Gas grill poses safety risk

In the midst of testing gas grills, Consumer Reports has uncovered a potential safety problem with a small Brinkmann grill sold at Home Depot and Hy-Vee stores.

The $130 Brinkmann 2-Burner Patio Gas Grill model 810-6230-S failed a routine Consumer Reports safety test. The test is designed to see whether the burner flames stay on when you drop the grill's lid. If the flame goes out and the burners are still on, gas can build up inside the grill and reignite in a hazardous way.

Consumer Reports found the same problem on two samples of the Brinkmann Patio Grill. On each, the grill passed the test on the high-heat setting, but on low flames, one of the two burners occasionally went out.

The safety risk is low, and Consumer Reports in not aware of any injury reports. But no grill should have that flaw. None of the other 136 grills tested failed the test.

A Brinkmann spokesman said the grill meets safety standards and does not pose a risk, but "we believe that we can make an improvement to the crossover channel to prevent any burner from extinguishing." And he says the company has "made the change for all future production." If you own the Brinkman Patio Grill, the company will ship you a replacement crossover piece. You can reach Brinkmann at 800-527-0717.

Consumer Reports says it will test the updated grill when it becomes available in stores. Until then, it has rated the Brinkmann 2-Burner Patio Grill model 810-6230-S a "Don't Buy - Safety Risk." If you own a Brinkmann 2-Burner Patio Grill, Consumer Reports advises using it only on high heat.

Consumer Reports does recommend other Brinkmann grills, including the midsized Brinkmann model 810-6420-S sold at Home Depot. It passed all safety tests and costs $170.

If you are looking for a small grill, Consumer Reports has several to recommend, including the Broil-Mate model 165154 for $200.