Best for…
This wooden grill paddle is the best wire-free grate cleaner we’ve tested. The beveled edge takes on the pattern of your grill, becoming a custom scraper that hugs the grates.
The Great Scrape Woody Shovel is the best wire-free grate cleaner we’ve tested. The hardwood paddle’s straight, tapered edge takes on the pattern of your grill’s grates as you scrape along them while they’re still hot. During testing, it effectively cleared sticky, cooked-on sauce as well as charred bits. And the handle provides a firm grip.
Breaking in the wooden shovel takes some patience, however. For the most effective cleaning, you’ll need to exert sufficient pressure to create deeper grooves that really hug your grates.
Also, you can’t use this tool on multiple grills, unless they have the same exact grill-grate pattern. So it’s less versatile than a wire grill brush and the other options we’ve included in this list.
These long-lasting, stainless steel scrubbers effectively tackle tough, stuck-on food.
If you prefer stainless steel to a foam kitchen sponge, the Scotch-Brite Stainless Steel Scrubber performs similarly to a wire grill brush, albeit without the handle.
In our guide on how to clean a grill, Lesley recommends pairing the scrubber with 12-inch tongs to keep hands away from the heat. It’s abrasive enough to rival a wire grill brush, but it’s not as likely to leave traces of metal bristles behind. Still, if you use this scrubber, you should inspect your grill’s grates to check for any stray pieces before cooking.
A wadded-up ball of aluminum foil can work in a pinch. However, we strongly advise against lining your grill with a sheet of aluminum foil to catch grease or using it as a tarp over the grill grates to help burn off stuck-on food bits. These actions could void your grill’s warranty — and they’re just dangerous.
According to Weber, placing aluminum foil inside a grill can restrict proper grease flow into the catch pan, potentially resulting in a grease fire or flare-up. Most grill warranties, including Weber’s, won’t cover what they call “burn-through” damage, which is damage caused by excessive heat exposure (such as from a grease fire).
This powerful scrubber easily tackles stuck-on messes without scratching the inside of your grill.
These versatile, inexpensive sponges come in multipacks, and they’re ergonomically suited to effective scrubbing.
Two other wire-free, low-cost, effective scrubbing options include a scouring pad, like the Heavy Duty Scotch-Brite Scour Pad, and a Scotch-Brite Heavy Duty Scrub Sponge. (The Heavy Duty Scrub Sponge is Wirecutter’s favorite sponge and one of our 18 must-have cleaning essentials.)
These cleaning tools are flexible, textured, and terrific for deep cleaning and getting into a grill’s hard-to-reach nooks and crannies. “It’s tough enough to remove stuck-on grease, but it won’t damage the more delicate parts of your grill,” said Lesley, who often relies on scouring pads when she’ s cleaning grills.
Caroline’s testing also confirmed that the Scotch-Brite Heavy Duty Scrub Sponge is a reliable grill-cleaning tool. She said she used it to deep-clean and scrub away built-up burger grease after a week’s worth of consistent grilling.
However, since scrubbing with a sponge or a scouring pad alone requires a good amount of elbow grease, Caroline recommends using it alongside Great Scrape’s Woody Shovel.
Before going in with the sponge and hot, soapy water, use the wooden tool to dislodge any stuck-on pieces. Then, once a grill has cooled down, use the sponge and soapy water to scrub any remaining gunk off of the grates, body, and heat plates.
Best for…
This pad brush is the best one for steam cleaning. Made with the same fabric found in firefighters’ gear, it can be plunged into water and wiped over a hot grill, creating steam as you clean.
Not a one-and-done tool, the Grill Rescue Grill Brush should be used only after you scrape away stuck-on food with a wire brush or a wooden scraper. Otherwise, this brush’s heat-resistant fabric pad will tear, and you’ll have to order a replacement.
But as a secondary cleaner — and to wipe away any lingering wire bristles from a wire-brush scrubbing — this sponge-like brush efficiently clears away soot and loose debris. It is also sturdy, and it has an ergonomic, plastic handle. Marilyn Ong, Wirecutter’s senior kitchen editor, has been using hers for two summers.
To use the Grill Rescue brush, dunk it in water, and then use it on still-hot grill grates. The wet sponge creates billows of steam that help soften any leftover food, soot, and grease, making it easier to wipe away.
Best for…
This abrasive block of pumice can remove rust and corrosion from a griddle that’s been left out in the elements.
To restore a grill that’s been rusted or corroded, consider using a grill stone — a block of coarse pumice stone (yep, the same material that’s used for exfoliation). In testing, we found that grill stones work best when they’re run under water before they’re used on a hot grill, but they can also be used dry and on cool grills.
Grill stones are safe for use with cast-iron and stainless steel grill grates and griddles, but they’re not safe to use with grills with enameled cast-iron grates, whose surfaces could end up getting damaged. Blackstone, the cast-iron griddle manufacturer that makes our top griddle pick, does not recommend using a grill stone for daily cleaning, since it will strip your griddle of its seasoning.
Although a grill stone’s wide, flat surface works well on griddles, we found that this wasn’t the most effective way to clean cast-iron or stainless steel grill grates. A grill stone is meant to mold to the shape of your grill grates, but it requires outsize effort over several cleaning sessions to get it there, even with heat and water.
During testing, we also found that the grill stone left dust and debris on the grates. So we recommend that you wipe your grill with a wet rag or one of the other wire grill-brush alternatives on this list after using it.
This article was edited by Megan Beauchamp and Katie Okamoto.
