Natural Fiber Bristle Pot Brush

At the same time, I bought the following: 1. Bürstenhaus Redecker 2.3-inch Diameter Pot Brush 2. Bürstenhaus Redecker Dish Brush with Soft Horsehair, 7.5-Inch 3. Bürstenhaus Redecker Large Dish Brush with Hard Bristles, 7.5-Inch When I was making the decision on what to purchase, I wanted to know how they compared and whether I would use them all or only needed one. (I know, I know… somewhere Martha Stewart is shedding a silent tear at my pagan ignorance). So, I'm going to discuss all 3 and re-post the same review on their individual pages. I apologize in advance if you encounter this review more than once. ::: - ::: - ::: - ::: - ::: - ::: - ::: - ::: 1. The 2.3-inch pot brush has very stiff bristles, such that even when you bear down on it with the weight of your body, they don't bend easily. It's really great for cleaning off burnt-on bits. Plus, food particles are easier to clean out of its thick, well-spaced bristles than most brushes. So, it's really great for scrubbing the tacky or bulky residue off (so it doesn't get all mushed up into your finer brushes) and then finishing the job with a washcloth or brush that can do detail-work. 2. The 7.5-inch soft horsehair brush is a nice soft soft soft fluffy thing. The horsehair is so flexible that it gives you a sense of dexterity control and gentleness, like you have with a washcloth, except at the end of a stick so you don't have to stick your whole hand inside your Riedel wineglass. It's not going to be able to squeeze inside a narrow-necked bottle like one of those dish wands, but it is a lot faster and easier to remove smudges off glasses with. 3. The 7.5-inch hard bristle brush is what I'd consider the 'classic' dishbrush. It's functional for most dishes. The thing is, if you use it for the jobs the pot brush should be handling, you'll warp and grind away its bristles faster. And if you use if for a glass brush, it won't be so efficient at removing lipstick and the like. ::: - ::: - ::: - ::: - ::: - ::: - ::: - ::: I've been using these for a few weeks now. A few bristles fell out on the first few uses, which is typical, but they are holding together well so far. I do hang them from their hooks and those haven't fallen out yet. I, personally, did not smell a 'horsey' odor. I suspect that's one of those things that would only be noticed by the sensitized nostrils of a serious horse aficionado. ;) I do think natural bristles have a longer life than plastic. They do wear away over time, but the plastic ones seem to get matted up well before the natural bristles wear down to the point of diminished utility.

Love this brush! Slowly trying to replace all plastic items in my kitchen. As a child, my family was military and we lived in Germany when I was between the ages of 8 and 12. The high quality wooden furniture, carvings, toys, and tools I was exposed to there as a child left a lasting impression and this brush is no exception. It fits my hands perfectly. Bristles are super strong and very rarely break or fall out. After several months of use, the bristles have not bent either which is typical of plastic bristled brushes. We live in a very dry climate (Nevada) and there are two very tiny, superficial cracks in the wood which occurred almost immediately after use and was expected, but does not affect function or aesthetics of the brush in any way. Much better than any plastic brush I have ever used. Was so pleased with this purchase that I gave one as a gift to my mother who loves it as well. Will definitely purchase again in the future due to high quality, function, aesthetics, and value.

Fabulous, high quality product which is so hard to find online (too much cheaply made crap). Clearly German-made-- very durable and scrubs veggies like nobody’s business! We will be ordering more soon before they disappear. Love that they stand upright upside down when not being used and can air dry that way-- total genius! No more flopping around with a rounded handle... duh!!! And the bristles are super gnarly, take-your-face off hard which I like when I’m cleaning stuff. Not wimpy. My other bamboo scrubber has horsehair and the bristles all separate and don’t come back together like a flat head bad hair day. Also, that one has to dry on it’s side and rolls around. Super annoying. These bristles stay straight as soldiers with no signs of weakness. Great company-- I’ll see what else they had as I’m tired of buying low quality crap products from everywhere online. A good company is hard to find. Keep it up with good vendors like this, Amazon!

We don't have a dishwasher so all of our dishes are done by hand. For two people, one of these brushes lasts about six months. This is the only brush we use and it works well. We prefer not to use sponges so in cases when the scrub sponge would normally be used this brush requires using a little more elbow grease. We specifically purchased these brushes because there is no plastic or sealant on the wood. We also like that the product is made in Germany and the employees are getting paid a fair wage. The wood handle does split within a few weeks of use but it doesn't prevent the brush from working well. Unfortunately, the brushes come wrapped in plastic. I would love to see them switch to cardboard packaging.

Most cleaning brushes for dishes nowadays are made of plastic bristles which wilt and disintegrate under heat. These brushes with their natural bristles hold up well allowing cleaning of hot woks and skillets. While the pans are still hot, the debris clinging to the surface is more easily removed. Rather than wait for the pan to cool and waste detergent on the cleaning process, simply run hot water over the pan and use these brushes and watch the gunk turn loose leaving a clean surface without quite removing all of the oil and "seasoning". This is a good product used by many cultures but is becoming harder to find. It's now 7 years after this initial review and I am about ready to replace these brushes. They gave very good service. I have dried them by setting them down bristle down so they would drain. I also occasionally put mineral oil on the wooden handle. I have used them daily to clean cast iron and carbon steel pots, griddles and pans. Only cast iron cleaning brush that comes is the Mexican fiber bundle brushes which are a bit more aggressive and stiff. Both are highly recommended. GP

Reorder to replace one I bought years ago. Great scrubbing brushes that hold up well.

I wish the bristles didn't splay out when I try to use this on the racks of my NuWave Oven , which was the main reason I purchased this. It just can't get in those crevices where the racks are joined. It cleans the bottom pan okay, but a Scotch-Brite Scrub Sponge does a better job on the coated pan. I like the way the handle is shaped. It makes this is easy to hold with my arthritic hands. After reading all the complaints about the wood handle cracking and/or turning black, I decided to soak the wood handle in olive oil for 3 days before using it. Thankfully it hasn't cracked, so I'm hoping that helped. If you are looking for a stiffer brush, try the Libman Brass Bristle Pot Brush . I really like it. It has even gotten my very old cooling racks, that I use to bake bacon on, clean. UPDATE: Well, oiling the handle didn't help. I've had this just over a month and the handle now has black splotches all over it, though it didn't crack, and I've only used it a handful of times. Today, this went in the garbage. I'm not taking a chance of passing bacteria/mold/whatever the black stuff was, onto the dishware I'm trying to get clean.

I have used dish brushes for years and decided to try these. They are well constructed and very useful in the kitchen. I use them alongside my blue sponges. By the way, they last a long time.