Cuisinart Grill Brush Class Action Lawsuit Claims Recalled Products Contained Dangerous Defects

Lawsuit alleges manufacturer knew Cuisinart grill brush bristles could detach and cause serious internal injuries prior to nearly 1.7 million products being recalled earlier this month.

A class action lawsuit claims Conair sold defective Cuisinart grill brushes for years without warning consumers that metal wire bristles could detach, contaminate food and cause serious internal injuries if swallowed.

The complaint (PDF) was filed by Matthew Tompkins in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York on July 8, pursuing damages against Conair LLC on behalf of himself and other consumers who purchased the recalled Cuisinart grill brushes.

Tompkins alleges Conair falsely marketed the products as safe and reliable, despite knowing design and manufacturing defects could cause small metal bristles to detach from the brushes and become lodged in food or on grill surfaces.

If swallowed, the metal bristles may become lodged in the throat or digestive tract, potentially resulting in serious injuries that require medical treatment or surgery.

Cuisinart Grill Brush Recall

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a Cuisinart grill brush recall on July 2, impacting nearly 1.7 million products sold nationwide between June 2009 and March 2026.

The recalled products were sold individually for between $8 and $20, as well as in several Cuisinart grill tool sets, including the Premium Grill 10 Piece Set, 13 Piece Wooden Handle Grill Tool Set, 14 Piece Deluxe Stainless Steel Grill Set and 20 Piece Deluxe Grill Set.

According to the recall notice, Conair received at least 54 reports and consumer reviews involving metal wire bristles detaching from the recalled grill brushes. At least three consumers allegedly swallowed the metal bristles and required medical treatment to remove them from their digestive tracts or throats.

Despite those reports, Tompkins claims Conair continued to sell the products without adequately warning consumers about the potential grill brush injury risks.

Cuisinart Grill Brush Class Action Lawsuit

In the lawsuit, Tompkins indicates a Cuisinart 13-Piece Wooden Handle Grill Tools Set containing one of the defective brushes was purchased from Amazon in May 2025, and subsequently acquired by him.

The lawsuit maintains Tompkins considered Cuisinart a reputable brand and believed the grill brush was safe and reliable for its intended use.

However, he claims he and other consumers would not have purchased the products, or would have paid substantially less for them, if Conair had disclosed the risk that metal bristles could detach and cause serious injuries.

Following the recall, Conair offered consumers either a refund or credit for purchases from Cuisinart’s website. However, the lawsuit alleges consumers must discard the recalled brushes and complete a burdensome claims process before receiving compensation.

Tompkins claims the recall remedy does not adequately compensate consumers who purchased products that were allegedly worthless due to the undisclosed safety defects.

“The risk associated with the Product was beyond any reasonable or nominal risk that might be associated with grill brushes generally.”

— Matthew Tompkins v. Conair LLC

The Cuisinart grill brush class action lawsuit seeks to represent consumers nationwide who purchased or acquired the recalled products, as well as a subclass of New York residents.

The complaint presents claims of breach of implied warranty of merchantability, violations of New York consumer protection laws, negligence and unjust enrichment. It seeks damages and other relief.

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