Before you clean your barbecue for your next backyard cookout, you may want to toss out that old brush if it’s a wired brush. This is because the traditional wire brush isn’t exactly safe, in fact, it is dangerous – so dangerous that it could send you to the emergency room.
Dangers of Wire Grill Brushes
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Starting out, I wanted to speak with you about the dangers of wire grill brushes – that is, after all, the main reason I’m here today, introducing you to wire-free grill brushes. When a friend comes to me and asks “should I buy a wire grill brush?” My immediate response is “No.”
You see, long story short, these types of products are not safe – even doctors will tell you this.
“Wire grill brushes are not safe.” Before you go clean your grill, it is important that you keep that news in mind.
After research, and speaking with different people, I have found that doctors are actually warning people about these types of brushes – they are hazardous to people’s health.
The wire bristles can easily break off while you’re cleaning with it, stick on the grate and end up getting in the food you’re cooking. Once the metal is consumed, it could get lodged in the stomach or intestines and cause a whole lot of damage.
For the longest time, I used this type of bbq cleaning item to clean my grates, until a friend of mine that lives 2 states over got sick. When I talked to him on the phone, he told me that he was feeling sharp pains in his stomach and that’s when he was rushed to the hospital.
He describes the pain as something he had never had before. When he arrived at the hospital, they did a CT scan and that scan showed a foreign object in his intestine.
He had to be pushed through emergency surgery and that was when they removed a 1-inch long piece of metal from his intestine. He had cleaned their grill using a wire brush before cooking, and without knowing it, he ingested that bristle when he ate the burger.
Unfortunately, this is a situation that we see time and time again. After my friend had this issue, that is when I started to research and in the end, I decided it was time to get rid of the wire brush that I always used to clean my grill and now, today, I am here warning everyone against the dangers of using wire grill brushes.
I have noticed some expects telling people that they need to regularly replace their grill cleaning brushes – they say this is a solution to the problem. However, I feel as if simply changing or cleaning the brushes isn’t going to make them safer. I believe the one way to be 100% safe would be to do away with the dangers of the bristle grill brush all together.
If however, you still choose to use that brush, it is important that you check over the cooking surface to make sure no bristles have been left behind. You can take a damp cloth and give the grate a wipe down just to be on the safe side. When you start cooking, do so in a well-lit area so that you can check for any objects that may have been left behind on the grill.
Safety Tips
For those of you that are still insisting on not walking away from that wired brush for whatever reason, I have some safety tips that I want you to start using.
- Throw it away – That would be the logical solution, right? Before you use your grill brush, look at the head and if you see that it is warped or split, toss it away and buy a new one.
- Clogged – If you have a grill brush that is clogged up from grease and all of that yucky stuff, then you need to toss it out.
- Safety Check – After analyzing the grill brush, you find that it looks okay. However, it may not be okay like it appears. For this reason, I recommend a simple safety check. Take a pair of pliers to the bristle and pull at it. If the bristle pulls lose, then it’s time to replace it.
For those of you that are interested in an alternative to the wired brushes for grills, I highly recommend a wireless grill cleaner. Basically, they’re like the wired brush, except they do a better job, and don’t contain wire pieces that can get into your food.
Safety is paramount when grilling outdoors you can also check out our BBQ Gloves Article Here
Benefits of a Wire Free Brush
Take a look at the benefits of a wire free brush:
- Easier to Clean with
- Faster to Clean with
- Safer because you don’t have to worry about metal getting lost in your food
- Recommended by doctors
If you’re new to the world of wireless brushes, there’s no need to worry, because I have a list of the best wire brushes for you – by choosing from this list, you can finally be on your way to cleaning up without a wire brush, which means you won’t even have to worry about metal being in your food!
Best Wire Free Brushes for the Grill
Longest Lasting Grill Brush
The Kona Grill Brush offers bristle free cleaning, so you don’t have to worry about metals getting into the food you eat. Personally, I believe this is a great alternative for those individuals that do not want to clean with bristles.
No Sharp Edges
This bbq brush doesn’t have any sharp edges and is a unique 3-in-1 design. I chose to add this brush to my list because it is the best grill brush for cast iron grates. This brush is actually recommended for all grill types including porcelain, cast iron, Char-Broil, Infrared, Ceramic, Weber and so on. It sure does do a good job at keeping the grill look brand new.
Lasts for a Long Time
This product has an interesting guarantee nesting behind it. Basically, the product states that it is “guaranteed to last 5 X longer.” It also states that it is a 125% more rigid grill tool than the conventional brushes currently on the market. I can see why this type of brush would last longer than the conventional brushes …there’s no bristles to wear down or fall off and it definitely isn’t flimsy.
Handle Length
I also noticed it has the ideal handle length. When you’re cooking on a bbq, a long handle is important because you want to keep your hands away from the heat. This barbecue brush will allow you to use both hands with minimal effort.
All in all, the Kona Grill Brush is well worth every penny and is definitely something I would personally recommend to you.
Best Bristle Free Brush
There are people out there that swear that this one from Mountain Grillers is the best bristle free brush they have ever used and looking at the product, I can see why they’d say that. With this brush, eliminating the gross crusty stuff from your grill will be easy.
Stainless Steel Spiral Construction
Looking at the stainless steel spiral construction of this grill brush, it becomes obvious that there was some thought put into making the brush. With this brush, you will be able to reach every part of your grill.
Bristle Free
All of the brushes on my list are bristle free, but I still feel the need to point this out. Since this brush is bristle free, it means there’s not going to be any leftover yucky stuff stuck on the brush, unlike those traditional wire versions.
Long Brush
When it comes to grill brushes, long handles are always a plus, because well, who enjoys burning their arm hair? The handle on this one is 18 inches long.
All in all, I believe the Mountain Grillers bristle free grill brush is one of the best currently on the market for all of the above reasons. Plus, it’s always nice not to have to worry about serving burgers that have bristles in them! This one is perfect for propane, outdoor gas, and charcoal grills – all you have to do is get the grill going, put the lid down to get it super hot, then scrub it and put the meat on. When it’s all said and done, you can hang it from your grill with the hanger – this way, you always have it within arms reach.
Best 2-in-1 Bristle Free Brush
The best 2-in-1 bristle free brush comes to us from KitchenReady – a company that obviously knows how to take good care of their consumers. This safe brush will have you feeling confident while cleaning up after every cookout.
Stainless Steel
This is a 3 coin stainless steel brush that is guaranteed to make your cleaning job a whole lot easier. It is capable of removing burnt char, and excess meat in no time at all. This KitchenReady brush can steam-clean your cooking area like never before.
Easy to Use
This 2-in-1 bristle free brush is easy to use and will make your cleaning routine faster. This means instead of sitting there scrubbing a grill, you can put that time towards doing fun things, like hanging out with your friends. After all, a backyard cookout should involve hanging out with friends, not trying to clean everything before you use it. In order to clean your bbq with this product, all you need is some water, your grill (of course) and this KitchenReady tool.
Safe to Use
There’s no need to worry about bristles getting in your food after you have cleaned the cooking area, which makes it very safe to use. This way, you won’t have to worry about you or your guests consuming metal that has a tendency to fall off of those traditional ones. Seriously, I can’t think of anyone that wants to eat metal with their hamburger.
The product states that you can have a clean grill within 60 seconds and that right there sounds pretty good to me. The company also offers a full refund to those that don’t like the results of their 2-in-1 grill brush, which is a good thing, but I can’t see anyone not liking the ending results.
High-Quality Wireless Grill Brush
Another bristle free product that really stands out from the crowd for me would be the one from HaRuion. With this brush, you will no longer have to worry about those hazardous loose wire bristles that have a tendency to fall off of those traditional brushes.
Handle Length
I believe the handle length of HaRuions cleaning tool is perfect. It will do a good job at keeping your hands away from the heat while you’re cleaning.
Safe
The HaRuion grill brush is 100% safe to use. You can use the grill brush on Propane, Porcelain, Infrared, Electric, Iron, Gas, Stainless Steel, Iron and Weber Grates without having to worry about causing any damage to them.
Triple Helix
The triple helix is a major bonus. To clean your grill, simply dip the brush in the water and rub it across the hot grill – this will basically steam clean the grill.
Long Lasting
This item was designed to be long-lasting. The company states that they want this to be the last grill brush their consumers will ever need. With that comes a quality guarantee – they state that if anything ever happens to the BBQ brush, they will replace it free of charge or send a full refund. With a guarantee like that, it appears as if the company has full confidence in their product, and that is always a good sign.
If you’re tired of using those traditional hazardous brushes, then I highly recommend this one right here.
Wire Grill Brush Alternative
This Unicook is another one without bristles that I just had to include on my list for numerous reasons. This brush is unique because of the nylon bristles (the bristles are in a special bright color). Surprisingly, the bristles are hard to snap off and are thick and stiff. They are much safer than those thin, sharp wire bristles that you use on the grill – those wire bristles have a tendency to fall off while you’re cleaning and can end up in your food.
Perfect for Porcelain Grates
If you’re looking for something that will do a great job on porcelain grates without damaging them, then this could be what you are looking for. It’s never going to damage the surfaces of porcelain and chrome wire grates …the same cannot be said about a wire model.
Effective Cleaner
This angled and abrasive-infused Nylon brush will clean under and between grates more effectively. It even has a head scraper blade on it, which comes in handy for getting rid of that stubborn debris that has a tendency to get stuck on the grill – this makes it a multifunction brush. It even has a dual metal hook that you can use as a grid lifter and hanger.
Warranty
This item is backed by a 60 days 100% money back guarantee.
I must warn you – unlike the other brushes I have on this list, due to the fact that this is made of Nylon, you cannot use it on a hot grill, because obviously, it would damage the brush. However, personally, I still like the idea of using a nylon brush to clean my bbq, especially when it does a great job.
Grill Brush without Bristles
The Iregro bristle free brush is another one on this list that is worth looking into. I like bristle free brushes because they allow you to be able to clean the grill, without having to use any form of chemical cleaner.
Great Cleaner
The wires have loops in them, making a nice solid design. For this reason, removing hard spots on the grill will be easy. You can use it to scrape off the dirt and grime from both grate and regular grilling surfaces, without having to worry about damaging your grill.
Curved Wires
The curved wires on the brush are perfect. A lot of the other brushes currently on the market have individual wires and those have a tendency to break off and find their way into the food. These won’t get stuck on the grill after you use them, so you won’t have to worry about bristles.
Long Handle
The handle is 10 inches in length, which is pretty good. This way, you won’t have to worry about burning yourself while you’re trying to clean up. The handle has been made out of non-slip material, which makes it easy for you to control, even when you’re applying a lot of pressure. As an additional bonus, the handle on this one isn’t going to get hot while you’re cleaning the barbecue.
Universal
This is a universal grill brush. This means that you can use it with a gas, smoker, porcelain, charcoal, or an infrared grill. Basically, it can be used on any type of grill, even a Weber grill and a Foreman grill.
Warranty
This item also has a 30 day money back, 12-month replacement warranty nesting behind it. So, if you have any problems with it, just give Iregro a call.
In the end, if you’re looking for a useful product to clean your grills without having to worry about bristles falling off, then this one right here is worth looking into.
Layoo BBQ Brush
The Layoo grill brush is another bristle free one that I feel the need to include on this list of the top wire free grill brushes. With the Layoo grill brush, you’ll be cleaning those grates without using sharp edges.
Unique Design
This item has a unique tight rotation woven design to it. With this design, you won’t have to worry about metal bristles getting stuck on the grill and later finding their way into your food.
Long Handle
When it comes to brushes, if it doesn’t have a long handle, I don’t want it. In this case, it has an 18 inch handle, which is more than long enough for me. With an 18 inch handle, you won’t have to worry about putting your hands in the heat. Also, believe it or not, this brush is easy to control while cleaning your barbecue at any angle.
Versatility
The Layoo wireless brush is compatible with almost all BBQ grills, such as charcoal, gas, porcelain, smoker, infrared and all other types. With those thoughts in mind, you will always be able to keep your cooking are looking shiny, as if it is brand new.
Efficient Cleaning
The 3 head design on this brush is easy to use. With a design like this, you will be able to clean every nook and cranny – it has a useful 360 degree rotator on it, which really does come in handy.
Quality Guarantee
This stainless steel brush head with its long handle might just be the best choice for you. It is durable and exquisite without deformation, making it one of the best wireless brushes currently on the market at a low price.
Efay Grill Brush
While there are many great products on the market, the best ones, in my opinion, would be the ones that do not contain those annoying bristles. You know, those bristles that have a tendency to get stuck in food – no one wants to bite into a hamburger only to find a piece of metal lingering in there. On my list, I wanted to include the Efay grill cleaning brush, because I believe it can easily be labeled as one of the best wireless brushes out there for the reasons I’m mentioning here.
Quick Cleaning
When you’re cleaning your cooking area, you don’t want to have to take an hour to clean it – you don’t even want to take thirty minutes to clean it. You want to get those grates cleaned quickly so that you can relax with your guests. With the Efay grill cleaning brush, you can do just that.
Bristle Free
Yes, this one is obviously bristle free or it wouldn’t be on this list. This brush consists of stainless steel coils, and you’re never going to have to worry about those.
Scraper
This one has a scraper with it. This is basically 3 brushes in 1, making it even easier and faster to clean. With this brush, you have the brush itself and the scraper, which will help you get rid of those stubborn stains that seem to be stuck on the grates.
Long Handle
The handle on this brush is 18.9 inches long, which is great and since it’s stainless steel, you don’t have to worry about it breaking down under pressure, which is even better news.
Suitable for all Grills
I also need to mention that this wireless brush is suitable for all grill types. This includes ceramic, porcelain, charcoal, gas, infrared grills, smokers, and all of the other types.
Point blank, if you’re looking for a wireless brush that isn’t going to cave when under pressure, then the Efay brush might just be a suitable option for you.
Conclusion
So there you have it – a list of the best wire-free brushes for your grill. I cannot recommend just one of these eight brushes, because they are all great. If you’re looking to clean your grill while it’s hot, then make sure you avoid the Unicook brush I mentioned, because it’s nylon. The other 7 brushes on the list can be used on your grill while it’s hot, so you’ll be giving it a steam clean, which makes cleaning much easier for you.
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