You  would think that buying a basting brush doesn't need much thought but you would be surprised. Did you know that they can harbour bacteria? Everytime you baste meat with marinade, your brush is touching raw meat or poultry. That's why it's essential to make sure your brush is dishwasher proof if you use it for meat, poultry or fish.

Things to look for in a basting brush:

1. Dishwasher proof if you are using it for meat, poultry or fish.
2. Good strong bristles that don't fall out into the food you are cooking.
3. A long handle so you can get to awkward parts of a large bird.
4. If the bristles are made of plastic, you need to be sure that you don't use it in a hot pan, or leave it near the cooker hob. Once it hits heat, it starts to melt and congeal together. If this happens, trim it so that you get a stubbly brush which is still useful.
5. Keep a basting brush for baking seperate to the one that you use for anything else.
6. You often find a free bristle basting brush on the front of a food magazine. Keep these for baking.
7. Keep old worn-out brushes for doing things around the house – cleaning taps or dusting awkward corners.