Let's cook! Which BBQ brushes work best on the grill

Grilling season is here, which means you might be firing up the grill more often.

That also means you'll need to clean the grill. If you're not a fan of using wire brushes to get the task done, there are some good alternatives.

Consumer Reports dirtied up grills by roasting sticky chicken breasts on stainless and cast iron grates.

They tested the brushes on both cold, warm and hot grates. The brushes were rated on how well they removed the grime.

"We were surprised in testing to find that a lot of grill brushes have short or flat handles that keep your hand over the hot grates. When you shop for a grill brush, look for one with a long handle and an angled head," said Consumer Reports Home Editor Paul Hope.

Testers liked the Nexgrill grill brush. It has a replaceable stainless steel head that does a good job on hot grates. It's $11.

Testers also liked the Earthstone GrillStone. It's made of recycled materials and did an impressive job of removing the cooked-on chicken on cold, warm and hot surfaces.

It's only $6.

The Char-Broil Cool-Clean brush and the Char-Griller wood grill scraper did not clean well in the tests.

If you do use wire grill brushes, you'll want to wipe the grates down with an oiled paper towel to make sure they don't get into your food.