(4.5 / 5)
When it comes to luxurious looking gas grills, nothing does it better than Napoleon. Their gas grills are the perfect example of grilling in style. One such grill is the Prestige 500 (Natural Gas). The Prestige 500 is one of the high-end grills that Napoleon offers. This article will take a closer look at the Prestige 500 and figure out if it is worth the money. Hopefully, after reading this article, you will be able to decide whether or not this natural gas grill is right for you. So without further ado, let’s take a look at this grill.
Main Characteristics
One of the main selling points of this high-end grill is its power. This grill is rated with 48,000 BTU. In terms of raw power, that is pretty much a great rating. For the beginner, that means that the heating element of the grill can cook almost anything you can think of. Although it is marketed as a high-end grill, the price is actually quite affordable considering what you get from it. Although don’t get us wrong, it is still relatively expensive. All we’re saying is, for the things you get from this grill, it is pretty affordable.
The Prestige 500 is actually the most basic gas grill in the Prestige line. But that doesn’t take away anything from it. In fact, this grill still sports all the features in any Prestige grill. The only downside is, it has just four burners. The good news is these burners are so powerful that they should be enough to cook any meat you put on it. It does have a 500 square inch cooking space, which is pretty good too.
Pros
- Powerful and high quality burners made of stainless steel
- Very versatile grill
- Porcelain coated cooking grates are very easy to maintain
- Excellent build and durability
- Large cooking space
- Stainless Steel WAVE Cooking Grids
- Heavy Duty Rotisserie Kit included
- Soft Touch Control Knobs
- JETFIRE Ignition System
- Prestige All Season Cookbook and ACCU-PROBE Temperature Gage included
Cons
- Proper and regular cleaning of main burner igniters is needed to avoid rust.
- Some may find that drip pan isn’t as deep as desired.
Design
The beauty of the Napoleon Prestige 500 is that it is very noticeable. And by that, we mean that your eyes will naturally tend to gravitate towards it. Why? Because the whole grill is made of stainless steel. It is also designed in such a way that you either have to choose the natural gas version or the liquid propane version. There isn’t any conversion kit available if you want to switch to the other. So, if you decide to purchase one, make sure you make up your mind.
The grill is made from durable and as mentioned, shining stainless steel. This means that the Prestige 500 is rust and corrosion resistant. The great thing about its design is that it isn’t just durable on the outside, but on the inside as well. The inside of the grill is also made of the same quality stainless steel used for the basin, the tube burners, dual-level sear plates and even the WAVE rod cooking grids. That’s why we called it very noticeable. You can seldom find gas grills like that. It also has a unique wavy design in its cooking grids, which are meant to provide even heating and prevent smaller foods from falling in between the cracks.
Special Features
When it comes to Napoleon grills, you really have to talk about their ignition system. Their proprietary JetFire Ignition system is pretty unique. To give you an idea of how this ignition system works, the JetFire system is a small gas jet that is ignited by an electric spark. This will then shoot out a burst of flame over the burners. This is why you are guaranteed that the grill will start with just one try. Another feature that the Prestige 500 is known for is its quick searing. The main burners or even the side burners will produce great searing due to its powerful burners. The side burner alone can heat up to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit in just a few seconds. And as a result, you are guaranteed quick and perfect searing.
Warranty
Napoleon warrants that components in the Prestige 500 will be free from defects in material and workmanship from the date of purchase. The aluminum castings/stainless steel base, stainless steel lid, porcelain enamel lid and stainless steel cooking grids all have a lifetime warranty. While the other parts have varying warranty ranging from 2 years to 10 years.
Napoleon President’s Limited Lifetime Warranty
NAPOLEON warrants that components in your new NAPOLEON product will be free from defects in material and workmanship from the date of purchase, for the following period:
 |
Aluminum castings / stainless steel base | Lifetime |
| Stainless steel lid | Lifetime | |
| Porcelain enamel lid | Lifetime | |
| Stainless steel cooking grids | Lifetime | |
| Stainless steel tube burners | 10 years full coverage, plus 50% off for life | |
| Porcelain-enameled cast iron cooking grids | 10 years full coverage, plus 50% off for life | |
| Stainless steel sear plates | 5 years full coverage, plus 50% off for life | |
| Stainless steel infrared rotisserie burner | 5 years full coverage, plus 50% off for life | |
| Ceramic infrared burners (excluding screen) | 5 years full coverage, plus 50% off for life | |
| All other parts | 2 years |
Napoleon Grills Prestige 500 Propane Gas Grill, Stainless Steel
Summary
In terms of getting the job done, the Napoleon Prestige 500 Natural Gas certainly hits the expectations. It is a very versatile gas grill that will produce excellent searing and grill your food at even temperature at all times. You will also be guaranteed of excellent construction, which will allow you to grill for years to come (provided you take care of it properly of course). Although it is quite expensive, it does what it says it does and more. So in our book, that is a good buy.