Napoleon Grills 2: Grillectric Boogaloo

If I went for the natural gas option, then the grill would have an intake built into it, correct?

Here is a repost of my comment from a previous Napoleon grill that Woot had about a week ago…

Even if I were in the market for a new grill, I’m afraid I would have to pass on this offering. For the entry price, a Weber Genesis would be a much better choice, but I have some strong opinions about grills when it comes to spending (that much of) my own money.

Construction - call me old-fashioned, but I much prefer a grill where the fire box is cast instead of made from crimped-together sheet metal - regardless of what type of metal. A cast fire box is much more rigid and will not flex and weaken over time. This is especially critical if you move your grill occasionally; but even if you never move it from it’s original spot, just the endless cycles of heating and cooling (expansion and contraction) will cause a grill made from sheet metal pieces to flex and loosen over time.

Cooking surface - my personal preference is to cook on a cast iron grill surface with a wide profile over any surface made from round bars, regardless of material or diameter. Cast iron heats evenly and a wide profile transfers heat much better. A grill made from round bars does not heat as evenly and the round surface does not provide good contact with the food to transfer heat. Yes, a grill surface made from stainless steel is much easier to clean, but once you cook on cast iron you will see the difference when cooking immediately and I’ve never looked back.

Parts - Despite its price, the one thing you can say about a Weber is that I can go to any local big-box home improvement store and get a replacement part; and if I can’t find what I need locally, their customer service is excellent and the online availability is nothing short of “vast”. This makes all the difference between repairing your grill and using it for several more years or throwing it out and buying a new one.

Cheers - Jon651

yes it has everything even the hose to hook it up to natural gas

We all saw Jon651’s post from Friday and today and he has his opinion. Napoleon’s warranty is better in the fact that even after the warranty is up you only pay 50% for parts and are as easy as contacting Napoleon at wecare@napoleonproducts.com. Stainless steel grates will last longer and are easier for maintenance. It is all personal preference. We sell cast iron grates should you wish to try them. Also, Napoleon is the only company that has an accessory called a charcoal tray to burn charcoal in the gas or propane grills. You simply remove the grills, fill the tray with charcoal and place it on the sear plates. The igniter lights the charcoal so no fluids or paper are necessary. Because of the construction of the basin it will withstand the heat from charcoal. You can buy this accessory from Amazon

Rather than putting the unit together, can the grill be installed and retrofitted into an island with the main and side units installed in close proximity to each other?

If I could get an answer answer to my question above I would purchase a unit. Planning an outdoor patio cook area and prefer a built-in look.

Does anyone have a good solution to modifying grills from crappy casters to larger/more robust wheels? I have a nice/decent sized charbroil and it, like my last grill, has casters that are collapsing. I have a garage threshold that is higher than the garage (old home, slightly sunken floor) and so getting it up/over that is a bit of a jolt, regardless of how careful you try to be…especially with a large grill. Fixing the garage situation is not a viable option that the present.

We have had a Napoleon grill for 14 years (the Prestige line) and it still works great! The igniter has gone out (it is a natural gas version), but I find it easy to light with one of those long nose lighters anyway.