Hurt my arm...going to gas until it's better, so...

[marrtw]

I have a few coal grills, Weber Kettle, Summit, WSM, BGE, etc... but, with my arm injury, I decided to add a gasser for convenience. I was pretty settled on Prestige 500 (vs. New Genesis II) but read some reviews about too many flare ups (plus uneven heat zones...but that can be an asset too once you get to know the grill). Also, I live in a windy area and can have a lot of trouble with gas. My Beefer is almost unusable here. The big vent on the front of the Prestige is worrying me a bit. So, any thoughts about this grill vs the Genesis II regarding flare ups, windy conditions or any other issues I should consider? Thanks.

[Greygoose]

I don’t own one but know a few that do,,,,
they love the Napoleon gas grill,,,
check out the limited edition Prestige 500 Phantom,,,,
has all the bells and whistles by the looks

[jfmorris]

Not sure where you are located, but I've always had my Weber Genesis grills out in the elements, and not had an issue with them. I am probably not grilling in wind beyond 20-30mph though. My father has a Weber Spirit E-330 in a very windy area, and while the wind blew his grill off his porch and into the yard once because the casters were not locked, he hasn't had issues using the grill. He has the enclosed cabinet, which probably helps block the wind a little bit, but you need to realize that almost all gas grills have a lot of openings in the housing for intentional ventilation - to avoid gas build up and explosions.

The Genesis II line was discontinued last year, and they rolled out a replacement "Genesis" line that throws things back to where they were before Genesis II rolled out in 2017. I have the Genesis II 4 burner model, and the main complaint I have with the Genesis II was the rotisserie is next to useless, due to the mounting point putting the spit rod too low to the grill, and the meat not clearing the cooking grates and barely clearing the flavorizer bars (shields over gas tubes). The newest Genesis lineup resolves those issues.

[bbqLuv]

Hello from NW Oregon.

[MBMorgan]

Can't go wrong with Weber for gassers ...

[GolfGeezer]

I have the Napoleon Prestige 500 Pro and like it very much. It replaces a Weber Summit 450, which I also liked very much, but the newer Weber builds are not as solid as my old one. I had to replace the Summit as it was severely damaged during a major windstorm some years back. I am not sure what large, open vent you are referring to - mine does not have such.

We get very breezy days most of the year as our backyard is open to the southwest directly off the ocean. The only issue I have had is with the side sear burner which has only the protective lid flap that flips up when you use the IR burner. Napoleon makes an optional wind guard for it, but those have been out of stock for a couple of months. No info from them on when it might be back in stock.

Otherwise, it is a fine gasser. I like the slide out propane tank holder, which make swapping tanks a lot easier for my very arthritic back. The rotisserie is very well made and comes with a balancing arm so that off-balance foods do not cause the jerky rotation and stress that can impact some rotisseries. The grease handling design is very nice with pre-made liners that make cleaning that much easier. The Pro uses electronic ignition, lighted dials and internal lamps, although you could use it without power if needed.

[rlozinak]

Hello from Buffalo

[58limited]

I know nothing about either product but my inbox has a couple of emails about a sale on Napoleons. Also, not sure if these "sale" prices are really good prices or not: https://www.atbbq.com/instantsearchp...-savings-event

[DavidNorcross]

Welcome from Virginia!

[marrtw]

Not sure why my location doesn't show but I'm in (Northern) Virginia.

My first and only gas grill was a well regarded Costco model. I couldn't keep it lit due to the wind. I finally trashed it (kept those very nice SS grills though for some reason).

Going feature by feature, at least the important ones for me, the Prestige "blows away" the Genesis. I really like Weber, but the IR searing station and built-in rotisserie, among other differences, is hard to turn down.

[Sdell]

I have had a Napoleon Prestige 500 for 12 years and have been very happy with it. I have never had any problems grilling in the main chamber when it is windy, and it is pretty even in temps, except a little hotter in the back. That does not bother me, and can be useful when you have different sized cuts of meat. The IR side burner will go out in the wind when on low, but will stay lit on high. I have not had any issues with flare ups or grease fires, especially compared to the old Weber it replaced. (A late 90s Genesis Gold C)

The rotisserie is very solid, and having a dedicated rotisserie burner is great. Overall build quality is very good, and customer service is excellent. I have been able to get parts with no problems, but have not needed many. I upgraded the side burner grill from cast iron to stainless, replaced the thermometer and the end cap on one of the side shelves which melted due to user error. All of the other grates, burners, flavorizer bars and ignitors are original.

[FireMan]

I’ve got a Napoleon Rogue & live in an area surrounded by windmills, that should tell ya sumthin. No problems & rilly like it.