If you are in the market for a highly affordable gas grill then the Dyna Glo vs NexGrill comparison is one that you need to make. In general, NexGrill produces “bigger and badder” grills while Dyna Glo gives you basic functionality at the lowest price possible.
I will strongly suggest that you not be tempted by some of the nicer looking five and six burner grills offered by either company. Most of these grills perform just fine but are not made from high quality materials. You should not expect them to last more than one to two years. In my opinion it would be a waste of money to spend more than $300 on any product from either of these companies.
Dyna Glo Gas Grill Reviews
Dyna Glo is a brand owned by the GHP group and offers about 15 different propane grills and three versions for natural gas. There is a lot of variety in quality among these options ranging from a cheap and basic two burner up to a stainless steel five burner that sports a side burner as well.
Let’s take a closer look.
Two Burner Dyna Glo Grills
There are two options for two burner grills; Open Cart and Smart Space.
The two burner Open Cart grill, pictured on the left above is the cheapest grill offered by Dyna Glo.
2 Burner Open Cart Specifications
- 310 Square Inch Primary Grilling Area
- Two burners each rated at 10,000 BTU/hr (20,000 Total BTUs)
- 64 BTU per square inch of grilling space
- Porcelain-Coated Steel Cooking Grids
- Removable Side Tables
2 Burner Smart Space Specifications
- 350 Square Inch Primary Grilling Area
- Two burners each rated at 15,000 BTU/hr (30,000 Total BTUs)
- 85 BTU per square inch of grilling space
- Enameled Cast Iron Cooking Grates
- Double wall lid and firebox
- Foldable Side Tables
Between the two grills the Smart Space is the much better product. It has over 30% more heating power on a per square inch basis, longer lasting cast iron grates and double walled construction for better heat retention.
Three and Four Burner Dyna Glo Grills
Dyna Glo offers one three burner grill and six four burner options. There is an unexpected clear winner among these mid sized grills.
Three Burner Grill Specifications
- 390 square inch Primary Grilling Area
- Three burners each rated at 12,000 BTU/hr (36,000 total BTUs)
- 92 BTU per square inch of grilling space
- Porcelain enameled cast iron cook grates
- Collapsible side tables
- Available in multiple colors and finishes
I am going to give the three burner grill the second place prize in the mid-sized grill category. It has plenty of power, ample grilling space and both side tables can fold down. If you are looking for a grill that can cook for 4-6 folks but are short on space then the three burner is a nice option.
Four Burner Grills
This is where it gets interesting. If you look past the styling differences you will find that Dyna Glo has three series of grills; DGE, DGA and DGB. You can tell which series you are looking at as the designation is given in the first three letters of the model numbers.
There are differences in styling between the three series but they are all cosmetic and have no impact on the performance or longevity of the grills. All of the grills come with a side burner.
DGE Series Specifications
- 486 Square Inch Primary Grilling Area
- Four primary burners each rated at 10,000 BTU/hr (40,000 BTU total)
- 82 BTU per square inch of grilling area.
- Stainless steel rod cooking grate
DGA Series Specifications
- 468 Square Inch Primary Grilling Area
- Four primary burners each rated at 12,000 BTU/hr (48,000 BTU total)
- 102 BTU per square inch of grilling area.
- Porcelain enamel cast iron cooking grate
DGB Series Specifications
- 461 Square Inch Primary Grilling Area
- Four primary burners each rated at 12,000 BTU/hr (48,000 BTU total)
- 104 BTU per square inch of grilling area.
- Porcelain enamel cast iron cooking grate
While the DGE series are the largest of the four burner grills in terms of total grilling area the DGB series is only slightly smaller (486 vs 461 square inches).
More importantly the DGB series has 26% greater heating power on a per square inch basis that the DGE series (104 vs 82 BTU per square inch). This means the DGB series will get hotter faster and be able to give better grill marks.
The best part is that the DGB series is the least expensive option among the four burner grills!
The DGB series are sold as the “Open Cart” model and is absolutely the one I would pick.
If you are really on a budget then you can pick up a series designed for Home Depot that does not have a side burner. The DGF series has the same grate size and burner power of the DGB series but costs even less since there isn’t a side burner. Here is the link to the grill at Home Depot.
Five Burner Dyna Glo Grills
The five burner grills follow the same pattern as the four burner grills described above.  I would go with the cheapest version instead of the prettiest. The inexpensive model performs just as well as the expensive ones and they will last just as long.
Natural Gas Dyna Glo Grills
There are three natural gas versions of these grills and unfortunately I cannot recommend any of them. At these prices you can get a natural gas fired Weber Spirit II and have a spectacular grill with a 10 year warranty.
All of the Dyna Glo grills come with a five year warranty for the burners and a one year warranty for everything else. While the five year warranty on the burners is a nice touch it really is meaningless as the rest of the grill will rust away long before the five years are reached.
Nexgrill Gas Grills Reviews
Nexgrill is going to sell a TON of grills this summer. They have a line of really cheap grills that will appeal to some folks and a line of affordable tricked out grills that will appeal to an entirely different crowd. Many of these grills are exclusive to Home Depot.
On the budget friendly side of things there really isn’t much to distinguish the Nexgrill products from Dyna Glo other than cosmetic appearances.  Depending upon where you are shopping you will find the low end grills with almost identical price tags.
On the higher end of things the NexGrill products are a clear step above Dyna Glo.
NexGrill has a two burner and five burner grill which are set up for infrared grilling. The “Evolution Plus Infrared” grills are not among the best infrared grills on the market but they are something to look at if the Char Broil Tru Infrared grills have caught your attention.
The Evolution infrared grills use a steel plate directly beneath the cooking grate as the infrared emitter. I have not been able to find enough reviews or first hand accounts to make a statement on how well this infrared system works.
NexGrill breaks out a different type of infrared burner on their Deluxe Six Burner grill. This grill is going to sell like freaking crazy. I know that this grill will fall apart in two years and even so I am tempted to buy one. There are three versions of the Six Burner Deluxe.
The grill on the left has a six primary burners and a standard side burner.
The grill in the middle has six primary burners, comes with a rotisserie and has a high heat ceramic infrared burner. Ceramic infrared burners can reach temperatures of over 800F and are great for searing steaks.
The grill on the right has six primary burners, comes with a rotisserie, high heat ceramic infrared side burner AND a dedicated high heat ceramic infrared rotisserie burner. Those are some feature you expect on a Weber Summit, not a budget grill from a Big Box store!
These are high end features you simply won’t find on a Dyna Glow grill.
That being said, the build quality for NexGrill isn’t great and you are going to be dealing with rust pretty fast. In fact I tip my hat to this company for actually acknowledging the build quality with one of the pamphlets that comes with the grill.
Summary of Differences
At the low end of the grill market there really are not any meaningful differences between Dyna Glo and NexGrill. If you are looking for some higher end touches then NexGrill has some nice features that you will not find on a Dyna Glo product.
The burners on a Dyna Glo carry a warranty of five years while NexGrill burners are covered for eight years. The burner warranties do not matter because the rest of the grill is only covered for one year and will rust through in two to three years.
Can l have your opinion as an expert for monument grills?
Andreas, I have not put my hands on a Monument grill but will start looking for them.
The sheet metal on Dyna Glow grills is finished better than on Nexgrill. DG turns the edges in twice so you don’t slice your hands on sharp metal. NG doesn’t do this.
Thanks for the insights!!