Napoleon Prestige 500 Propane Grill Review

If you’re looking for a fancier grill with sturdy, sleek design, the Napoleon Prestige 500 Propane Grill is a wonderful choice.

DESIGN + VERSATILITY | High-End Versatility

The Napoleon Prestige 500 Propane Grillis a higher end propane gas grill that is more on the affordable side (for high end). This grill has everything. The Prestige 500 is the total package, a cart model grill by Napoleon Grills with the capabilities of a full outdoor kitchen. It has the capacity to cook in at least 8 different ways. With Four 12,000 BTU stainless steel tubular burners, one infrared side burner, and one infrared rear burner as well as a rotisserie accessory, the grilling options are endless.

It has the capacity to cook in at least 8 different ways.

Napoleon Prestige 500 Propane Grill

You can grill up to 30 burgers over the main burners and up to 8 burgers over the infrared side burner. The unique wavy design of Napoleon’s cooking grids provides even heating and prevent smaller foods from slipping between the cracks, unlike some other propane grills we’ve reviewed that have straight grill grates. The sear plates are distributed on top of the burners, and underneath the grill grates, causing perfect heat distribution. There’s also a side grill with infrared heat capabilities that also has a stainless steel cover to double as a side table.

One nice design feature of the Napoleon Prestige 500 Propane Grill is the Lift Ease Roll Top Lid. This lid helps hold in heat for oven-like cooking but also opens with a feather-light touch. The hinge is located near the middle of the grill, and when opened, doesn’t take up any grilling space allowing optimal food placement in a variety of places. Another great design feature is the versatility of cooking. There is an optional charcoal tray or smoker tube to add flavor to your cooks, and there is a rotisserie and side burner option. With oven-like heat, it’s possible to grill, sear, roast, bake, or smoke to your heart’s desire.

SAFETY + DURABILITY | Stainless Steel Design

When Napolean Grills designed the Prestige 500, they made sure to put in some safety features and make this propane grill durable yet stylish. Every Napoleon Prestige 500 Propane Grill is test fired before packaging, ensuring it’ll light up as soon as it’s out of the box. The stainless steel construction means that this grill will last for many years. The sleek and beautiful stainless steel helps resist rust and corrosion, but it’s always a good idea to keep a grill cover, especially if you’re spending the money for this high-end grill.

Every Napoleon Prestige 500 Propane Grill is test fired before packaging…

Under the lid, you’ll find stainless steel used for the basin, tube burners, dual-level sear plates, and even the WAVE grill grates. There are some components that are made of cast aluminum (also rust-resistant) and enameled steel. Overall, the Prestige 500 is made of heavy-duty rust-resistant materials from head to toe, and it won’t fall apart on you anytime soon.

Stainless steel sear plates

As far as safety goes, there are a few thoughtful features that will make your grilling safer and more flavorful at the same time. There are seven staggered stainless steel sear plates underneath the grill grates of the Napoleon Prestige 500 Propane Grill. These sear plates provide a surface for drippings from your feast to vaporize, increasing the flavor while also avoiding flare-ups. The sear plates protect the burners underneath and also make it easy to clean up grease because there is nowhere for drippings and food debris to build up over time, which can also cause small grill fires and wear down your grill.

PERFORMANCE | High-Performance Grill

Ease-of-Use

One of the best features of this grill is that it’s designed for seasoned grillers but is made to enhance the grilling experience while making grilling operations flow smoothly. Many features of the Napoleon Prestige 500 Propane Grill provide thoughtful touches, like the 7 staggered stainless steel sear plates that vaporize drippings to provide extra flavor while also avoiding flare-ups. This design makes the Prestige 500 extremely easy to clean, preventing grease and food debris from building up in your grill which can be very hard to clean once it cooks on.

There are also generously sized side tables made of high-grade stainless steel.

There are also generously sized side tables made of high-grade stainless steel. These side tables feature an integrated towel bar that also can be used as a condiment or drink holder so you have everything at your fingertips. One of the side shelves folds down for easy storage and has optional locking screws while the other side shelf features an infrared sizzle zone for searing or grilling. The searing side table has a stainless steel cover that sits flush with the rest of the table so you can utilize the entire side table seamlessly.

Easy roll top lid

The Lift Ease Roll Top Lid adds a nice touch to the design of the Napoleon Prestige 500 Propane Grill. This lid has hinges on the sides of the lid which helps keep optimal grilling space on the inside; the lid and hinges don’t take up any grilling space so you can access and move food around with ease. The lid is also lined to keep heat in, creating oven-like cooking and efficient heating. There’s also a thermometer built into the lid to provide a general interior cooking temperature, but we always recommend a sperate grilling thermometer for more accurate grilling, especially if you’re smoking or grilling for precision.

Best Features

So what makes the Napoleon Prestige 500 Propane Grill a high-end grill? It’s the little things that turn into big things with this grill. With other propane grills, it’s possible to cook some basic meals, with your basic meats and maybe even some basic vegetables. But with the Prestige 500, you’re not only getting a grill that has a ton of fancy burners and is made of high-end stainless steel, you’re getting value, innovation, style, versatility, and high-heat capabilities. Let’s list off some of the features and then break them down:

• Four 12,000 BTU stainless steel tubular burners
• 7 staggered sear plates that vaporize drippings
• 4 main burners, 1 infrared rear burner, 1 infrared side burner
• Infrared rear rotisserie burner
• Electric Jetfire ignition start
• 900 square inches of cooking space
• Rear burner that pumps out 18,000 BTU’s
• Foldable side tables, tool hooks, lid thermometer

Some people compare this grill to the Weber Genesis, but the Prestige 500 has more design features that make it rise above other gas grills we’ve reviewed. Besides the usual four main burners that put out 12,000 BTU’s each, there are two infrared burners (the side burner and rear burner) that put out a massive amount of heat (rear burner pumps out 18,000 BTU’s, for example). Infrared burners are loved by many expert grillers because of their ability to quickly sear food at a very high heat. The side burner heats in seconds to nearly 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit for perfect searing. It’s perfect for locking in the juices by searing first, then finishing over indirect heat on the main grill, just like in a steakhouse.

Side infrared searing burner

The side burner heats in seconds to nearly 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit for perfect searing.

The Napoleon Prestige 500 Propane Grill has the ability to cook an entire (fancy) meal. Sear quickly with the side burner or over the main burners, and then cook over indirect heat for a juicy and tender finish. Use the side burners for cooking sauces and saute while grilling on the main burners. You can also use the special lid design to trap heat for oven-like performance, for roasting, or even baking cakes or breads. This is a great option for summer time when you want to save on cooling costs in your home or entertain summer parties (check out some of the best hot tubs and Bluetooth speakers perfect for entertaining)! Because the lid traps heat like no other, you can use the Prestige 500 as a smoker grill by filling a Smoker Tube with wood chips and placing it on a lit burner. Or, use a charcoal smoker tray and light charcoal for the perfect charcoal taste. With the included heavy duty rotisserie kit, you can roast and rotisserie delicious meals with restaurant-quality results.

Infrared rear rotisserie burner

Although mentioned before, sear plates help distribute heat evenly while also catching drippings and food debris, vaporizing them for added flavor. The side tables are perfect for keeping all your tools and spices at your fingertips, with one also doubling as a side burner and the other table ready to fold down if needed. Like many other grills, the Prestige 500 comes with a hood thermometer, but we recommend a grilling thermometer for more accurate temps. Also, the Jetfire gas ignition system is perfect for an easy and safe start. Just start the grill up with the push of a button and get ready for some grilling action. You know this ignition system will work when you purchase a new Napoleon Prestige 500 Propane Grill because every grill ignition system is tested before being boxed for shipment.

PRICE + LONGEVITY | Awesome Warranty

Longevity

Because the Napoleon Prestige 500 Propane Grill is made of stainless steel, and small amounts of cast aluminum and enameled steel, this puppy isn’t rusting anytime soon. All of these metals are rust-resistant and are sure to last decades. Under the lid are the same quality stainless steel used for the basin, tube burners, dual-level sear plates, and the WAVE rod cooking grates. Napoleon has unbeatable warranties on their Prestige Gas Grill Line, which just goes to show how durable and long these grill will last.

All of these metals are rust-resistant and are sure to last decades.

Price

Although the price reflects a grill on the high-end market (low-end price for a high-end grill) you are truly getting value with this grill system. Not only do you get all the amazing features that make this grill shine, you’ll also get an included heavy-duty rotisserie kit, a Prestige All-Season Cookbook, and an ACCU-PROBE Temperature gage.

Even with these nice little gifts included, Napoleon has unbeatable warranties on their high-end grills, with lifetime coverage for many parts on the Napoleon Prestige 500 Propane Grill. However, an added expense is that the cover and propane tank is sold separately. Although this grill doesn’t have any crazy bells or whistles as some other seriously high-end grills, the money is in the sturdy construction and the solid features that make this grill worth having.

PROS

• 6 burners: 4 main burners, one rear, and one side infrared burner with a max of 80,000 BTU’s
• 7 staggered sear plates that vaporize drippings for added flavor and easy cleaning
• Electric Jetfire ignition start
• 900 square inches of cooking space
• Unbeatable warranties and durable build

CONS

• Expensive
• Propane tank and cover not included
• Not as fancy as other high-end grills

THE BOTTOM LINE |

It also includes side tables with tool hooks, one that folds down and one with a burner, to keep spices, tools, and sauces at your fingertips. The Easy-open lid lifts like a breeze and provides oven-like cooking so you have the option to roast, grill, smoke, bake, or sear. This is the most well-designed propane grill that we’ve reviewed, and it’s also up there in versatility and durability. You can easily cook anything you can dream up with the Napoleon Prestige 500 Propane Grill.