What do you think of those silicon pastry brushes?

[eridani]

I'm skeptical, but I got one to try for the next time I do an egg wash.

[japple]

1. I received one as a gift and don't really use it that often. I

prefer my old tried and true brushes. The little "fingers" on the silicone one flip around and spit stuff in all directions, causing spatters and drips on the stovetop. It does better for basting thick BBQ sauce on the grill.

[Warpy]

2. They work but they're sloppy

The main advantage is cleanup, they clean a lot easier than bristle brushes.

You can reduce the slop by adjusting your technique.

[Tesha]

3. It depends...

there are a bunch of different sizes. I was given a large "bristle" one first - and found it was only good for thick sauces on the grill. Then I was given a smaller one - and that works fine for lighter sauces... still neither work well for things like egg washes - they're too flexible and hold too little liquid... maybe they make an even smaller one?

All that aside - I use my old "paint brush" for anything that doesn't involve heat.

[elleng]

4. Use Me, Choose Me.

Sure, you're cooking more at home now. That's what a furloughed paycheck, a pink slip or a benefits cut will do: make restaurant meals seem indulgent. Gadget manufacturers would naturally have you believe that despite your economic anxiety, this is the perfect opportunity to buy that corn zipper or motorized ice cream maker or silicone-coated whisk. After all, the thinking goes, if you're not eating out, you surely need help cooking in.

There's some truth to that. A well-designed tool makes food prep more than comfortable; it can make it downright efficient. But now's a good time to remember that sometimes the best tool is the cheapest, lowest-tech method you can imagine. As wedding-registry season begins, may this also serve as an endorsement of guilt-free frugality.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/02/AR2009060202830.html?hpid=features1&hpv=local

[HappyCynic]

5. Pros and cons

Here are the pros and cons as I see it:

Silicon
Pros:
- easy clean up (as previously mentioned)
- no bristles detatching from the brush onto the food
- doesn't hold onto the sauces (so more of it stays on the food)
- lasts longer (no metal to rust, no wood to warp)
Cons:
- doesn't hold onto the sauces as well so it's harder to move the sauce from the bowl to the food
- larger bristles are especially bad for thin sauces

Traditional
Pros:
- holds sauces much better
- easier to spread sauces
- more even spread
Cons:
- harder to wash
- at risk of rust
- bristles sometimes detatch from brush and must be picked off of food

For thinner sauces (and egg washes), I'd pour some onto the food then just use the brush to spread it rather than trying to lift the sauce from the bowl onto the food.

[Phentex]

6. I never use the old kind any more...

I hated cleaning those things! I don't have any issues with the silcon versions. I'm a pretty sloppy painter so maybe that's why I've never noticed these brushes being sloppy. :)

[supernova]

7. I have a natural hair brush

I bought ages ago at a Pampered Chef party.

I used it a couple of times and I have NEVER gotten the oil out of it. x(

So the silicone ones are better on the cleanliness scale.

[Richard Steele]

8. Great in theory, entirely "second rate" in practice.

They belong to the "as seen on TV" category
of kitchen utensils, in my humble opinion.

[MajorChode]

9. For some uses, they are great

I can butter a hot omlet pan with one, for instance, but for most things they don't perform nearly as well as a bristled brush.

[wryter2000]

10. They're gentle

Also, easy to get clean.