Call it procrastination or laziness, but I hate cleaning my grill and tend to put it off until the last moment. I typically use my bristleless Grill Rescue cleaner, which effectively steams my grill clean. Though I’m a fan, I don’t love that it needs to be soaked in water, which can cause an additional mess. As barbecue enthusiasts, we’re always testing grill cleaners at Food & Wine, so when I saw a grill cleaning robot with over 1,900 five-star ratings on Amazon, I knew I had to try it out. Could it really do one of my most dreaded chores for me?

GrillBot Automatic Grill Cleaning Robot

I was skeptical that the GrillBot would work as well as traditional methods, but it’s more powerful than I expected. Its three plastic brushes eliminated most of the debris and char off my gas grill’s cast iron grates, though it left a few larger chunks in the back of the grill, where the lower ceiling prevented the 13.5-inch-tall robot from reaching. But, this was easily fixed with one more blast of heat from the grill to burn off that remaining loose residue. My husband and I agree that this definitely did the trick, but the robot would work even better with thinner stainless steel grates like a Weber kettle. One Amazon shopper who was “skeptical at first” shared that the “little robot does a great job on grills,” while another customer chimed in that their “grill has not looked that clean in years.”

Another upside is that using this robot is a breeze. After charging the bristle-free cleaning system with the provided cable, you select 10-, 20-, or 30-minute intervals on the keypad, depending on how dirty your grill is. (I went with the 30-minute mark to tackle some particularly stubborn barbecue chicken residue.) Then, set the robot inside with the door closed and let it get to work. When it’s done, it automatically turns off to conserve its charge, and all you need to do is toss the brushes in the top rack of the dishwasher.

The automatic GrillBot isn’t a perfect grill cleaning solution, though. At 1 pound, it’s pretty heavy for a robot measuring 5.5 by 11.5 inches, and you need to watch your fingers because the brushes can be sharp. On the other hand, it’s an excellent solution for those with limited mobility who are unable to exert the force needed to clean a grill. Plus, a protective case is included for storage or camping. I’ve used it many times since I first tested it, and we plan to continue using it. I even got one for my grill-loving dad.

If you don’t need the novelty of a nearly $150 robot, there are more affordable grill cleaning methods to shop at Amazon, including the five under-$40 picks I rounded up below.

At the time of publishing, the price was $149.

Shop Other Grill Cleaners at Amazon

Char-Broil Replaceable Head Nylon Bristle Grill Brush

Grillart Grill Brush and Scraper 

Goof Off Heavy Duty Remover 

Grill Rescue BBQ Grill Brush

Cctvrtv Griddle Cleaning Kit for Blackstone

See the Grillbot in Action: