Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports Tests Safety Of Grills

Link: ConsumerReports.org

More: Broil King BBQ | Safety Notice

(KDKA) Sunshine and warm weather have arrived and that means it's time for many of us to break out the grill and start cooking.

"It's a busy time for us," says Doug Satterfield, of Rollier's Hardware. "Everybody is looking at their old grills. They are dissatisfied with maybe the way it cooks, maybe they feel like they need a new clean grill."

But before buying a grill, Consumer Reports says you should know that this year not all grills are considered safe.

Consumer Reports has been testing grills for more than 30 years and for the first time they say they came up with a safety concern, a grill that actually started to melt.

Officials with Consumer Reports say they used one of their standard tests for medium-sized grills to cook six steaks to test the flare up.

Testers say several grills, including the $650 Broil King Signet 90, had quite a bit, but there was quite a bit of concern when looking at the extent of damage to the Broil King's firebox.

"Molten metal actually dripped down under the grill," said Mark Connelly, of Consumer Reports. "It just missed the hand of one of our testers."

Officials with Consumer Reports say they have judged the Broil King Signet 90 as "not acceptable," and have notified the manufacturer, as well as government safety agencies.

But Consumer Reports says all other grills tested were rated at good to excellent.

Experts say top ratings went to the midsized Weber Genesis E320 for $700. It heats evenly and proved excellent for grilling.

"It's a wonderful grill," says Satterfield. "It really is. It gives you everything you need."

Consumer Reports' Best Buys include the Brinkmann - Model # 810-84-10-S from Home Depot for $200, and the Char-Broil Commercial Series - Model 463-268-008 for $300.

More Information:  ConsumerReports.org |  Broil King BBQ |  Safety Notice

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