I hate cleaning. I really do. Whether it's dirty dishes, house chores, whatever it may be -- it's just not something I want to do. But as a backyard BBQ griller/smoker, cleaning is an absolute necessity. The grates need to be cleaned for the next session, and if you don't, who knows what type of bacteria will start forming on there. Nobody wants to get sick from a BBQ party, that's for sure.
There are countless grill brushes out on the market, and I've used quite a few over the past several years as a BBQ enthusiast. Recently, I got the chance to try out the Heavy Duty Brass Barbecue Grill Brush by Optimal Kit. The first thing I noticed about this grill brush was how sturdy and durable it felt. I also liked the wide brush head with the long brass bristles.
I made sure to try out the grill brush after a few smoking sessions on my Weber Smoky Mountain. As you can see, there was a lot of gunk on the grates. We're not just talking about a few hot dogs and burgers here -- I smoked a few pork butts and a 14-pound brisket with a huge fat cap. I wanted to put the grill brush to the test and give it a good workout.
As you can tell in the video, it took about 30 seconds of medium-strength cleaning -- mostly centered around the big chunks of gunk -- to get most of it out from the grates. I was impressed with the wide real estate of the brass bristles, and none of the bristles were bent out of shape or fell out. Overall, this is a quality BBQ grill brush and worth the extra few bucks because of its durability.
Dirty Smoke Rating - (4.0 out of 5 stars)
Pros - Sturdy, high quality, wide brass bristles, made in the USA
Cons - Cost is on the higher side
Recommended - Check them out on Amazon.com
