Onion Vs Brush: Which Is Easier For Cleaning A Grill?

Summer time is grillin' time, and as your cookout guests will line up to chow down on juicy steaks, burgers, and veggies, everyone has an opinion about cleaning the grill afterward — even if they're reluctant to lend a hand! Using harsh chemicals such as bleach, ammonia, or lye is a big no-no, leaving two of the most popular methods to get a sparkling grill: a brush or an onion. But which method is easier?

Grill brushes are regarded by many as the easiest and most effective way to scrub a grubby grill, including Scott Thomas of The Grillin' Fools. Although he's aware of the horror stories of people swallowing metal bristles that have fallen out of brushes, he told us, "You really need to still have some gunk on the grill to hide a brush bristle enough for someone to get that in their mouth." If wire versions give you the heebie jeebies, brushes with nylon bristles can also be effective or you can use a scraper to clean your grill.

Thomas is not averse to using an onion but warned it had to be done while the grates were warm. "Onions are soft and caked and baked on crud isn't going to come off by sliding a soft onion over the grill grates," he explained, further noting the produce also won't fully scrub away the really baked-on grime." Gotta warm that gunk up so the onion can push it to the side." Onions' sulfur compounds help season your grill and may help create a non-stick layer that can withstand temperatures of up to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Home cooks are a creative and innovative bunch, so of course there are more ways to clean a grill than brushes or onions. Some people swap out the onion for half a lemon or lime, using the citric fruit to cut through the gunk and grease. If your grates are particularly dirty, throw in some salt for a gentle abrasive to get them clean. Other people recommend a 50-50 mix of water and vinegar (which you can also use to clean the dishwasher) or coating the grill in a paste made of baking soda and water. Still, a good brush — and some elbow grease — may be your most straightforward bet.

If the contents of your pantry don't shift that grime, you could try beer (if you're willing to sacrifice a brewski to the grilling gods). Some people swear by its combination of acid and carbonation to cut through all that grease and grime. There's also another way that Thomas stumbled across after remembering he'd tossed an old grill brush and never replaced it.

"I cranked up the grill to warm up that crud and grabbed a wad of aluminum foil," he explained. "I held the foil with some tongs and scraped the grill grates. It did a phenomenal job. The foil melded into the shape of the grill grates and gaps in between. Maybe a combo of foil and onion is the best of both worlds?" Could be! Just make sure you've got enough foil left to grill your potatoes.