The average grill brick will last 5 to 10 cleanings or more, depending on how dirty your grill gets and how long you go between cleanings.
These incredibly practical, functional, and basic tools are a quick, easy, low-effort way to get that burnt and caked-on mess off your grill surface, but why do they work so well? What are grill bricks made of?
Grill bricks are made out of nonporous pumice stone. This natural stone comes from explosive volcanic eruptions and is found throughout the Caribbean and North America. The formation of pumice involves frothing felsic volcanic glass that traps so much air inside that it often floats on water because it cools too quickly to form a traditional crystalline structure.
Table of Contents
What Is A Grill Brick
A grill brick is a rectangular block of very lightweight, highly abrasive material known as pumice. You can place these bricks directly on your grill to scrub off stuck-on messes.
Professional kitchens with huge griddles and grills that cook for hundreds of people per day often use these because they are fast and efficient at removing burnt-on food.
The nice thing about grill bricks is that they don’t scratch the surface or lift the cure off your grill.
Plus, they don’t get clogged with grease or transfer heat quickly like a cloth.
Most importantly, the pumice of grill bricks will disintegrate, which means you can rinse the debris right down the drain without fear of clogging.
Technically it crumbles into a very fine powder, but it’s small enough to wash away worry-free.
Are Grill Bricks Toxic
Grill bricks are not toxic. The material they form from is created inside a volcano, so they are naturally sterilized.
Anything other than rock and minerals burn away long before rock begins to melt, leaving pumice relatively pure.
There are some toxic minerals such as Coloradoite and Cinnabar. However, these crystalline minerals are often brightly colored and quite beautiful.
They look nothing like pumice, so it’s easy to avoid mistaking them. Pumice grill bricks are typically black and have been formed by professional companies that mine them.
How Are Grill Bricks Made
Grill bricks are, for the most part, not artificial. These stones form when a volcanic explosion made of frothed-up liquid felsic glass meets with rapid cooling, such as when it hits the water.
Snow might also aid in creating this stone in winter. Once cooled, the stone is mined and collected by a company that manufactures it into bricks.
The manufacturing process mainly involves forming the stone into even sections for easy use.
However, the process by which the bricks are formed in the manufacturing plant is not generally shared with the public.
It is possible that the pumice gets broken down and re-formed inside of molds, which would change almost nothing about the structure except its overall shape.
The biggest clue I could find comes from one commenter on a Youtube Video about pumice who said, “Here in Mexico, pumice bricks are everywhere and can withstand extreme heat. So yeah! They are refractory. These bricks are made by hydraulically pressing the pulverized rocks with water. No binder required.”
Can I Use Grill Bricks To Clean Any Grill
Grill bricks work best on flat griddle-style grills. You can also use them to clean steel and cast-iron grates.
However, you cannot use grill bricks to clean any grill because it would damage porcelain and coated grills.
Similarly, you should not use a grill brick to clean aluminum as this soft metal will scratch too quickly, and you could ruin a perfectly functional grill by sanding it too thin.
Best Grill Brick
- NO BRISTLES TO SCRATCH SURFACES & GET IN FOOD; That wire brush can scratch your griddle and leave behind bristles that get in your food; Avoid that hassle with our grill stone cleaning block!
- REUSABLE AND SANITARY EVERY TIME; You can get many uses out of just one grill cleaner stone; The non-toxic pumice does not absorb the gunk that it removes, so you have a sanitary stone every time
- TRUSTED BY RESTAURANT PROS; Cooks need a great flat top cleaner that doesn't require a lot of elbow grease and that can be used on a hot grill; That's why they use a grill brick-and so should you!
- SAVE ON TIME & SHIPPING WITH A BULK PACK; If you use your griddle often, you might as well stock up with more than one grill cleaner brick so you always have one handy
Last update on 2024-04-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The best grill brick is Avant Grub’s Commercial Grade, Heavy Duty Grill Cleaning Brick from Amazon.
I recommend getting at least 4 if you plan to cook out often, but the 12-pack is a great deal. These large 8x4x3.5-inch bricks are all natural and nontoxic.
Better still, they clean grill surfaces without scratching them up the way other scrubbers can, plus they have no fibers to snag.
All you need to do is scrub them on a flat grill to remove any unwanted mess and then rinse the debris away with water.
Commercial Grade grill bricks are easy to store, reusable, and sanitary. You can clean pumice off with a simple rinse, and the bricks dry quickly.
Best of all, these grill bricks come with a lifetime money-back warranty if you’re unsatisfied.
- Michael says, “With metal brushes leaving dangerous bristled that can be ingested, I was looking for a solution to clean the grill. I found the non-metal had to be used on a cool grill and the bbq sauce does not come off easily these bricks quickly form to your grates and can be used hot or cold fantastic”
Get your grill bricks delivered fast when you click right here.
Helpful Tips To Know About What Grill Bricks Are Made Of
Grill bricks are made of a simple stone substance that results from liquid glass churning and becoming frothy, then cooling too quickly to form a crystalline structure like obsidian or glass.
Although porous pumice exists, grill bricks are made from nonporous pumice.
Here are a few more helpful tips to know about what grill bricks are made of.
- Always use a proper handle when scrubbing a grill with a grill brick. The handle keeps your hands safe from rubbing and heat and gives you better control over the brick.
- Grill bricks leave behind a dust-like powder when used. It is essential to always clean this powder off your grill before the next use because it is made up of a minuscule yet surprisingly effective form of glass. You don’t want it in your food. Answers.com explains, “It will grind down the inside of your digestive tract and cause ulcers and sores. It is also not digestible, so it will stay there until it is either passed through or it is removed by surgery.”
- You should also avoid inhaling the dust from pumice stones as it can irritate your airways.
- Storing your grill bricks properly is essential. Unlike dish cloths, pumice isn’t prone to mold or mildew, but mold spores are everywhere on earth, so a perpetually damp pumice grill brick can have mold issues. Once you’ve used and rinsed the block off, set it somewhere it can drain and dry thoroughly. Store grill bricks away from moisture in a dry environment. You don’t need to worry about heat or light affecting your grill bricks, so you can dry them in direct sun or even near a heat source like a fireplace or furnace. However, be aware that this stone can absorb a lot of heat, so put them far enough away to avoid accidentally burning your hands.
Final Thoughts
Grill bricks are a wonder of nature. Formed by liquid glass that churns and froths up as air is trapped within, this stone cools too fast to create crystalline structures, typically because it encounters the sea or another large body of water immediately after exploding out of the volcano that created it.
Grill bricks are simply cut pressure-formed or bricks of this unusual volcanic extrusion. The light material is ideal for scraping burnt-on food from your flat grill without damaging it.
However, it would be best if you did not use grill bricks on coated metals or porcelain grills as they will wear away the surface over time.
Likewise, the grill bricks will slowly crumble and disintegrate with use, pressure, and moisture, so it’s essential to store them somewhere dry once your grill is clean.