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Message: [QUOTE="Norcalbaker59, post: 44207, member: 2340"] I’ve only had sugar crystallize on me once. And I count the number of batches of Italian meringue and caramel I’ve made over the years. But on the other hand I’ve seen it happen in a commercial kitchen with very experienced pastry chefs cooking the sugar—once in back to back batches. So it definitely happens. I keep about a dozen pastry brushes on hand. Whenever I go to the restaurant supply store I pick up a couple extra so I always have several unopened ones in a couple of sized in my utensil hanger. The standard pastry brushes are inexpensive, and they do not last long. Always check to see if the brush is shedding before you use it. If is is shedding, toss it. My least favorite is the OXO brand. That brand sheds a lot. And that can be dangerous because the fibers blend into the color of the pastry. It can easily be eaten and get stuck in someone’s throat. I prefer the silicone brushes because they can be serialized and they don’t shed. They cost about $10 - $15 USD. But they last a long time. They aren’t always stiff enough for the task, so I still need to keep traditional pastry brushes on hand. [ATTACH type="full"]3656[/ATTACH] [/QUOTE]