If you want to buy one of the best outdoor grills available, then choosing either a Napoleon or Weber grill is the obvious choice. Currently, both Napoleon and Weber's brands are among the top-rated brands in the market of outdoor grills. However, I know how difficult a choice it is as many differences are hard to identify when comparing Napoleon Grill vs Weber.
The good news is that I've had the opportunity to spend a few weekends around the best grills of both at the time. With that experience, I've put together this in-depth comparison of my findings after using them. The grills I'm referring to are the Napoleon Prestige Pro-500 and the Weber Genesis II LX E-340! I was also asked to compare the Napoleon LEX 485 vs Weber Genesis. However, I feel the Prestige Pro is a closer comparison.
Though both Napoleon Prestige Pro-500 and Weber Genesis II LX E-340 are equally excellent, there are some differences in their features. So, before you go out and choose either the Weber brand or Napoleon brand, the question of which grill is better must be answered first.
A word of Caution:
The answer to this question typically depends upon your preferences.
I love both the grills when it comes to outdoor cooking. While the Napoleon grill conveniently helps me in cooking meals for a large group of people, I found the Weber Genesis grill is more convenient for smaller groups.
So depending on your needs, you can buy the one that suits you best after seeing how they stack up against each other.
Napoleon vs Weber - Which brand should you get?
Table could not be displayed.In the world of outdoor cooking, these products are excellent in their own ways. Both of them are made of the highest-quality materials. And they also provide fantastic performance that will be able to serve almost all your purposes just fine. Moreover, they both have a very identical price point of around a thousand plus dollars at the time of publishing this article, which makes it even more challenging to choose one over the other.
However, among the many other grills available in the market, I would strongly recommend you to choose one from these two great grills, given their features as well as their value for money.
But to kick off the review, let's look at a quick overview of each brand and grill.
Overview of Napoleon Grill
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Napoleon and their Prestige Pro-500 have been one of the most popular grills offering excellent performance at a budget-friendly price. Napoleon makes no compromise when it comes to the durability of its grills. The prestige pro-500 product has a strong body of stainless steel with an overall cooking surface of about 760 sq inches. Thus, with this product, you need not worry about cooking large meals for several guests. Also, the stainless steel body promotes easy-cleaning.
Napoleon takes great pride in delivering its customers with high-end quality products at customer-friendly prices. As a result, Napoleon Pro-500 is no exception. As mentioned earlier, I found that this grill is suitable for catering to large households as well as for commercial purposes. On top of that, it has excellent maneuverability thanks to premium quality rollers.
Overview of Weber
Whether you are considering portability, charcoal-based, or budget-friendly, Weber excels in every category. And this grill from the Weber Genesis series is no exception. Over the years, it has since become another dominating grill in the market. The Weber 61014001 Genesis II LX E-340 does not use a real burner for the infrared gas. Instead, it uses the classic Weber GS4 burners for providing an infrared grilling experience.
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With a fantastic ignition system along with side burners, this grill is an excellent option for different cooking styles without any troublesome efforts. It also comes with two fuel options – natural gas or propane based gas. The choice between these two usually depends upon your cooking needs as every part of this grill was precisely made to provide exceptional performance and ease of use.
So now that you have a good idea of what both grills offer, let's get into a comparison between Napoleon vs Weber and the key features of both products:
Design and Build
Both Napoleon Prestige Pro 500 and Weber Genesis II E-340 grills are quite similar regarding their build and design. They both come with a robust stainless steel body with dome-shaped hoods. Moreover, they also include infrared burners that are situated on the side that extend as wings.
The Weber grill is built on its exclusive GS4 grilling technology that includes four components of high-end burners, Flavorizer bars, Grease Management system, and infinity ignition. All these components work together to provide a reliable experience making it one of the most powerful grilling engines.
Napoleon's Prestige Pro-500, on the other hand, is known for its precise craftsmanship that goes into its manufacturing process. All the parts and bits of this grill are made of best quality stainless steel. Along with its appealing design, the entire body is robust and long-lasting.
Cooking Space
The main cooking area on Napoleon's grill measures up to 500sq inches. Plus, it has an additional warming space that measures about 260sq inches. This overall gigantic cooking space takes convenience to the next level when it comes to preparing a big feast for several guests.
On the other hand, the Weber Genesis II E-340 features 7mm cooking grates made of stainless steel. The primary cooking space measures 512sq inches while the additional warming section is about 156sq inches.
The cooking area in these two grills is ideal for cooking for large groups. But the big difference between weber vs napoleon gas grills is mostly found in the warming area. The warming area in Weber grill is not very large and is nowhere near sufficient to store food for a large group of people. This again harms its capacity to cook for large groups.
Though both grills are excellent when it comes to overall cooking space, Napoleon Prestige Pro-500 takes home the trophy.
Grilling Power and Performance
In total, the Napoleon Pro 500 grill has a total heat output of 80,000 BTU's. This is quite enough power that can aid in fast cooking. Breaking down the entire BTU's, the four burners at the central cooking station pumps out 48,000 BTUs while the two side burners pump out 18,000 and 14,000 BTU's on each side.
With the Prestige Pro-500 grill, Napoleon made a slight change by opting for an inbuilt ignition system. This change was quite notable. Customers now tend to have more control over the rotisserie burner as well as the primary burners.
In contrast, the grilling performance of Weber Genesis E-340 largely depends upon its classic GS4 technology and pumps out a total of 43,500 BTUs. This grill uses its GS4 burners for providing an excellent and uniform cooking experience.
Unlike Napoleon Pro-500, the Weber Genesis grill has a unique heat setting. With this unique feature, you can turn up all burners at the maximum heat setting. By doing so, you can preheat your food quickly, and it will also provide you with additional heat while grilling.
In terms of grilling performance on Weber grill, another stunning feature is its stainless steel cooking grates. These grates never disappoint in leaving beautiful sear marks on all your grilled foods.
What other Additional Features do they have to compare?
Portability
For better maneuverability, both feature commercial-grade wheels. Thus, you can easily handle them and shift them from one place to another. However, while the Napoleon grill has four rollers, Weber has only two rollers along with two other wheels.
Bonus Features
Both Napoleon and Weber also have an inbuilt warming rack and convenient storage boxes at the bottom. Also, the LED technology on these two grills and control knobs make cooking easier and fun even at night time.
One more additional feature from the Weber Genesis E-350 grill is the side tables. On the tables are some handy hooks that will allow you to store all your plates and cooking tools conveniently. Besides, it has a solid Grease Management system that makes maintenance and cleaning very easy. Lastly, the Weber Genesis also features a high-tech iGrill3 Bluetooth technology. By using this, you can quickly check and set the heat temperature through your smartphones.
On the other hand, Napoleon Pro-500 has a few perks of its own. Napoleon's Prestige Pro-500 grill takes pride in its massive inbuilt drip zone for storing all the excess oil and juices that may drip while cooking. This ensures that your cooking process remains clean and out of any hassle. Also, the storage box includes an additional bottle opener and an inbuilt ice bucket.
Along with this, it even includes Jetfire Ignition System, Accu Probe Temperature gauge, and also removable grilling plates for excellent searing purposes. All these features aid in providing a great cooking experience.
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Pros of napoleon
Cons of napoleon
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Pros of Weber
Cons of Weber
What are the main differences between Napoleon Grill vs Weber Genesis II?
The main difference between the Napoleon vs Weber can be seen in their cooking areas. While the main cooking stations are quite similar on both these grills, Napoleon has a larger warming rack as compared to Weber.
Another significant difference is the total heat temperature. Napoleon pumps out 80,000 BTUs for the compared model. On the contrary, Weber only outputs 46,500 BTUs.
Verdict
There isn't a clear winner when comparing between Weber vs Napoleon gas grills as they both offer great features and vary in different aspects. Both of them provide a great cooking experience with almost all the necessary features and technologies that one may require while cooking outdoors.
However, if you are all about large feasts and different cooking styles, the Napoleon grill will be a better fit for you.
FAQ
What are the key features of Weber grills and Napoleon grills?
Weber grills and Napoleon grills are highly sought after in the world of outdoor cooking appliances. They both offer high-quality grills with robust stainless steel construction, including their specific models such as the Weber Genesis II LX E-340 and the Napoleon Prestige Pro-500. They both have ample cooking space, infrared burners, rear rotisserie burners, and excellent heating performance. However, the Weber grill uses the infinity ignition system and GS4 technology for an exceptional cooking experience, while the Napoleon grill offers sear plates for a great searing result.
What are the differences in the cooking performance of Weber and Napoleon grills?
Both Weber and Napoleon grills tend to have excellent cooking performance. However, the Napoleon grills offer more BTUs, pumping out around 80,000 BTUs, which aids in faster cooking. On the other hand, the Weber grills tend to have a unique heat setting that allows for preheating food quickly and providing additional heat while grilling. They also leave beautiful sear marks on the food due to their stainless steel cooking grates.
How do Weber gas grills and Napoleon grills differ in terms of cooking space?
There’s a significant difference in the cooking space of Weber gas grills and Napoleon grills. Though the main cooking stations of both grills are quite similar, Napoleon grills tend to have a larger warming rack compared to Weber grills. This feature of Napoleon grills provides more cooking space, making them a preferable choice for large feasts.
Are Napoleon grills portable?
Yes, Napoleon grills are portable. Most of the Napoleon models, including the Prestige Pro-500, come with premium quality rollers for easy maneuverability. This feature makes them a great choice for outdoor cooking, especially for those who need to move the grill around.
What makes Weber grills a durable choice?
Weber grills are known for their robust stainless steel construction, making them highly durable. They include models like the Weber Spirit and Weber Summit, which are designed with the highest-quality materials to endure various outdoor conditions. Weber grills are truly built to last, providing a great value for their price.
What are the standout features of Napoleon grills?
Napoleon grills come with several standout features. They are known for their high BTUs, large warming rack, sear plates, and stainless steel burners that provide excellent cooking performance. Furthermore, the Napoleon grills tend to have an inbuilt drip zone for storing excess oil and juices, removable grilling plates for excellent searing, and an Accu Probe Temperature gauge.
Can you tell me more about Weber grills’ infinity ignition system?
The infinity ignition system is a key feature in Weber grills. This system ensures that the grill lights up every time without fail. It creates a consistent and powerful gas flow to the burners, enhancing the overall grilling experience.
What kind of grilling experience do Weber and Napoleon grills provide?
Both Weber and Napoleon grills provide a fantastic grilling experience. They are designed with high-end technologies and features that cater to different cooking styles. While Weber grills are more suitable for smaller groups due to their unique heat setting and GS4 technology, Napoleon grills are more suited for large feasts due to their higher BTUs and larger warming rack. However, the right grill for you would depend on your specific preferences and needs.