This is probably the least-expensive item ever discussed on the Cookware forum, but I am in need of a new pastry brush and I would love some recommendations! My previous brush was an Oxo silicone thing, that never really held onto sauces or egg wash very well and was generally useless. I needed it the other day, though, and discovered that the bristles had all been chewed down to nubs by a mouse! (On a related note, if anyone has any great suggestions for getting rid of mice, that would also be helpful.)
Anyway, please hit me with your favorite pastry brushes. I don’t think I want another silicone one - they just don’t hold onto liquids well enough. I mostly use a pastry brush for saucing or mopping BBQ meats, plus occasionally egg washing baked goods. I am willing to buy two if there is one that is substantially better for BBQ and one for baked goods. Thanks HOs!
Agreed, but for high-heat applications, avoid nylon bristles, they can melt.
If you have a wood handle and metal ferrule (the band that goes around where the bristles are attached), be careful not to soak the brush, just use it, wash, and dry. Soaking can swell the wood, and swelling and shrinking as it repeatedly soaks and dries will lead to faster bristle loss.
For some now unremembered reason I used a 2" chip brush from the paint dept of Lowes as a pastry brush. Now that’s a few years ago but I’m still using it. & it gets washed in the dishwasher every time. It’s the really cheap $1.99 one. I have others but they’re narrow so this one is perfect for brushing on melted butter when you’re making a grilled cheese. I usually use it for egg washes too.
