Pastry brushes - though might look like they belong in an art shop instead of your kitchen cabinet - are an essential part of baking. They allow you to glaze on oil, butter or other liquid foods onto baked cooked with ease. There are other uses of pastry brushes as well. They can help you remove excess flour, herbs and salt from the surface of another food if you accidentally poured too much. You can also grease pans with melted butter and brush on sauce or oil on fish and meat with ease.
The main things you should look out for in a good pastry brush is its soft bristles. If your pastry brush has hard bristles it could easily puncture and rip through the dough of your pastries - ruining all of your hard work. You could even get kosher pastry brushes and ones that are fit to be washed in the dishwasher. Here is a list of some great pastry brushes you could consider to find the best pastry brush that works for you.Best Pick
Our best pick is the OXO Good Grips Silicone Basting and Pastry Brush. Thanks to its unique design and material you will always have a comfortable and strong hold on the brush, ensuring you don't have any accidents in the kitchen. This brush is also designed in a way so you can place the product on your countertop and keep the brush sanitary and your kitchen free from any spillage. This brush can also withstand heat up to 600°F, which is the highest in this article and even has a hole in the handle so you can hang it up in your kitchen with ease.
Budget Pick
Our best budget is the AdeptChef multicoloured silicone brushes. They are dishwasher safe, easy to use for multiple different dishes without cross-contaminating your foods and resistant to heat up to 446 °F (230 °C).
Quick Comparison: Top 8 Best Pastry Brushes
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1. OXO Good Grips Silicone Basting & Pastry Brush - Large
This silicone pastry brush is a little more unique than the typical pastry brush you might have in mind. Its design alone is not only suave but practical too, with a thick handle that makes using the brush more comfortable than a more traditional wooden brush.
Its angled head also ensures that you can rest the brush on your countertops without smearing the liquid all over your kitchen.
It's got gaps in its centre bristles to allow any liquid you pick up with the brush to transfer easily onto all pastries, without spilling the liquid and making a mess. These bristles are also incredibly soft, so you can rest assured that the brush won't scorch or scratch your baking trays and pans.
The brush is heat resistant and can stand strong again 600°F of heat - making it easy to use before and after your pastries are baked. Oftentimes pastry brushes can be hard to clean thoroughly as liquids can force the bristles to clump together. The OXO pastry brush ensures that the bristles do not clump together and frizz, and thanks to this product being dishwasher safe, it is not only practical to use but easy to clean as well.
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2. AdeptChef Silicone Basting & Pastry Brush
You may want to use several pastry brushes whilst to bake and cook, but this can result is some confusion when it comes to which brush you have used for which dish. The last thing you'd want is to mix up your pastry brushes and put the wrong liquid on a particular dish.
AdeptChef has invented a multicoloured pastry brush set that is easy to use and will not confuse you in the kitchen. The brushes come in four colours: blue, green, magenta and orange.
The brushes are made from 100% food-grade, BPA free, FDA approved silicone. These brushes are of high quality and built to last in your kitchen. Each brush can withstand temperatures as high as 446°F (230°C) and will not discolour or shrink unlike many pastry brushes made from nylon.
These brushes are great when used in the kitchen but can also be used for grilling during a barbeque, for both roasting and baking and can work on a variety of different foods (including meat and fish). It's important to know that these brushes are also dishwasher safe making it very easy to clean. If you do wash by hand, however, know that the bristles do not shed and do not remain greasy.
Thanks to the flexible bristles, you can thoroughly clean each bristle with ease even by hand. Due to the silicone material of the bristles, they also dry much quicker than other pastry brushes.
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3. Redecker Pastry Brushes
Sometimes all we want is a traditional tool that simply gets the job done with no hassle. The Redecker pastry brushes are made with untreated beechwood handles that give the brush that classic look.
The bristles are made from boar which is fantastic for evenly distributing sauces and liquids onto any surface. With this brush, you won't find yourself constantly dipping into your batch of sauce when trying to brush the same surface.
These pastry brushes come in a variation of sizes that is suitable for your hands and your storage. You can use these brushes to grease a pan, glaze over your pastries or to even add icing to cakes, making it very versatile.
These brushes a more unique than your regular wooden pastry brush as each brush is handmade. Because of this, no two pastry brushes from Redecker are the same. If you are someone who loves being unique without going over the top, the Redecker pastry brushes are a subtle and classy way to own a one-of-a-kind tool.
Unfortunately, these brushes are not suitable to be washed in the dishwasher. Instead, they must be hand washed and gently dried with a towel. It's made from wood which may mean the brush dries slower than silicone-based brushes. These brushes are durable, however, thanks to the steel joint that connects the bristles to the handle firmly.
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4. Consevisen Basting Brush
These high-quality FDA approved pastry brushes which are also BPA approved come in a variety of bright colours which can spice up your kitchen and avoid any confusion whilst you are baking.
The brushes can withstand heat up until 446°F/220°C which means you can baste foods whilst simultaneously grilling them without the brushes shrinking or burning.
The handles of the brushes have steel within them to ensure maximum durability. The outer silicone layers help prevent stains and smell lingering on your brush after use. The largest brush from the set has 85 bristles on a single brush and she smaller brushes have 52 bristles. The softness of these silicone brushes ensure that the dough you're working on does not rip or puncture.
These brushes can be washed both in the dishwasher and by hand which is always fantastic. You won't have to worry about the brushes taking a long time to dry either, unlike a wooden pastry brush. The brushes are also designed with a hole in the handle so you can easily hang it up in your kitchen with ease - making it a good option for those with a lack of storage space in the kitchen.
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5. Royal Industries Bastry Brush
Another wooden pastry brush is the Royal Industries Basting Brush. It is made with boar bristles which hold onto liquids very well and makes for coating foods simple and quick.
The boar bristles also ensure that you produce an even layer of coating each time. This product, in particular, is ideal for fluffy and delicate baked goods but can be used for multiple purposes.
The bristles are not only durable but also water-resistant. This means they can retain any fluid within them for much longer than silicone bristles - meaning you won't need to reapply your sauces as much when using the brush to coat your foods.
The handle is made from lacquered hardwood with brown nylon ferrules protecting the brush from falling apart and offering a comfortable grip. There is a hanging hole in the handle which makes it convenient to store when not using the brushes.
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6. Carlisle 4038000-E Sparta Round Pastry Brush with Boar Bristles
If you prefer wooden handles but don't like the traditional blocky and rectangular handles that are typically used on pastry brushes, look no further.
The Carlisle 4038000-E Sparta Round Brush has a round handle that makes using the brush comfortable and feels elegant in your fingertips.
This particular brush only comes in a single size which is quite large. Though this makes way for accuracy when in use, it may not be suitable for those who prefer smaller brushes. The bristles are epoxy-set in the ferrule for durability and to prevent the collection of bacteria in air pockets and are made from sterilized, double-boiled and bleached boar bristles and can be used in foods as hot as 500 degrees.
This brush is strong but delicate. It needs to be hand-washed rather than put in the dishwasher. The big size is great for buttering pans and bigger pastries but you may find it difficult to use on smaller more intricate pastries.
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7. Avant Grub Pastry and Basting Brush
These pro-grade pastry brushes are made from ultra-fine hardwood and boar bristles. They come in several sizes and have a hanging hole in the handle for easy storage.
Because the wood is such high quality it is not advisable to wash these brushes in the dishwasher as he handles may splinter during the process. There are also a variety of sizes which can be used for different tasks around the kitchen.
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8. Walfos Premium Silicone Pastry Brush
These heat-resistant brushes are BPA free and food grade. They've got a steel core making the brushes strong and durable. This also helps in preventing food from getting stuck between the bristles.
The bristles are placed in a rectangular shape allowing for precision when using it to graze foods.
These brushes are suitable for several kinds of dishes - from desserts to meats - and are easy to store in your kitchen thanks to the hanging hole available on the handles. They can withstand heat up to 446 °F (230 °C) and promise not to shrink, melt or discolour in the process.
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Things to Know Before Buying a Pastry Brush
There is so much variety on the market these days that it might be hard to choose the perfect pastry brush that can do multiple things.
We want you to find a pastry brush that not only allows you to spread liquids and sauces over your food with ease but also be dishwasher friendly, comfortable to use and easy to store too.
A pastry brush is an essential part of any kitchen especially if you enjoy baking and having a barbeque often. We've got a list of a few things you should consider before buying a pastry brush so you can make sure you pick one that best suits your needs.
Size and Shape
No two pastry brushes are the same. Some are round, others are square. Some are long and others are small. To decide which kind of pastry brush you should get, think about the kinds of foods that you will be using it with.
If you often bake small pastries you should opt for a soft-bristled brush which is flexible and light. Smaller brushes will allow you to get into all crevices of the pastry without making a mess or ruining the shape of the pastry.
If you often butter and grease your pans or baking trays, a bigger brush will be more suitable for this as you will need a bigger brush to pick up a lot of liquid. In this case, a boar-bristle brush may be more suitable for a quick and even job.
Think about the amount of storage you have in your home and whether or not you will be travelling with the brush or not. Depending on these factors you can decide which shape and size will suit you best.
Material
The material of your brush will play the main role in determining how well it performs. A wooden brush with boar-bristles can typically pick up much more liquid than silicone brushes, allowing you to keep polishing your foods without having to reapply the liquid onto the brush. Be mindful with wooden brushes, however, as they tend to dry a lot slower than silicone ones and may not be suitable to put in the dishwasher.
Oftentimes, silicone brushes will have a steel core to ensure durability. The bristles on a silicone brush are known for being soft and flexible which is great to prevent rupturing fragile dough and foods. Silicone brushes have a reputation of falling apart rather quickly in comparison to wooden brushes, however, but a good quality silicone brush will prevent that from happening.
Another key aspect when it comes to the material of your pastry brush is whether it is resistant to heat or not. The last thing you would want is for your brush to melt just as you're cooking on the grill at a family barbeque, so make sure that it can withstand heat sufficiently.
How to Clean
Cleaning your brushes can be a chore especially if liquid and sauces get stuck in between the bristles. Nowadays many brushes are dishwasher safe which leaves you with less hassle and more time to relax.
Silicone brushes tend to be more flexible so even if you choose to wash them by hand you can easily get clean each bristle with ease.
Wooden brushes with boar bristles tend to hold onto residue more than silicone ones. Though this is great when you're distributing liquids onto a pan or pastry, it can be quite troublesome when it's time to wash up.
As mentioned before, most wooden brushes are not suitable to be washed in a dishwasher as the wood might get splintered during the process. Boar bristles also tend to stain and develop an odour but a deep clean should do the job.
Think about how much time you have when it comes to cleaning and which material would suit you best. If you have time on your hands or don't own a dishwasher, a wooden pastry brush with boar bristles will suffice. If you rely on your dishwasher heavily and don't like to clean up, silicone brushes are the way to go.