The Best Silicone Brushes

Our former winner continues its reign. It performed well, picking up plenty of liquid and providing good coverage. Its bristles had just the right level of flexibility, making for agile, precise, and controlled maneuvering. Testers loved its light weight and perfectly sized handle, which was made of grippy plastic. Just a few minor cosmetic issues: That comfy handle melted on contact with the hot pan, and the translucent bristles stained and retained odors after six washes (though they did not transfer smells or flavors to subsequent foods).

This two-piece set includes a silicone brush that’s similar in size to other models we’ve liked, so that’s the brush we used throughout testing. The second brush, which is longer, would be best when working with large roasts. The bristles were not too floppy and not too stiff, which made it easy to brush egg wash on delicate pie dough. Its head was a little more narrow than we prefer, so it took just a few more passes to apply egg wash to pie dough. The handle was on the skinny side, but it was still fairly comfortable to hold, thanks to the brush’s light weight and grippy material. It was durable, withstanding melting when its handle came into contact with a hot skillet. It was easy to clean in the dishwasher and retained only the faintest of odors.

This lightweight, inexpensive brush performed well, picking up a good amount of liquid and covering plenty of area in a single pass. Chipotle stains faded after just one wash, and though odors lingered longer, they didn't transfer to foods. It was a touch floppier than our winner, which made it harder to control. And its slick plastic handle melted in contact with the hot pan; it was also a little harder to hold, especially when greasy or wet.

The bristles on this brush were a little on the stiff side, so it was a bit less gentle on some delicate foods, but its wide head provided good coverage when brushing liquids like butter and egg wash. It had a skinny handle, which might be a little less comfortable for users to hold for long periods of time. The handle didn’t sustain any damage when we left it in a hot skillet, but its bristles retained faint odors after dishwashing.

This brush picked up a reasonable amount of liquid, and while its head was a little smaller than some, it still managed to get good coverage in each pass. But its bristles were the least flexible in the lineup, making for rougher, less precise treatment when glazing delicate meatloaf. And though the silicone-coated handle didn't melt in contact with high heat, it was oddly long and thin, cramping some testers' hands. Minor stains faded after three washes, though odors lingered.

The bristles on this brush picked up less liquid than other brushes. They were also on the floppy side, making it trickier to brush egg wash and sauce in even, precise strokes. While the steel handle was very durable, it felt slippery, especially when our hands got a little greasy. As with other brushes, it retained very faint odors after dishwashing.

This brush had the narrowest head in the lineup. Some testers found that smaller head easier to maneuver and liked how deftly its moderately flexible bristles negotiated curves. However, it picked up significantly less liquid than the other models and required more passes to glaze an entire meatloaf or butter a hot pan. The Popsicle-stick-like handle was small and less grippy than we preferred; it also melted on contact with the hot pan. Finally, as with many of the other models, faint stains and odors remained after six washes.

This brush held a good amount of liquid and covered enough ground with each pass. But its bristles were way too floppy, making for sloshy, imprecise glaze and wash application. Testers hated its heavy, slick metal handle, which was hard to grip and perpetually threatened to slip out of our hands. At the end of the day, these cons meant nobody cared that the handle survived testing without a scratch and that the black bristles obscured any chipotle stains. (As with the other models, odors remained.)

This brush performed well, its moderately flexible bristles providing precise, agile coverage. But testers had mixed feelings about the silicone-coated handle—one of the few that didn't melt in our high-heat test. While they loved the grippy material, the handle itself was far too long, making for awkward maneuvering. Finally, the brush was a little heavy, and the bristles retained faint stains and odors after six washes, though functionality was not affected.

Performing similarly to most other models in the lineup, this brush picked up liquid reasonably well and provided good coverage. But its bristles were a little floppy, which made it harder to control. Testers didn't love the barrel-shaped handle, which was too thick to hold comfortably and was made of smooth, hard-to-grip plastic that melted on contact with the hot skillet. On the plus side, the jet-black bristles masked any chipotle stains that might have occurred, though some odors remained even after six washes.