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[MN-Smoker]

For Father's Day my wife purchased me a wood scraper "BBQ brush".

My wife then told me that several friends of hers had said they read online how wire brushes are bad.  They will shed metal, which will get caught in your food, then you'll eat it, it will get lodged in your stomach or intestine and then either require painful surgery or cause death.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has seen these.

So what say everyone here?



On a related note, since acquiring this scraper, one of my brushes with a "spiral" wire brush top started shedding wires like crazy on my grill which I have since tossed.

Thoughts?

[pz]

I had a wire brush with replacement bristle pads and all of them shed stainless steel wires onto the grill. In at least two instances, the metal ended up in food. I'll personally not purchase wire brushes any longer.

[Bentley]

Don't swallow gum or watermelon seeds either...

[LowSlowJoe]

I'm still old school,  use bass bristle brushes,  I look before I cook.  My current brush shed a few bristles at first but has stopped... it's about a year old an is so greasy it makes the grates dirtier when I'm done,  so I guess I should replace it... or at least soak it in degreaser and clean it.

[bregent]

I've used stainless brushes for years and never saw any signs of shedding. Still, I'll probably consider something like this when it's time to replace:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MYC1C2D

[urnmor]

I do not see a problem however i always wipe down my grates before using

[dclord]

I've used stainless brushes for years and never saw any signs of shedding. Still, I'll probably consider something like this when it's time to replace :https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MYC1C2D

I have one like that. Doesn't work all that well. The coils are very stiff and don't do much.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk

[bregent]

I've used stainless brushes for years and never saw any signs of shedding. Still, I'll probably consider something like this when it's time to replace :https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MYC1C2D

I have one like that. Doesn't work all that well. The coils are very stiff and don't do much.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk

Thanks, I was worried that might be the case.

[MN-Smoker]

I will say, I am not impressed by the wood thingy my wife paid too much money for.

It scratches just the very top flat surface of each round bar of the grill, and leaves everything else filthy.

The grates eventually just turn into a wide layer of gunk if something else isn't used.
I hate to say this, but grabbing a broken branch off one of my back trees would do a better job of cleaning the grill.

[ICIdaho]

I used them all the time and started hearing stories about people getting them jammed up in the gums.  I always checked after scraping down to make sure that none were left behind.  Now I use the steel wool brush just so I do not have to worry.

[ICIdaho]

MN-Smoker - I have never used one, but was under the impression they get better as time goes because they wear and form to your grill....is that not the case?

[MN-Smoker]

MN-Smoker - I have never used one, but was under the impression they get better as time goes because they wear and form to your grill....is that not the case?

I've heard it's supposed to wear, but I'm not sure what the expectation is on how long.  If I use it for enough to have it wear down, that's a lot of sawdust, and to be frank, I doubt that it will really wear that much.  It's made of a harder wood.  It might wear some, but hardly enough to wear down around the sides. 

Mine has been good at turning gunky and it's starting to look like a faded piece of wood with gunk stuck to the end.

I'm thinking of opting for one of those plastic pad ones instead.
Wire is still the best for cleaning and it's not close in my experience. 

I'll just get to hear it if there is ever a splinter in food.

[Bobitis]

My cleaner is a pc of stainless flat bar with a couple different notches in it.

[SmokinHandyman]

Don't swallow gum or watermelon seeds either...

I have a brass brush that I just started using.
Not worried here

[Free Mr. Tony]

I use the wire ones, but I buy decent ones. The Weber brand in general is usually overpriced stuff,  but this is a case of getting what you pay for. Never had an issue with the more expensive types. Also replace regularly. Couple times a season.

A really good super cheap alternative is wadded up foil. Probably works the best out of anything I've ever used.