[Ultrarunner2017]

Hey guys;
I guess a grill brush can be considered a tool, so I'm posting here.


We just bought a gas grill, and my sister also bought a Weber wire grill brush. It's one with stiff wire bristles embedded in a wood handle.


From all the horror stories I have read about people accidentally ingesting wires that come off these brushes and get into food, I'm thinking that I should be using a different type of cleaning tool.


The Weber brush we have appears to be well made, but it's bran-new now, so I wouldn't expect any problems with it.
The tag that was attached to the brush warns about replacing the brush if any of the bristles is loose or seriously bent.


From some of the photos I have seen of brushes that have caused problems, I can clearly see that the brush was used far longer than it should have been.
I don't even like to use a wire brush on paint or any non-food surface when its bristles get really flattened or bent.


So, I guess my main concern is whether or not I should be using the wire brush. If not, what is a good alternative.
If I don't use the wire brush for the grill, I am sure I can put it to use for jobs where ingesting a bristle is not an issue.


Thanks for your advice
Ultrarunner

 

[Windows on Wash]

I think everything on the internet is mostly over blown. If you clean the grill and look at it for approximately 2 seconds, you will be able to see if there are any wires.

If you are still worried about it, get a wood scraper.

 

[karoc524]

I have heard the same thing and its one that I truly believe. I have and use one of those flat wooded spoons that I will scrape the top and I would also do the bottom side before I start. I would also start grill up and when the grill itself is good warm I would wipe it down with a rag pushing down between the spaces while warm. You could also use one of those nylon brushes that's good stiff. But I admit that I have use a wire brush to which right after I go over it again with the rag on both sides just to play it safe.

 

[Ultrarunner2017]

I suppose that common sense comes into play as well.
If the brush looks worn out, then replace it. But we all know that many people will keep using the same tool year after year, long after its useful life has expired.


If I continue to use the wire brush, I will inspect it before each use, and also, hose down and wipe the grates after brushing.


I have read that wire brushes are much more effective if you brush with warm water while the grill is still hot, but not so hot you have to worry about burning yourself.
The problem with doing it when it's hot is you are eager to eat your grilled food as soon as it's done, and leaving the grill on while you eat so it remains hot for cleaning is a waste of gas.
I'm not sure re-heating after it has cooled would work as well. Maybe give that a try next time?

 

[SeniorSitizen]

We have several wire brushes not made for grills but i don't use one. I don't like the thought of using one at all even if it's advertised as such. Our Portable Kitchen of 45 years gets wiped with a paper towel after the grill is up to temperature. A grill glove protects the hand. Occasionally it's scraped with a long handle stainless turner.

 

[Old Thomas]

I use a wire grille brush and I don’t think I am dead yet.

 

[Ultrarunner2017]

I just texted my brother to ask him what he uses. His answer: nothing.
He never cleans his grill.
I guess that's one way to build up a flavor...

 

[LanterDan]

Crushed aluminum foil works well. I consider that more of a backup if I somewhere I can't find the wire brush I usually use though.

 

[SPS-1]

I made a grill brush by cutting a U shaped slot in a scrap piece of cedar. The slot is the same width as the diameter of the grill bars, so it cleans 3 sides of the grill grating. Works well.

My friend saw it on my counter and she asked me about it. I explained that I made it for the very reason discussed in this thread. Just as by buddy remarked that ingesting wire was never going to happen, she explained that her son had a piece of wire get stuck in his throat once while eating something that was cooked on a grill. She said he managed to expel the piece of wire by forcing himself to throw up. So it does happen.

 

[Ultrarunner2017]

I'm afraid the problem (with wire brushes) is yet another example of the poor manufacturing and QC that seems to be the norm with anything produced on this planet today.
I read something from 2018 about Canada working on legislation for standards for such tools. I don't know whether it was enacted or not.
It's a shame that it takes legislation to force manufacturers into producing something that is useful and not dangerous. Time was a manufacturer put pride into their product, but I'm afraid most of that is gone now.
And to make matters worse, paying good money for what you believe is a quality tool doesn't always get you what you expect.


Everyone likes to blame China, but in reality, it's not the country or their workers. The problem goes right back to the engineers who design and the inspectors who perform QC.

 

[SPS-1]

I don't think its just poor quality control. There are certain things the manufacturer can do to hold the wires better, like using a thermoset plastic that won't soften in the dishwasher. But you are bending a piece of steel back and forth and pushing on it and praying that its not going to break. Its just a bad idea from the start. Just like a flat roof, or a swing arm rear suspension. Just find an alternative.

 

[lenaitch]

I no longer use them, although I have a small one and the bristles look to be some kind of fibre. I have heard rubbing foil after can help, and that the wooden scrapers are good. I have one of those pads on a stick (looks like a kitchen scrubber, only black) to wipe the grill after scraping.



My S-i-L bought me one of these and it seems to work well.

Health Canada started a study back in 2017 and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) recently announced new product safety standards back in February.


https://www.retailcouncil.org/commu...unces-new-standard-on-barbecue-grill-brushes/

 

[SPS-1]

Its just a bad idea from the start. Just like a flat roof, or a swing arm rear suspension.

Ooops. That would be swing axle rear suspension. Like on a Corvair or Spitfire.

Sorry about that.

 

[chandler48]

Just as info on the Weber brush. Mine is about 3 months old and is coming apart. Good idea since it doesn't have the individual wires, but now it has longer wires when it unravels. I like SPS-1's idea of the notched cedar. I mean, really if you heat the grid over the coals most of the crud burns off anyway, and it's "sterile" due to the heat.

 

[huesmann]

Disagree that it's overblown. I've found bristles on my steak.

I have the kind pictured by lenaitch, but I don't find that it works that well. It's better than ingesting wire bristles though! Mine has a flat scraper on the back side, which works better than the spiral bit.

 

[Ultrarunner2017]

Disagree that it's overblown. I've found bristles on my steak.

I have the kind pictured by lenaitch, but I don't find that it works that well. It's better than ingesting wire bristles though! Mine has a flat scraper on the back side, which works better than the spiral bit.

How old and in what condition is the wire brush you were using when you found bristles on your steak?


Regardless, I am going to take my needle-nose plier and test random bristles on the brush. I should not be able to pull them out with moderate force.


Perhaps my bro's idea is the best one: Don't clean the grates at all!
That said, I found using a simple kitchen "Dobie" scrubber works to remove loose pieces of meat, which might spoil and carry bacteria. Then I can rinse the grates down with the hose (with a spary).
Then, before using the grill each time, light it, set all burners to high and close the cover. Let run for 5+ minutes. That should get the grates hot enough to burn off any bacteria that might still be on the grates.


Funny, when we used a charcoal grill (much smaller than the gas grill) we cleaned the grate with a Brillo soap pad, then rinsed thoroughly with the hose. If there was still burned-on crud, so be it. No one ever got sick.

 

[huesmann]

The age of the brush varied, probably with the quality.

I'm not too concerned about bacteria. I too preheat the grill before using—I figure that'll kill anything bad. I'm just more concerned about larger chunks of crud ending up on food.

 

[jayhanig]

So, I guess my main concern is whether or not I should be using the wire brush. If not, what is a good alternative.
If I don't use the wire brush for the grill, I am sure I can put it to use for jobs where ingesting a bristle is not an issue.

I've been cooking on gas grills for over 40 years and have yet to see this problem. Any loose bristles will fall into the no man's land underneath the burners. Anything that is left on the surface of the grill itself will be easily visible. However, the only thing I've ever seen left on mine is bits of meat I lifted too early with a spatula or just rust (I live at the beach). Bristles? Never.

Leave the gas on for about 15 minutes after you cook and then brush your grill. That will get any meat particles. Brush it again before you start heating it and that will get rid of any rust. You can also spray some Pam on the grilling surface at that time if you choose.

 

[pwcopy]

I've been using a Char Broil Cool-Clean 360. You scrub with it when the grill is cold. Plastic bristles are easier on the porcelain enamel cast iron grates on my Weber Q3200. Sounds odd, but so far it's working for me.

 

[SPS-1]

I've been cooking on gas grills for over 40 years and have yet to see this problem.

The first time you see the problem, you will remember it for a while.