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The 3 best grill brushes of 2025 to make summer barbecues even better

There's something so easy about throwing dinner on the grill, isn't there? I can't explain it, but once the weather warms up, the idea of washing pots and pans after cooking dinner in the kitchen feels so much more arduous than what's required after using the grill. But if cleaning the grill is so overwhelming that you've been known to leave it dirty for days, it's time to try one of the best grill brushes of 2025.

As a culinary school graduate, kitchen gear expert and mom of two, I prepare a ton of meals. As a result, I'll try almost any gadget or tool that makes cleaning up after cooking faster and easier. The best BBQ grill brush does just that — cleans efficiently and doesn't take long to get the job done. Tool expert and former HGTV host Chip Wade offers this advice: "Look for a sturdy handle and head that can hold up to significant pressure and repeated use. The brush should have parts that don’t rust when left outside and the ability to replace parts that wear out without having to buy a new one."

After sifting through nearly 100 grill cleaning brushes, I narrowed the testing pool to nine popular picks. I chose a variety of brushes, some with metal bristles, some with synthetic bristles, some with natural bristles and some without any bristles at all. A few models are only for use on cold grills, and some work by dipping them into cold water that becomes steam when you rake them over hot grill grates. My picks for the best grill brushes are easy to use and will help you get those grates spick-and-span.

Best grill brushes of 2025

This brush features three rows of vertically oriented, dense metal bristles and a metal scraper. I wasn't sure how I felt about the shape, but it turned out to be incredibly effective at degunking grill grates.

I liked the scraper, which has helpful notches at the corners, for my initial pass at cleaning the grates. And I really appreciated the angle of the rows of bristles for reaching all the grime on top of and between the grates with less elbow grease than I thought I'd have to use.

The brush arrived in two parts which screw together to create an 18-inch handle that gives you plenty of room to stay a safe distance away from a blazing grill. This brush works best on hot grates, and you can even occasionally wet the bristles while cleaning for more intense steam cleaning.

Every so often, you'll probably have to clean the brush itself, but it's easy to do: Just soak it in hot, soapy water. I found the metal loop at the end of the handle helpful for storage.

Pros

Reasonably priced
Works well on a hot grill
Long handle

Cons

The brush itself will need cleaning periodically

$15 at Amazon

If you're not a fan of cleaning a hot grill or you prefer a simpler tool, this Weber brush will do the trick. Though you can certainly use it while your grill is hot, it works just as well when it's cold, thanks to its row of bushy, stiff wire bristles.

It does a very good job of getting crud off the grates, both on the top and sides. Because it's narrow, when you turn it perpendicular to the grill grates, it easily slides between them.

While it doesn't have a scraper, that wasn't a dealbreaker because the bristles work so well on their own. And I appreciated that it includes a cord at the end of the handle for hanging it from your grill.

Pros

Cleans well between grates
Long, lightweight handle
Reasonably priced

Cons

Does not have a scraper

$15 at Target

If you're on the hunt for the best grill brush without wire bristles — or you prefer to steam-clean your grill — give the BBQ Daddy scrubber a try. I have used Scrub Daddy's scouring pads to successfully clean lots of cookware, so I was game to try this new kind of grill brush.

I admit I had never used anything but a more traditional grill brush prior to this testing, so this tool offered a whole new perspective on what works best to clean the grates. It features a removable 4-inch wedge-shaped foam head covered in heat-resistant ArmorTec Steel mesh, plus a steel scraper at the end. After you soak the foam in ice water, it firms up a bit and then you use it to scrub hot grill grates. It takes some work, but it gets the grates sparkling clean. Unfortunately, after I cleaned two grills, the steel mesh had a hole in it. The head can be replaced with a refill scrubber.

The plastic handle may be oddly shaped, but it's quite versatile and features a rotating helper grip in the center. You can use this to apply added pressure or shift the angle at which you're scrubbing.

I'd relegate this brush to deep cleaning over routine or daily grill maintenance. But it's a smart tool to have in your arsenal.

Pros

Deep cleans
Rotating helper handle
Bristle-free

Cons

Scrubber may wear out quickly

$25 at The Home Depot

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How to choose a grill brush

My time spent testing grill brushes yielded these considerations to keep in mind when you're shopping.

Brush angle and handle: Cleaning grill grates, especially after routine use, shouldn't take longer than cooking the food you put on them. We looked for brushes that were comfortable to hold, felt sturdy and let us get into nooks and crannies. The preferred angle of a brush will depend on your height in comparison to the grill, as well as whether or not the grates are flush with the edge or lower than the edge of the grill.

Bristle type: There are brushes with metal bristles, nylon bristles, natural bristles and no bristles.

Metal bristles are the stiffest and best at cleaning grates at both cold and hot temperatures, but you should be vigilant about making sure they do not loosen or break off (this did not happen during testing). If you're concerned about the safety of using a brush with wire bristles, try this tip chef Michael Symon recently shared with us: "What I typically do is I get my grill hot and let it burn off. Then I'll hit the big debris with a metal grill brush. After that, I wrap an old brush with a kitchen towel I coat with oil and clean the grates again. This way, any wires that may pop off are removed."
Nylon or synthetic bristles can only be used on a cold grill, or they will melt.
Natural bristles are best for cleaning a hot grill, but they were not as effective as metal ones.
Bristle-free grill brushes work with cold water on a hot grill to create steam that helps remove debris while you scrub.

Scraper: If you like to scrape the grill grates to remove debris before brushing them, look for a brush with a built-in stainless steel scraper.

Value: The tools we tested range in price from $13 to $49. The simplest ones without scrapers are the least expensive and the most expensive is a steam cleaning tool with a scraper and a replaceable head. The value in each depends on your preferred cleaning method.

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How we tested grill brushes

After opening each box, I noted how each tool was meant to be used — whether on a hot grill, a cold grill or after soaking in a bowl of cold water. I cooked pork ribs and chicken drumsticks doused in sticky barbecue sauce to get the grates really dirty. I used the brushes to clean grates on both charcoal and gas grills.

I tried each BBQ grill brush on several grills to see how it performed. (Lisa Schweitzer/Yahoo)

To rank on our list, the gadgets had to excel in the following test:

"Gettin' saucy" test: I slathered pork ribs and chicken drumsticks with lots of barbecue sauce and let them cook on both a gas and a charcoal grill, periodically basting them with more sauce. Then I followed the manufacturer's instructions for cleaning the grates. I noted if it took a particularly long time to use each brush and how well each one cleaned the tops of the grates and between them.

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Other grill brushes we tested

Char-Broil Safer Cool-Clean 360 Grill Brush ($13): This brush from the maker of one of the best grills we reviewed is only for use on a cold grill. Its shape is similar to our top Weber pick, with a long handle, a triangular head and no scraper. But the bristles are nylon, and I found that they didn't offer the friction necessary to thoroughly clean the grates.

GrillBadger All-Natural Grill Brush ($30): If you're looking for an all-natural grill cleaning brush, this is your pick. It has a sturdy wood handle and features stiff bristles made of palmyra (natural fibers sourced from palm trees) and a metal scraper. The bristles are biodegradable, and because they are natural, they absorb oils left on the grill. I found this brush to be a bit heavy and not quite as nimble as the GrillArt or Weber brushes.

Grill Rescue BBQ Cleaner ($49): Created by a firefighter, this bristle-free tool features a long plastic handle, a metal scraper and a removable dishwasher-safe sponge. It's designed to be used on a hot grill after soaking the sponge in ice water. It did a decent job of steam-cleaning the grates but the Scrub Daddy provided more friction and better results. The sponge is a bit challenging to remove, but cleaned up nicely in the dishwasher.

Nine grill brushes on a stone surface for Yahoo's guide to the best grill brushes

BBQ-Aid Grill Brush and Scraper ($30): This brush has some sustainable features like its acacia wood handle that's reinforced with stainless steel and a replaceable scrubber with stainless steel bristles. It works better on a level grilling surface, and was tough to use on a sunken grill grate as there wasn't enough of an angle to allow the entire brush to make contact with the surface. It works on a hot grill and is dishwasher-safe.

Kona Safe/Clean Grill Brush and Scraper ($20): This bristle-free tool has a long plastic handle, a scraper with a row of notches and three rows of stiff metal coils that you dip into cold water to create steam while "brushing" hot grates. But it didn't clean well, and there was a lot of debris left behind.

Bryan Stove Grill Brush ($15): This hot-grill brush features a long plastic handle and a combination of stainless steel coils (like those on the Kona), steel bristles and a scraper with notches at the corners. The cleaning process is the same as with the Kona and produces similarly so-so results.

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Grill brush FAQs

How do you clean a grill with a grill brush?

There are several methods for getting a grill gleaming, but if you're comfortable with cleaning a hot grill, Steven Raichlen, author of The Barbecue! Bible cookbook series, suggests you "heat the grill as high as it will go, then brush it clean. Let it cool a little, then oil the grate with a tightly folded paper towel dipped in vegetable oil and drawn across the grate with tongs."

Are wire grill cleaning brushes safe?

The answer is yes and no. A 2016 study published in the Journal of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery estimated that 1,700 people went to the ER due to ingesting grill brush bristles between 2002 and 2014. Considering that there were 100 million grills in U.S. homes in 2020, that puts these numbers in perspective. The bottom line is that there is a risk to using wire brushes. If you decide to use one, always check that there are no bristles left on the grill, that the bristles have not loosened over time and that the brush has not degraded. After use, wipe down your grill with a wet cloth or a cloth coated in some vegetable oil, using tongs, to collect any potential errant wires.

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