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NexGrill sells barbeque grills as a manufacturer in a few retail stores but selling barbecues to the public is not the primary source of income for the company.  NexGrill BBQ grills exists to import inexpensive barbeque grills from the orient for sale with whatever private labels the purchaser provides.  Many of the BBQ grills we have purchased in the large retail stores selling products specific to their brand are actually low-cost imports provided by NexGrill.  If I had a dollar for every time a customer looked at me with utter confusion as they came to understand that JennAir – with their decades old reputation for long-lasting, high quality appliances – did not manufacture their barbeque from Lowes I’d be rich.

In September 2005, Nexgrill Industries recalled gas grills sold exclusively at Home Depot. The recall covered about 86,000 Charmglow Gas Grills manufactured for Home Depot. The problem was that the hose connecting the manifold and the propane tank is too close to the firebox. In many cases, the hot firebox ended up damaging the hose and causing it to leak gas, creating a serious fire risk. There have been at least five reports of fires involving leaking gas hoses and over 45 additional reports of gas leak incidents.

The grill involved is model number 720-0036-HD-05, a number that can be found on the back of the grill. With the grill designed to use propane, its convenience appeals to a wide variety of consumers. The name Charmglow is located on the left-hand corner of the outside of the main burner lid. These grills were sold at Home Depot from November 2004 through June 2005 and cost about $350. Anyone who has one of these grills was asked to stop using it and contact Nexgrill Customer Service to get a free repair kit that can be done by the grill owner. Kits may also be ordered.

Charmglow grills were introduced in the 1960s and were known for their high quality construction. The different Charmglow models had names such as Perfect Host, Master Chef, and Party Host. In the 1980s, the food processing company Beatrice Foods Company manufactured Charmglow grills. The brand was later acquired by Home Depot and the grills are made by Nexgrill (models with series numbers starting with 720) and the Brinkmann Corporation (models with series numbers starting with 810).

In January 2007, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that Nexgrill, headquartered outside Los Angeles, agreed to pay a civil penalty of $300,000 to settle the allegations that Nexgrill failed to report a fire hazard with its gas grills. The penalty was accepted by the Commission, but Nexgrill made the payment although denying that it violated national reporting requirements.

Also in 2004, the Turbo Sport Portable LP Gas Grill made by Nexgrill in Taiwan was found to have faulty gas regulators. These can release too much gas to the gas burner, resulting in an excessively large burner flame. This can also be a safety hazard if flame or a spark occurs. Though no injuries were reported, there were 18 cases of excessive flame, or the regulator shutting off. The recall of the Turbo Sport Portable LP Gas Grill did not have a model number on each individual grill making it hard to determine which grills were dangerous. The model number for the recall of the Turbo Sport is #IR600.? Barbeques Galore stores sold the grills up until August of 2005. Sales started in the summer of 2004. The grill measures 16.5 x 14 x 12 inches (L x W x H) and is made of stainless steel with a stainless steel hood. It has a Turbo Sport nameplate on the front panel of the grill. They were sold from August 2004 to August 2005 for $170 to $200.

Nexgrill started making grills for Jenn-Air in 2004, specifically the Jenn-Air Model 720-0100 Natural Gas Outdoor Gas Grill. The Jenn Air BBQ grill parts also had defects. In many cases, the hose connecting to the main manifold of the grill and the natural gas source was absent when the grills shipped. With no hose connecting the manifold to the gas source, gas could be emitted into the surrounding air creating a fire hazard. This Jenn-Air grill was an outdoor gas barbeque that had four main burners, a side burner, and a rotisserie. You can find the name, Jenn-Air, on the lid of the grill. The affected model was sold from April to May 2004 at Lowes stores across the U.S. and retailed for about $800. Consumers were directed to contact Nexgrill to obtain a free hose during regular business hours or contact NexGrill via e-mail.

The Jenn-Air brand is found at Lowes home improvement stores, and they fall in the mid-range of prices for gas grills. Brass burners, stainless steel surfaces and drawers convenient for storage are the most popular features on a Jenn-Air grill. Though Jenn-Air has had a solid reputation for indoor appliances and associations with products like Dynasty outdoor grills and Maytag appliances the name is also used to market their grills.  The parent company of JennAir brandings is Jade which also owns Kenmore. However, the high qualith manufacturer does not make Jenn Air or Kenmore grills.  The lower-priced gas grills are imported by NexGrill and labeled for sale through retailers like Lowes.  Jade’s outdoor barbeque grill models are called Dynasty and are well-built grills with a solid warranty and a great reputation.

These Jenn-Air grills have generally received less positive reviews. It is important for consumers to know who will stand behind a Jenn-Air grill before buying one. There have been many complaints about Jenn-Air — Nexgrill customer service, particularly in late 2004, though some improvement was reported in customer service during 2005.

The general problem with many of these name-brand grills was that when Nexgrill started making them, particularly during 2004 and 2005, the quality of the grills dropped. {There were also problems with customer service in the case of Jenn-Air and Charmglow}. Although the paperwork with the barbecues claims a warranty, customers trying to report problems or use the warranty to obtain Nexgrill barbeque grill replacement parts were unable to get any assistance from the telephone contacts in the users manuals.

Specific brands imported by Nexgrill include Charmglow, Turbo, and Jenn-Air. Many consumers believe that when the manufacturer of these brands became Nexgrill, they were still able to ride on the popularity of their original brands until there started being quality control and customer service complaints. When purchasing a new gas grill, you may want to make sure to inquire about the the manufacture’s license and thoroughly go over the warranty conditions.  Unfortunately when a retailer brings in a model of barbeque specific to their store, NexGrill is the biggest private-label importer.Parts become scarce the next season when the new model of barbecue uses different sized burners, cooking grates, electrodes, etc..  The paperwork promises service but the parts are rarely available because the company is counting on us to throw it away and keep buying a new one each year hoping the quality is better.  It is not.