[Penta Sahi]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/barbecue-b...-1.3741578

Quote:

Canadian surgeons are urging people to throw out wire-bristled barbecue brushes, because none of them have figured out a surefire way of removing the wires when they get stuck in people's throats.

The thin, sharp wires can come off the brushes, attach to barbecue grills and cling to food without being noticed. If it's swallowed it can cause damage to the throat and epiglottis, which is the flap of cartilage that covers the opening of the windpipe when swallowing.

I'm not one for alarmism, but I immediately called my mom and told her to throw out the bristle brush she and my dad use for their bbq.

I can definitely recall instances where I've seen individual bristles stuck on my grill. Heck, I replaced my old brush with a new one because so many of the bristles fell out! Thankfully none have stuck on my food and gotten into my body.

Alternatives:


Classy - http://www.thegreatscrape.com/

This is for those that want to add a touch of class to their grill setup. $30 for a plank of wood seems a bit steep. I'm sure a person handy with woodworking tools can make their own.

Cheapo - Crumpled aluminum foil

By next year summer, Amazon should be flooded with FBA sellers hawking alternative "bristle-less" BBQ brushes.

There's lots of discussion on this on Hacker News:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12409425

[RoastBeefCurtains4Me]

I've never understood people who don't scrape their grill and they cook their food right on the crud that sticks to the grill. I've always used a metal grill brush every time. I've never seen bristles stick to the grill. I wonder if this happens when you let the grill get gross, and then do an imperfect job scraping it, so there's still some crud on the grill for the bristles to stick to?

Also, I always heat up the grill before using the wire brush on it. This makes sure any remaining BBQ sauce or other greasy material has been charred, so it comes off easily.

[Mushroom]

(09-02-2016 12:07 PM)RoastBeefCurtains4Me Wrote:  

I've never understood people who don't scrape their grill and they cook their food right on the crud that sticks to the grill. I've always used a metal grill brush every time. I've never seen bristles stick to the grill. I wonder if this happens when you let the grill get gross, and then do an imperfect job scraping it, so there's still some crud on the grill for the bristles to stick to?

Also, I always heat up the grill before using the wire brush on it. This makes sure any remaining BBQ sauce or other greasy material has been charred, so it comes off easily.

That's exactly what's going on. There's nothing wrong with using a wire brush as long as you aren't a lazy fuck and do a proper job of cleaning. I always heat up the grill before cleaning it as well, and I don't leave crud on the grill when I'm finished.

Jesus fuck, people are getting more and more coddled every day.

[General Stalin]

Clean your grill immediately after taking the food off of it. This ensures that the metal is still hot and all the grease and other residue is still moist and can collect and come off easy. With proper care this is a non-issue.

[Kona]

For the last eight years I've eaten off grills everyday unless i wasnt home. Lets say 200 days a year. Mostly twice a day.

I alternated between a standard weber and this brick cooking concoction built into my lanai.

Until about one year ago I used a wire brush. Its a wonder I'm still living!

That's when I got Kamodo Grill and that thing was really expensive. I took a pressure washer to it and its like its brand new every time.

You guys should get a pressure washer. This is not a joke, make sure to set your grill against something solid, don't just hold it in your hand. It becomes a really dangerous projectile.

Aloha!

[BortimusPrime]

I've had wires come off on the grill before, I think it's just a problem with cheap crappy brushes where they don't secure the bristles well.

[spokepoker]

I used a bristle brush until it started shedding bristles all around my grill. Now I just use a srub pad on a stick and oil (veg) the grill before and after I use and clean it.

[Penta Sahi]

My tone in the OP was probably overdramatic, but I'll still stand by my analysis that metal bristle BBQ brushes can be done away with. Many cheap and less risky (and equally effective) alternatives exist, so if people feel the same way they can look into them.

Also you might keep your own grill in order, but it would be harder to account for how other people treat their own grill. I suspect I'll be bringing up the issue of metal brushes the next time I'm at a friend's house for a BBQ.

(09-02-2016 03:32 PM)BortimusPrime Wrote:  

I've had wires come off on the grill before, I think it's just a problem with cheap crappy brushes where they don't secure the bristles well.

This is probably a major cause of the bristles falling out, but remember that even good brushes will break down with age and use.

(09-02-2016 12:22 PM)Mushroom Wrote:  

Jesus fuck, people are getting more and more coddled every day.

We are, I definitely agree with you on that, but I don't think this is the same thing. There are no man points to be lost or gained from using metal brushes. It's just eliminating another risk element from our lives.

[Dr. Howard]

Half an onion skewered on a bbq fork also works well and smells awesome.

[DJ-Matt]

I go through a few of these per year, since no one who uses an RV campsite grill bothers to clean after

[TravelerKai]

Thanks for the heads up OP. I use steel wool pads myself, if I really need something strong to clean, but I think my dad has those brushes. I'll have to check it out later to be sure. Even if using a brush carefully is not a big issue, it never hurts to know what the risks potentially are. Those big metal scrapers are pretty useful as well like the wood one you linked as well.

[Enigma]

I've always found both barbeque and metal bristles damaging to my grill.

[Veloce]

The best way to clean a grill is burn everything off. It requires getting your grill to about 600F but at that point everything turns to ash.

I typically get it rippin hot, then scrub with a wire brush, then finish with a towel coated in oil which removes any residue and seasons the grill.

The onion tip is good too.

On the topic of towels, that's another thing I see professional cooks use that home cooks don't....go on Amazon and buy bulk shop towels. They're cheap (about $.50 ea). I use them for basic car maintenance, cooking, cleaning...use them a few times and then just throw them out.