Is the Most Dangerous Thing at Your Barbecue Your…Grill Brush?

Metal-bristle brushes are used to scrape off stuck-on gunk from your grill, but they can also leave tiny slivers of metal behind in your food or on the grates, which can be very dangerous if consumed.

“When ingested, wire bristles have been known to cause injury and, in some cases, lead to a surgical emergency. We urge everyone to take simple precautions to avoid injury and prevent a trip to the emergency department, including wiping the grill down after using it and inspecting it for wire bristles before cooking food,” urged theAmerican Medical Association’spresident, Barbara L. McAneny, M.D., in 2018.

Before you thinkthat won’t happen to me, know that more than 1,600 emergency department visits happened between 2002 and 2014 (that’s about 130 annually), according to a 2016studyin theJournal of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery. It’s not uncommon for wire bristles to become lodged in theneck, throat, intestine or colononce swallowed, all injuries that require emergency surgery.

That being said, you’re more likely to getfood poisoningfrom eating undercooked meat than you are to swallow a stray bristle, saysHarvard Health Publishing, but it can still happen. And nothing ruins a cookout like a trip to the hospital…so maybe it’s time to retire your metal grill brush.

You can follow the experts’ advice by checking the grates for bristles or running over the rack with atowel or paper towelsbefore cooking, but you could also do one better and skip metal-bristled grill brushes altogether. Nowadays, there are plenty of alternatives to stainless steel heads, including pumice stones, coil-shaped brushes without bristles and brushes with nylon bristles.

1. Nylon Brushes

尼龙可能不会像sta持久或长期inless steel, but it’s still a powerhouse tool to have on your side if you’re ditching your metal grill brush. They’re designed to be used on acold grillrather than hot, since the nylon will melt, but these brushes are often equipped withscraperattachments that will help you clean gunk the nylon bristles can’t budge. You may need to replace the heads more often, but it’s a low price to pay to keep bristles out of your food.

Our favorites include theOXO Good Grips Nylon Grill Brush for Cold Cleaning, which is equipped with durable nylon bristles that are strong enough to deep clean all types of grates, including coated ceramic. The bristles are angled for cleaning in tough-to-reach crevices and corners. The stainless steel scraper tip is designed with cut-outs to clear grime and debris with every swipe. The replaceable head will also extend the life of your brush, plus it’s dishwasher safe and designed with a soft-grip angled handle.

EpicuriousrecommendsOklahoma Joe’s Blacksmith Combo Grill Brush. It’s two-sided, so you can use the nylon bristles to clean the grill while it’s cold and the steel wool scrubbing pad while it’s hot. For stubborn gunk, use the stainless steel scraper at the end of the brush.

2. Bristle-Free Brushes

TheGrillFlossis a solid bristle-free alternative. Made from stainless steel, the tool slides right onto rounded grates. When pushed, it scrapes grime off from all angles without you needing to lift the grate off the grill. Other options—like theBetter Grillin’ Scrubbin’ Stoneor theScrub Daddy BBQ Daddy Grill Brush—require a bit more elbow grease in the scrubbing department, but they won’t leave dangerous residue on your grill.