A short debate on basting brushes

[KatyCooks]

It's a kind of "yes" or "no" debate I suppose, but I recently threw out my old basting brush. It had a wooden handle and natural bristles.

I had been using this brush for years - not often. Every time I tried to eggwash pastry, a bit of bristle would detach itself and I would have to pick it off.

The new brush isn't a brush at all. A smooth piece of kit that is entirely man-made. But boy does it do a good job! Spreads eggwash or milk or whatever else around brilliantly! If it continues to do a good job I will use it for years and probably longer than my original brush.

So, yes or no to man-made brushes?

 

[pictonguy]

I have both and like both and the silicon one is definitely less maintenance but my preference is for the hair or nylon brush. For example, for a thick BBQ sauce I like the silicon because the stickiness and viscosity is easily distributed and the brush doesn't get "clogged" and then I just throw it in the dishwasher and it's all good. With a hair brush that application is painfully the opposite. What the hair brush does, is allow for thinner liquids to be absorbed well into the brush which allows for smooth and determined brushing motion and without as much dripping like an egg application on to a baked good. Basically a person should have both, silicon for basting roasting or bbq'ed meats and for vegetables and the hair brush used for pastry and baking

 

[taxlady]

I still have a natural bristle basting brush, but I haven't used it in a long time. I came across some silicone basting brushes a Dollarama, yes, for a $1 each. I use them all the time. I often spread butter or oil on a skillet with one of these. i always use this for greasing a baking or roasting pan.

I agree with pictonguy that the natural brushes work better for thinner liquids, but the ease of cleanup with the silicone brushes means that they are the ones I almost always choose.

 

[msmofet]

I use silicone for everything wet. I have a bristle brush I use to brush off excess flour (or any dry stuff) from dough or pastry.

 

[Jusa]

I got rid of my natural fiber ones and I use the silicone ones for everything.

 

[Rascal]

I have like you say old natural wooden one. I noticed a few months ago we also have a blue silicone as well. I still continue with old wooden one.

Russ

 

[Jusa]

I have like you say old natural wooden one. I noticed a few months ago we also have a blue silicone as well. I still continue with old wooden one.

Russ

Well since your wife is the one doing the dishes usually...LMAO

 

[Rascal]

Well since your wife is the one doing the dishes usually...LMAO

I actually put it through the dish washer. I think it's about 20 years old?

Russ

 

[Jusa]

I actually put it through the dish washer. I think it's about 20 years old?

Russ

It's probably older than that knowing you

But it's apparently of good quality.

 

[Rascal]

It's probably older than that knowing you

But it's apparently of good quality.

Lol. No its worn, a bit like me lol.

Russ

 

[Andy M.]

I have both natural bristle and silicone brushes. I use the natural bristle brush for breads and pie crusts, etc. The silicone brushes work better for basting meats.

 

[Meryl]

I find that silicone brushes are easier to wash!

 

[caseydog]

I switched from natural to silicone brushes for cooking a few years ago, for reasons already mentioned. I won't be going back. I like them so much better.

CD

 

[Jade Emperor]

I use natural bristle for anything dough or flour related. I always clean my pasta making equipment with a clean, dry natural brush only. Never water, or wet.
You may or may not find this hard to believe, but I found the brush I use at a hardware shop.
Exactly the same apart from the kitchen brand being eight times the price! From the paint brushes department.
I use silicone for basting and glazes.

 

[dragnlaw]

Ditto what Jade says!

I have both, a clean one for pasta equipment that I never use on anything wet.
I have another I use for egg/etc washes pastry and breads. These wash very well in soapy water.
Silicon for every else.

The bristle ones are 3 various sizes in a pkg from the hardware store and also available at the Dollar $tore. Works for me!

 

[Marlingardener]

I have 1", 2", and 3" natural bristle, wooden handle brushes from Harbor Freight. They are chip brushes, and made to be used for painting and then thrown out. We get a box of a dozen of each of these cheap brushes and use them as intended, except for the ones I snag from the workshop and use for basting. They work a treat! Toss an oily or saucy brush in the dishwasher and it comes out clean. They last a good long while (but I keep my secret stash of extras in a kitchen drawer).

 

[Andy M.]

I find that silicone brushes are easier to wash!

I put them all in the DW.

 

[dragnlaw]

My dishwasher works really well on all of them, bristle or silicone. I even gave my dishwasher a name - it's a she and her name is dragnlaw.

 

[pepperhead212]

I use mostly a natural bristle brush, but I also use a silicone brush, for thick things, like BBQ sauce. I got some black bristled brushes back in the 80s, in a restaurant supply place in NYC, when I used to go up there. I put it in the DW all the time, since it's also stainless, and it's still good! And it's still the first one I started using - still have 2 more in a drawer in the DR. Why did I buy so many? I'd had some of the natural bristled ones before that start losing bristles quickly, so they were obviously made by the same makers those cheap paint brushes! I had never seen the pastry brushes with black bristles, until then, but I liked that idea, since most things I use them on are light colored, so if bristles did come out, they'd be easy to spot.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

I used to use an old paint brush with a wooden handle and horsehair bristles, but now I have a stainless steel one with silicone bristles.