The NXR 3051, a pro-style gas range sold exclusively at Costco, no longer poses a burn risk to users.

The manufacturer, Duro Corp., redesigned the range's oven-rack brackets after being alerted by Consumer Reports to a potential danger discovered in our test labs.

"This redesign addresses the safety concerns we had," says Jim Nanni, associate director of appliance testing at Consumer Reports. "Now consumers can consider this range right alongside others in our ratings."

There are more than 100 ranges in CR's ratings, some 30 of which are pro-style.

Here's what happened with the NXR range.

CR Testing Reveals Potential Safety Risk

During the course of the initial evaluation, CR test engineers observed an irregularity in the range's oven rack system. In most ovens, the baking racks slide in and out along metal grooves with stops that prevent them from being extended too far. The NXR Pro 3051 racks attach to glide rails, which allow for smooth sliding similar to cabinet drawers; using the racks positioned on the glides presented no issues.

However, the NXR range also had a number of open grooves without stops, so if a cook repositioned a rack and used it in one of those grooves, there would be nothing to prevent the rack from being extended too far and falling or tilting. In that scenario, hot food could spill or splash on the cook, potentially causing burns. See the video below for a demonstration in CR's test labs.

At the time of the discovery in our labs, Consumer Reports notified the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), as well as Duro and Costco, of our finding. 

Manufacturer Takes Swift Action

Duro promptly announced plans to ship replacement brackets to the approximately 500 customers who had purchased one of the affected models, and to retrofit existing inventory prior to sale. In addition to the NXR Pro 3051, Duro says it took the same steps with the NXR Pro 3651 and the NXR Pro 4851, similar models in larger sizes.

After hearing from Consumer Reports, Saban Chang, president of Duro, said: "While we have not received any reported cases of injuries from our oven racks, we are choosing to be proactive in sending redesigned oven-rack brackets to all our valued customers who own an NXR Pro."

CR is unaware of any injuries associated with the NXR 3051. According to CPSC data, thermal burns from ranges sent more than 17,000 people in the United States to the emergency room in 2016.

"We appreciate that Duro took action to correct this problem after being notified of the risks encountered in the course of our testing," says Don Huber, director of product safety at Consumer Reports. "This also highlights the importance of consumers taking the time to register products with manufacturers. In this instance, Costco had contact information for impacted consumers because their shoppers purchase yearly memberships. But in most other cases, product registrations might be the only way a company could reach a consumer if the need arose."

The first fix didn't entirely solve the problem. When CR's anonymous shopper received the replacement bracket, our test engineers noted that it differed from the original. However, when we installed it on the NXR 3051 range in our test lab, we found that it still allowed a consumer to move an individual rack to a position not intended for use. CR's experts believed that the oven still posed a hazard.

A Fix for the Fix

Consumer Reports went back to Duro, and the company said that after investigating, it discovered that close to half of the replacement brackets were not produced according to its specifications. Duro then worked with Costco to send out a second replacement bracket to the affected consumers earlier this year, along with a letter explaining that it should be installed in place of the previous fix. This bracket features a vertical metal bar across the grooves not intended for use, so a cook cannot accidentally place a rack in the wrong position.

After a thorough evaluation, CR believes there's no potential for accidental misuse.  

The NXR 3051 earned a score of 42 out of 100 in our tests. It scored well in cooktop performance, but lost points for its broiling and baking performance, as well as capacity.

The takeaway is that the NXR 3051 is an inexpensive alternative to traditional pro-style ranges, many of which cost two to three times more and some of which fare no better in our tests. Like other pro-style ranges, the NXR 3051 features heavy, stainless-steel construction, four high-power burners, and continuous cast iron cooking grates that allow the user to easily slide cookware across the rangetop.