7 Best Grill Brushes of 2026, Tested and Reviewed

Tested by Kamron Sanders

Keeping your grill grates clean is the key to making sure tonight's T-bones don't taste like last night's glazed salmon. While it's true that high heat does most of the heavy lifting when it comes to killing bacteria, it doesn't fully sanitize the grill; plus, heat alone can't remove carbon buildup, ash, grease and other food residue. For this, you need a quality grill brush.

A good grill brush is comfortable in the hand, effective at cleaning your grill grates without causing damage and durable enough to stand up to heavy use. To help you decide which grill brush has these qualities, as well as any other features you may desire, we put 17 grill brushes through a rigorous testing process.

How We Tested

To identify the best grill brushes, we started by researching popular models across various brands and retailers, looking for capable grill brushes at a variety of price points, materials and designs. We settled on 17 different models, then put each through a rigorous testing process comprising the following tests.

Grate Cleaning Test: To test each grill brush's cleaning power, we preheated or cooled the grill according to the manufacturer's instructions, then used each brush to tackle stuck-on food, grease and other residue on the grates. As we cleaned, we also worked the brush around corners, between grates and into other hard-to-reach areas to gauge its overall maneuverability. We noted how quickly and easily each brush removed buildup, how much scrubbing or pressure was required, and whether a separate grill-cleaning spray was needed to get the grates clean.

Performance Test: For the overall performance test, we considered how well each grill brush performed throughout the cleaning process and whether its design made the job easier or more difficult. We looked for any flaws or limitations that affected how effectively the brush worked, including trouble reaching certain areas, awkward features or parts that didn't function as intended. We also considered how versatile each brush was and whether its overall performance lived up to its design and intended use.

Comfort Test: To evaluate comfort, we considered how each grill brush felt in hand throughout the cleaning process, including its weight, balance and overall ease of handling. We also noted whether the brush became tiring to use during longer cleaning sessions or required enough pressure and effort to cause hand or wrist fatigue.

Durability Assessment: For the durability test, we examined each grill brush before and after use for signs of wear or damage. We looked for loose or bent bristles, fraying or deterioration of cleaning heads, flexing or weakness in the handle, and any other changes that could affect long-term performance. We also considered the overall quality of the materials and construction to gauge how well each brush is likely to hold up with repeated use.

After the various performance tests were performed, we cleaned each brush according to the manufacturer's instructions. For those that were dishwasher-safe, we ran them in a normal dishwasher cycle.

What to Consider When Buying a Grill Brush

Cleaning Head Type: The most important consideration when choosing between grill brushes is the cleaning head type, with the three most common options being bristle, steam and coil. This will affect how the grill brush cleans, as well as how it will perform on any given grill grate.

Materials: The materials used to make the grill brush, both the handle and the brush head, as well as any other components, will also directly affect how well the brush performs. Additionally, certain materials are better for certain types of grill grates, such as a brass wire brush for delicate surfaces where scratching is a concern.

Handle Design: Handle design can impact how comfortable the grill brush is to use, as well as how effectively you can reach hard-to-reach areas. The primary difference between many popular brushes is a straight handle versus a more ergonomic handle. Additionally, many ergonomic options feature multiple grip points for easy use with both hands.

Features: While many grill brushes maintain a simple design, it's not uncommon to find various features available. These include replaceable head options, scrapers, hooks and loops for hanging, water reservoirs and more.

Safety and Durability: A grill brush needs to be strong and durable, as it takes a lot of pressure to clean dirty grill grates. If it feels flimsy when you're not cleaning, it's probably not going to hold up once you start cleaning a grill.

Additionally, grill brushes need to be safe. Traditional wire-bristle grill brushes have been getting a lot of attention over safety concerns regarding the ingestion of broken wire pieces that have made their way into grilled food. While this has indeed occurred and we certainly don't want to downplay the risk, these facts are more often exaggerated by competitive grill brush companies as a way of marketing safer alternatives.

If you are concerned about the safety and durability of wire-bristle brushes, we suggest looking for alternatives like nylon grill brushes or steam grill brushes, which are often touted as the safest grill brush options.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should you clean your grill grates?

You should brush your grill grates before and after every use to maintain your food's flavor and help mitigate bacteria. Additionally, a deep cleaning about once a month is helpful in preserving the quality of your grates, as well as preventing sticking food and heavy buildup. Before storing your grill in the winter, give it a thorough cleaning to prevent mold and mildew, as well as rust and corrosion.

Are wire grill brushes safe to use?

It's true that wire bristles can break off from wire grill brushes, which then poses a risk of ingesting the bristle. While this has happened, it's rarer than is often represented by alarming ads on social media. That said, it does happen, and you should use wire bristle grill brushes with caution, replacing them at any sign of damage or wear.

How often should you replace a grill brush?

There's no set interval for replacing grill brushes, but it's wise to regularly inspect your grill brush for damage, including loose bristles, rust or buildup, bent and fraying wires, or melted parts. If it helps to have a timeline, plan on inspecting your brush at the beginning and end of each grilling season, and replace if necessary.

Should you clean grill grates while they're hot or cold?

Whether you should clean grill grates while they're cold or hot comes down to the type of grill brush you are using. For instance, steam brushes specify that you must use them on a heated grill to activate the steam-cleaning power, while nylon brushes must be used on cool grates.

What's the difference between coil and bristle grill brushes?

Coil grill brushes utilize a continuous stretch of wire arranged in a coil, while a bristle grill brush utilizes individual short bristles. The individual bristles are more prone to breaking off, which is why bristle brushes are often regarded as the unsafe option.

Can you leave a grill brush outside?

Leaving a grill brush outside occasionally most likely won't hurt it, but it's better to store it inside away from the elements. Excess humidity, rain and sun exposure can damage the brush, which could deteriorate and render it ineffective or even unsafe.

Other Grill Brushes We Tested

The Grill Rescue Steam-Cleaning Grill Brush performed very well in all aspects of the test, but we couldn't make sense of its abnormally high price point. It seemed comparable in performance and quality to the Williams Sonoma version, which is nearly half the price. Plus, it didn't have a hook, and we found the scraper basic in comparison to the Williams Sonoma version.

The ThermoMaven Steam-Clean Barbecue Grill Brush was a wonderful steam-cleaning grill brush option, with an ergonomic handle design similar to the Scrub Daddy BBQ Daddy, which took our "Best Ergonomic" slot. All in all, it was a great brush; we just liked the features of the BBQ Daddy more and thought it was a better value than the ThermoMaven, given the lower price point.

The Kona Bristle-Free Grill Brush is very sturdy and well built, but when it came to actual cleaning, we found the coiled design to be lackluster. The Kona grill brush worked well on certain types of grill grates, but sat awkwardly on most, leaving you to manipulate the head in certain directions to clean the grates thoroughly.

The BBQ-Aid Grill Brush and Scraper is your classic grill brush, with a flat-bristled cleaning surface and a standard scraper attached to a wooden handle. In years past, we likely would've been perfectly content with this grill brush, but when testing it alongside the other brushes with their sleek designs and numerous features, it felt overly simple and left us wanting more.

Why You Should Trust Our Tester

This article was written by Kamron Sanders, a freelance home improvement writer and professional product tester with a past life as a cheesemonger and barista, and an ongoing passion for smoking BBQ and perfecting homemade pizza. For this list of best grill brushes, he tested 17 models from brands like Williams Sonoma, Grill Rescue, Scrub Daddy, OXO and more, exploring products ranging in size, price, materials, design, features and more. He evaluated each grill brush for ease of use, durability, quality, functionality, usefulness and design, as well as price point and overall value, noting his likes and dislikes to determine the overall winners we think you'll love.

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Food Network Shopping Experts believe the best method for testing products is based on how our fans are going to use them in the real world. In each of our Tested and Reviewed stories, products are tested in real home kitchens that reflect real-world use cases. Our testers follow rigorous testing rubrics designed by our expert editors and take copious notes during the testing process. When choosing the best products, our testers evaluate all of the testing data and take into consideration many factors, including ease of use, price, product availability and practicality. The products covered on FoodNetwork.com are chosen completely independently by our editors without any outside influence. Our editors do not accept products in exchange for a positive review or promised coverage.