DachsieSlave Posted December 9, 2008 Report Share Posted December 9, 2008 Here is a side by side picture comparison of the two after about 10 days outside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firemonkey Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 I have to concur that the grillfloss is high grade stainless. Mine has stayed outside in the Florida humidity, even through the rainy seasons, and has not a blemish on it. The once dark blue anodized tip on the handle is now barely blue at all from sun fading, but there is not a spot of rust anywhere. DJ and I both got a bad one at first, where the scraper head, screw and lock washer rusted like a POSK coal basket. Grillfloss sent a replacement scraper head and it has been like new ever since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyboy Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 I don't have either; but IMHO the grillfloss looks flimsy. Yes/No? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firemonkey Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 Nope, not flimsy. The tube is very sturdy and solid. When dragging or pushing it on your grate it does exactly what it is supposed to do. It looks thin, but its short too, not easy to bend. I even use mine to lift hot grates sometimes. The biggest thing to consider is that it is stainless, so you are not rubbing carbon steel into the pores of your grates Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyboy Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 The biggest thing to consider is that it is stainless, so you are not rubbing carbon steel into the pores of your grates Thanks FM! Your knowledge always amazes me. Now I have to ask what's the problem with carbon steel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amphoran Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 Carbon steel rusts, and makes the stainless rust, too, when in intimate contact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyboy Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 Is cast iron carbon steel? I slide cast iron pans across the grate as much as I do steaks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firemonkey Posted December 11, 2008 Report Share Posted December 11, 2008 Basically, yes its carbon steel, though I am sure there are differences in the alloy mix to make it castable. Sliding a cast iron pan on your grate is likely far less damaging than using a non-stainless scraper to clean it for a few reasons. First, the pan is only contacting the very top surface of the grates, not all around the whole rod like you would with a billybar. Second, the iron pan is seasoned, so your making less metal to metal contact even on the small area its is sitting on. You want to see what happens when you use a non stainless scraper? Behold... See how the rust looks like it has a grain running the length of the rods? That is from using a brass grill brush to clean it. Now, understand that the picture above is one of Richard Johnson's piece o' sh*t grills, and it was going to rust anyway, but you can see clearly that the brass brush did not help it any. Ive since cleaned the rust off this grate with CLR and treated it nicely, but to no avail, it looks good for a while then rusts again....Thanks RJ. My KK grates have only seen a grillfloss, and have no rust on them. My KK grates are also 3/8, and last I heard billybar was only available in 1/4" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyboy Posted December 11, 2008 Report Share Posted December 11, 2008 FM, Awesome explaination and photo. Thanks. I think I got it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryR Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Re: Grill Floss vs Billy Bar Just ordered a Grill Floss and have a quick question for users; do you also use a brush along with the Grill Floss? Looking forward to receiving it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdbower Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Re: Grill Floss vs Billy Bar Just ordered a Grill Floss and have a quick question for users; do you also use a brush along with the Grill Floss? Looking forward to receiving it. I don't, but I also don't clean the grates very well. The Grill Floss does a great job doing a rough scaling, knocking off the crusty bits and drips. A SS brush may help to polish things up a bit better after that, but really it's only about to get smoky and gunky again so I leave mine "seasoned." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisLinkletter Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Re: Grill Floss vs Billy Bar so I leave mine "seasoned." Agreed.. I never use any soap of any kind just SS pad with water.. they stay a lil' bit oiled /greasy too. And when dried or wiped clean they do have that seasoned pan sheen, film like a well seasoned pan. The first heat will kill anything remotely alive especially as I push my initial burn to heat soak faster before I dial it back. Carbon steel contamination is a real concern.. I would absolutely go with the with the stainless version. BTW pool water or the chlorine/chemicals in it will make rust colored spots on your stainless also. I've had the kids get both my grills and draft door wet. You can see exactly where the drops sat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firemonkey Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Re: Grill Floss vs Billy Bar I use the grill floss, and leave the grates black. The 3/8 notch on the gril floss is just right to knock off any crust, leaving a smooth, albeit black, grate bar. My only qualm with the grill floss is that it's a one bar at a time endeavor, and with the bar spacing on the KK, it can be tough to rotate it far enough around to fully clean the bottom of the bar on the return stroke. Not a huge problem, you just have to floss it from the opposite direction. After that initial bad batch of Grillfloss tips that rusted, it is made of quality SS. Mind has been used and left outside since the day I got it. The blue anodized tip is well faded, but not a spot of rust or corrosion anywhere on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syzygies Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Re: Grill Floss vs Billy Bar Ok, here's what I know, and what I don't know: The Komodo Kamado has 3/8" - 304 Stainless grates. This is beefier than other ceramic cookers. Grill Floss tools come with a "Dual Sized Cleaning Head", 5/16" and 3/8". The larger head matches the KK spec. Billy Bar tools come in a single size, which fit my previous K7 (not recommended) grates well. My guess (the site doesn't say) is that they were 5/16". In any case, I formed the impression that it was a poor fit for my new KK, so I gave the tool to my neighbor along with the (now tileless) K7. (He was thrilled, a fire is a fire, but given the choice he'd take the KK any day.) So what's the debate here? If the Billy Bar doesn't fit, it doesn't matter if it's made of Play-Doh, right? My primary cleaning regimen has been to place the grill in an Oatey 24" water heater pan (plastic or metal, Home Depot, Lowes, or Oatey #34078 24" Aluminum Water Heater Pan (Amazon)). Plastic is fine if the grill is cool, one also needs a rubber stopper for the plumbing hole in the pan. After a decent soak, a wad of aluminum foil does a great job of cleanup. I also like to alternate low and high cooks; only the second low cook in a row presents interesting hygiene questions. Then, I might use soap. Nevertheless, it's nice to get the grill as clean as possible before the soak, or before a high cook. I just ordered a Grill Floss; I'm convinced. Come to think of it, I've never used the hinge feature on the main grill. I mainly wish it weren't there, when I flip the grill in the KK to get a better scrape on the underside. I'd vote (and pay) for a reversible main grill, given comments here and my experience. For that matter, a hinge could go either way; the main obstruction to reversibility are the tabs for grabbing the grill with the lifter tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tucker Posted January 14, 2011 Report Share Posted January 14, 2011 Re: Grill Floss vs Billy Bar Sysgies - you've touched on a very good point.. I also would prefer a reversible upper grill sans from flap. I don't recall using it. I find it a little cumbersome when trying to clean up, it would be more effective to flip it before a high burn after a cook. I use the Grill Floss after i remove whatever it is i was cooking to get the major gunk (pork butt fat back, etc..) off and into the fire after removing the heat deflector and drip pan. I then run the temp up to burn off and finally stainless steel brush on hot grill in the cooker, then shut it down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyboy Posted January 14, 2011 Report Share Posted January 14, 2011 Re: Grill Floss vs Billy Bar Sysgies - you've touched on a very good point.. I also would prefer a reversible upper grill sans from flap. I don't recall using it. I thought the flap was a great selling point though; but agree I can't say I've ever used mine either. And definitely creates challenges scraping in that area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scouterpf Posted October 9, 2011 Report Share Posted October 9, 2011 Re: Grill Floss vs Billy Bar I use an old 3/8" open ended wrench to scrape any hard crusts followed by a a stainless steel scruber to polish the grates. After cleaning the grates I oil the grates with peanut oil to prevent most sticking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
