use a brush or scraper, which can prolong the life of this style.

Scraper

While some people like to use a grill scraper in conjunction with a brush, others swear by scrapers as their sole cleaning tool. If you choose a scraper as your main “brush,” you may find a metal version with grooves in the blade to be more effective than a flat blade. Wood scrapers are less ubiquitous, but also a good choice. They’re meant to form to the exact size and shape of your grates with repeated use, which means you get a perfect scrape every time (well, eventually).

FAQs

How do you clean a wire grill brush?

The best way to clean a grill brush is by soaking it in hot water with a squirt of dish soap and swishing it around to remove as much crud as possible. If you have another grill or kitchen brush available, you can also rub the two together—this is a great way to dislodge even more gunk and clean deep within the bristles. Once you've gotten most of the debris out, rinse the brush to remove any soap residue and hang it to dry.

Can you put a wire grill brush in the dishwasher?

Some grill brushes or brush heads are dishwasher safe, but it's typically better to wash them by hand to avoid getting grease and food residue in your dishwasher. If you do opt to put your brush in the dishwasher, be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions—for instance, you may have to remove the brush head first or keep the tool on the top shelf of your appliance.

When should I brush my grill?

The best time to clean your grill is after you've finished cooking. Your grill should still be warm when you take a brush to it—this makes it much easier to clean off lingering food particles. By cleaning the grill after each use, you'll prevent food and grease from hardening onto your grates, making maintenance easier in the long run.

Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

Donna Currie is a cookbook author who reviews products and writes roundups for The Spruce Eats. She grills snow or shine, has tested numerous grills of all kinds—including gas, charcoal, pellet, and kamado—and personally reviewed three of the wire grill brushes included in this roundup.

This roundup was updated by Camryn Rabideau, product tester and grill expert for The Spruce Eats. She personally tested several of the grill brushes included in the list, using them to clean both pellet and gas grills. While researching this article, she spoke with Jess Pryles, grilling expert and author of "Hardcore Carnivore" for tips on how to maintain your grill.