Have A Barbeque Junkie In Your House? Pamper Them With Weber’s Grill Brush & Scraper
Written: Sep 02 '03
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Pros: Well made, metal scraper, wire bristles, easy to clean, inexpensive.
Cons: The bristles eventually bend which makes it hard to clean the grill surface properly.
The Bottom Line: You’ve tried the rest, now try the best - Weber 18 Inch Grill Brush & Scraper.
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| Freak369's Full Review: Weber 1647 18' Grill Brush |
Being a barbeque junkie, I can honestly say that out of all the grill brushes, cleaners and scrapers I’ve tried over the past few years, this one has been the best so far. When I set out to look for a new one about a year ago I knew that I wanted something that featured metal bristles, a scraper and was long enough that I could use it while the grill was being used without having to worry about getting singed when I would scrape the grill to remove food or excess grease from burgers. When I saw this one at Home Depot I knew that it was exactly what I was looking for. The deal was sealed when I saw the sale price - $7.99. This has lasted two summers – longer than any other brush or grill cleaner and when you take into consideration that I grill outdoors about four times a week – this thing takes a real beating and is still working like a dog.
Weber 18 Inch Grill Brush & Scraper
As you may have gathered, this is a pretty big grill scraper. Measuring a whopping 18 inches in length, it’s a great size to use for cleaning grills before, during or after use. Since it’s long, you don’t have to worry about flames from grease or food flaring up and burning you. This means that you can clean the entire surface without having to get grease and grime all over your clothing and put the thoughts of scrubbing the grill to rest. All you have to do is give the surface a few good passes with the brush and use the metal scraper to remove any tough or cooked on food remnants. The large four inch brush head is made of what looks like brass teeth that really get into all the spaces between the grill slots. Regardless of how dirty your grill is, this bad boy will get it clean and have it ready to go with a minimal amount of effort. Generally I use this when I am done grilling to clean off left over food and grease, marinade and seasonings that came off the food. If you can catch the grill when its partly cooled off, you’ll have a better chance of getting it completely clean. When I fire up the grill I always go over the surface a few times to clean it off, again, if you let it heat up a little, it makes the job a lot easier.
Some might think that having a scraper that’s this big is unnecessary. I look at it from a standpoint of practicality. No one likes to have to scrub a grill down before using it, this brush allows you to clean the surface so the risk of having food stick is reduced and you can remove any seasonings or spices so if there are picky people eating dinner, they won’t have to endure food that isn’t to their liking. The wooden handle has a nice shape to it and you can use it with one hand if need be but I find that using two hands and placing the brush flat on the grill surface works best to get it clean. If I could make one small change to this it would be to have finger grooves cut into the base of the handle so that its easier to grip when your hands are wet or have grease, marinade or sauce on them.
The metal scraper has a small indentation in the middle of it so it slides along the grooves of the grill nicely. You will have to do each spoke of the grill individually but if you get most of the grit and grime off with the brush, you’ll only have to use the metal scraper on the sections that are extremely stubborn. This brush is a godsend for me since I have a large propane grill with three cooking levels. Since I am too paranoid to use any type of aerosol cleaner or primer, this lets me get the grill clean without having to spend a half hour scrubbing the grates in the bathtub or fighting with them in the kitchen sink. The added metal scraper lets me get in the corners and since its on an 18 inch wooden handle, if something catches on fire or starts to flare, I can scrape down the area while I’m still cooking without having to move the food around or remove it completely.
Cost
As I mentioned, I got this for $7.99 at Home Depot. This is the sort of item that you can skimp on, but if you do, you’ll end up having to replace it more often. The suggested retail price for this grill cleaner is $7.99 - $9.99 but look for the end of summer sales to get them on clearance. This has lasted two summers but in all actuality, I grill all year long so I guess I should say its lasted two years … pretty impressive for a basic grill brush and scraper huh? When you compare it to the smaller plastic brushes that are on the market, this one is superior in so many ways but I have to give some extra points for the long handle, it’s well worth the few extra dollars.
Things To Know
To get the maximum use of your brush, and to extend the life of it, use it evenly on the grill surface. If you constantly use the front part of the brush, the bristles will bend inwards and ruin a large section of it. As gross as it sounds, I’ve never cleaned this brush. I can’t imagine trying to soak it to get off the build up food scrapings so I just give it a few hard whacks on the concrete steps on the patio and that seems to do the trick. The bristles are pretty sharp so keep this out of way when the men are grilling and drinking – we had one instance last summer where a neighbor was talking to another neighbor and had this in his hard – and – you know how men are when they are talking – they have to use their hands. One thing led to another and the innocent neighbor ended up getting hit, accidentally, with this during a “I caught a fish ‘this big’ ” story. While it was funny to see the event happen, the neighbor did have a large red mark from the incident – and come to think of it – he’s never been back to one of my barbeques.
Make use of the suede hanger that comes with this grill cleaner. You can hang it up next to the grill so that it is always within reach or store it in the garage so it is out of the rain and bad weather. My grill has a small utility drawer and cabinet and after I’ve whacked the dirt off of it, the brush portion gets wrapped in tin foil and either tossed in the drawer or hung inside the cabinet. Since we have a bad ant problem when the weather changes I try to keep this as far away from the little buggers as possible. So far [knock wood] they haven’t sniffed this out and I am not the least embarrassed to say that if I open that drawer or cabinet and see even one ant on it – it’s going in the trash to be replaced with a new one. Sorry if that sounds petty but I don’t do ants …
The Bottom Line
After two years of use, this grill cleaner has stood the test of time and I consider it well worth the suggested retail price. When the time comes to replace this I’ll definitely go with the same one unless Weber comes out with a better one. If you do a lot of grilling and are looking for a solid, well-made and durable brush and scraper combo, I highly suggest checking this one out. It sure beats having to wash grill grate in the sink or tub and, so far, there hasn’t been a sauce, marinade, spice or glaze that this hasn’t been able to remove.
As always, thanks for the visit …
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2003 Freak369
This is part of the “Triple Threat” write off. Three reviews, linked by a common theme, posted within a 24 hours period. Think you can handle it? I’d like to see you try …
Today’s theme … grilling of course!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): $7.99
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