Napoleon PRO285-BK Portable Propane Grill, Black

I've wanted a tailgating grill for years, but always went with people who had their own already, so it seemed unnecessary. This summer, however, I was going to be leading the charge at a few tailgate parties where I could provide the grill. Whatever I got needed to have power, a portable stand with wheels, and not be too much of a pain to clean. After a lot of research, I narrowed the choices to the Coleman Road Trip LXX, the Weber Q 2200 and cart stand, and this Napoleon Pro285x model. I went with the Napoleon because it has the cast aluminum top and bottom like the Weber Q model, but had two burners instead of the one on the Q, plus the integrated cart stand is much more elegant and the somewhat kludgey Q cart. It was a bonus that this entire unit can be hung on the wall when not in use. I also purchased the warming rack in order to have some extra space for things like melting cheese on a burger or grilling buns, and a cover to avoid scratching the lid when transporting. I purchased from Amazon, it arrived 3-days later. I then purchased a couple 1lb propane tanks from a local sporting goods store and away we went. My first test was during a rainy Phillies tailgate with only 8 people. We were grilling up hand-formed burgers and a pack of hot dogs, so nothing too fancy. The grill was out of the car, set up, and pre-heating in under 2 minutes. The JetFire ignition is nice. It's triggered when you turn the burner on and essentially shoot a jet of a flame into the path of the propane, igniting immediately. 15 minutes later it was at 575 degrees, the perfect searing range to get started. Given the heavy construction and reputation for even heating, I didn't treat this little grill any different than the Weber Summit I have at home. When you close the lid, it heats back up almost immediately since the cast aluminum holds heat so well. The burgers were done after about 5 mins per side (they were on the larger side) and the dogs were about 4 minutes per side. The sear was perfect and I was able to easily fit 10 burgers and 10 hot dogs with room to spare. A couple small steaks could have been added without even using the warming rack. Cool down was much faster than I expected, as the outside of the top and bottom was cool to the touch within about 20-minutes. Weber Q's I've used generally take about 10 minutes longer, while a stamped steel grill like a Road Trip is cool within 10-15 minutes. This was a pleasant surprise. I put the cover back on, collapsed the stand, and loaded it back into the car. This thing is heavy, as it weighs 52lbs, but it's very easy to maneuver thanks to the cart. The clean up process was also very easy and fast. The inside is all smooth and open, so it's even easy to clean under the burners without removing them. I used mildly soapy water and a microfiber towel. Clean-up took about 10 minutes. I'm about to do another Phillies tailgate and have a couple Eagles games lined up, so I'll update this review as I grill things like steaks and kabobs. I'm even going to get the Napoleon smoker pipe at some point. So far, I'm very happy with this grill. It's high-quality, works well, and you don't see many of them in the parking lot, making it something of a novelty to other tailgating gear-heads. In my opinion it's worth the price premium. UPDATE: I've now been through a couple Phillies and an Eagles tailgating season with this grill and I've only grown to love it more. I've cooked steaks, chicken breasts, wings, lamb, burgers, dogs, and shrimp on this little guy as the only grill at tailgates for upwards of 25 people. I'm also happy to report that in 10 degree (F) temps with 40mph winds blowing around, this thing starts right up and stays lit every single time. Durability hasn't been an issue whatsoever. Nothing has broken and, other than a couple scratches to the side shelf from wheeling it around, it looks new. There are no appreciable hot spots and I treat this exactly as I do my full-size Weber, including searing and indirect uses. The side shelves and utensil hooks help make it feel like a full-sized model. I just purchased the griddle for some AM brunch tailgating and am adding the smoker pipe for an upcoming Sunday night game for some wings and steaks. My one piece of advice for this grill; bring 2-3 full 1lb tanks of propane. At full-tilt, it really runs through the gas.

This is by far the BEST small grill I have ever owned. We live in a condo in Chicago and did not have room for our full sized Weber Genesis, which we adored. couple of years ago we purchased the Cuisinart CGG-200 All-Foods table top grill here on Amazon based on the reviews. We are frequent users. We grill approximately 6X per week every week even in the winter breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Cuisinart is a single burner unit with many uneven spots on the cooking surface. Wind even affected cooking profoundly. We Had to rebuild the inside of the cooking box last year but our heavy use had cause permanent damage. The Napoleon PRO285-BK is the answer to our grilling dreams. The dual burners create an extremely hot cooking surface reaching over 600 in no time. We grilled 5 pounds of arrachera for a party on high on the right side and placed on the low side while grilling in batches. Best Yet! The grill is large enough for our thick (Dough-Joe® Pizza and Baking Stone 14.5" Round by 7/8" Thick) bought here and does an amazing job getting the crust crispy without burning. The enclosed “hard wired” hose and regulator are very short. We needed to purchase a longer hose. The (Gas One 60inches Parallel Low Pressure Propane CSA Certified Regulator and Hose Connection Kit for LP/LPG Most LP/LPG Gas Grill, Heater and Fire Pit T) If you go this route, take care to use two wrenches to tighten and loosen the original hose. The hold down bracket attached the the grill is not very sturdy. Starting the grill initially was tricky so beware, but once you are aware of how to do it, it is just like lighting your stove. It has worked flawlessly ever since. Wind has not been an issue. Our condo is on a “wind tunnel” street and the north west wind shoots right into the back of the grill. After reading reviews we decided to buy the grill and create a wind break, but this hasn’t been needed yet even on the windiest days. Although we have only used for 3 weeks we are convinced this was worth every penny and we enjoy it thoroughly. Truly, you get what you pay for and we feel we would and will do again when this grill goes to grill heaven some day,

Read carefully! I am a daily griller--rain, sleet, snow, or shine--85% of our meals come from the flame. It's such a smart move and instant health benefit to our lives. Our previous portables kicked the bucket, I grew tired of the weak BTUs of other offerings, so I decided to invest in a premium portable grill this time around. SOOOO, don't hate my review, rather harness the facts and if you're in the market, look no further and buy it from Amazon today! PROs: -Huge grilling capacity for it's size -Fantastic lightweight build quality -Two independent burners, that's right... direct or indirect cooking! -Narrow high quality cast iron grates; you'll never again sacrifice a shrimp or sliced bell pepper -High BTU output that sears and cooks much more efficiently (effortlessly too) -Takes 20lb tank -Lights instantly, even in high winds -Enough internal clearance beneath the grates to add a smoke box CONs: -Short propane hose limits where/how you use/place your grill (Basically, the propane hose is about a meter long, so the options of where you place your tank is limited. We initially had the tank sitting at full extension next to the grill... it made strange hissing noises that scared the crap out of us. We decided to place the tank on the ground on a cinderblock and the hissing went away. Not a scientist, so can't tell you if gas flows better with gravity et al, but short of buying the $159 cart, which we don't need, this was the next best thing. The hose seams universal, so you may be able to change if necessary, just want to be 100% forthcoming on how we use it. Summary: By far the best portable grill money can buy. It's like the Mini Cooper of portable grills!!

I purchased this item back in April to be used for camping. I opened the unit and inspected for damage and there was none apparent. The unit was very well packaged. The unit appears to be of quality construction and I purchased this because my son has the identical unit and has been very happy. In preparation for an upcoming camping trip I connected the unit to gas today to season the grates. The lighting process is impressive. While heating, the temperature gauge moved only siightly. My temperature gun indicated an outside temp of over 400 degrees. During the season process the gauge did eventually move, but too far. No way was it at the maximum temperature. I cooked some steak on the unit tonight and monitored the temp with at thermal gun. it was delicious but the units temp gauge was useless and it was reading way too high. I attempted twice to contact Napoleon by phone and each time gave up after 30 minutes of waiting. I tried to register the unit on their website but it requires a dealer email address. For amazon - really? You cannot go further. Somewhere I will find a dealer that carries that part and purchase it myself. Amazon does not carry that part. The grill is well made and at its price point, it should be. The customer service should match the price point as well but so far - it does not! This includes both Amazon (If the CSR's cannot find the answer in a list, they disappear - what a joke) and getting Napoleon to respond has only been frustrating at this point. The grill is well made - I give it that. The customer service is less than desirable at this point. Based on my experience to date - do not buy.

Took on my camping trip to Colorado Mountains. Worked great, perfect size for my family of 4. I also got the griddle piece and I definitely recommend it. Gets plenty hot. I used it at home for testing and it sets up quick. On the YouTube reviews it shows a separate adapter hose for a actual propane tank use. But mine came with a propane tank hose already attached. It is kinda short. Especially if you have the grill on a table and a tank on the ground but mine was just enough length to work. My only cons for me was it is kinda tall, so it took a little more room to pack it. But I guess that's for bigger stuff to grill and I wish the hatch would lock for transportation. But wasn't a deal killer. Overall I'm happy with the grill over our previous camping grilling owned.

I researched small, RV-friendly propane grills on AmazingRibs.com, and this unit was highly recommended. I bought it and have been delighted with the build quality and performance. If you're getting one of these, and plan to use it with a 20# propane tank, DON'T BUY an extra adapter hose - one comes with this unit. Both the cover and the base of this unit are cast aluminum, not pressed sheet steel. The finish is a flat black that is attractive. The lid locks with a catch built into the handle. The bottom half of the unit is funnel-shaped, with a removable grease drip pan that is easily cleaned. This shape makes cleaning the interior straightforward. There aren't any cheap sheet-metal parts to rust away like some other grills I've owned. The two burners are tubular types with many holes to distribute the heat evenly. The grill grates are cast iron with a wavy pattern that is a trifle difficult to clean. The ignition system works like a charm. The two-burner system lets you cook on the unlit side if you want to roast, as opposed to grill, your food. The heat level is easily adjusted with the two knobs, and can range from a little more than warm to quite high temperatures. This would allow you to cook delicate foods like veggies or fish without overcooking, yet still sear a more robust rib-eye steak. There is a mounting system to attach an external propane tank, but the directions for setting it up are non-existent. Fortunately, it's not too tough to figure it out. The scissor legs are nicely finished with black hardware and locking nuts so it won't fall apart. There is a locking catch to secure the system in either the up or folded position - a nice touch. The two trays on either side of the cooker are smallish but useful. The left tray folds upward to reduce the footprint of the unit when it's folded. Assembly is minimal. Just tap the retainer onto the axle, fit a wheel over it, thread it through the base, add the second wheel and tap on the other retainer. The left tray must be secured with two supplied bolts, so you'll need a small wrench or a pair of pliers. Total time to unpack and assemble was about ten minutes. As I mentioned above, the grill comes with a four foot hose to adapt the grill to a 20# propane cylinder, or you can screw a one pound disposable cylinder directly to the grill. The fit and finish of this Canadian product is excellent. It's well-designed and made. It looks like it will last a long time, and it works well. Highly recommended.

I thought this was a good product until I didn't. Of course things break but when the company doesn't stand behind the product and doesn't respond to support calls. Time to look for another product. Don't buy this, it will break and you will be left with a large paper weight!

This Napoleon portable grille is worth the money, I was hesitant at first, but it made really well, nice materials, nice feel of the control knobs, just overall well done. I like the way it folds us, I could put it in pass thru storage on the trailer, but I think I will just lock it in the back of the truck, use my pass thru for other things. As others mentioned, there are few instructions on mounting a tank, but I figured it out... getting the metal mount on the bottom of the frame for the tank to sit on was a bit challenging as well, but if you take care and a little persuation, 😉, you can get it on. I purchased some adapter parts off Amazon so I can attach the tank connection to a propane hose and run the grill of my trailer tanks if I want to... haven't tested that yet, but, it should work fine. This little grill has a cool ignition system, never seen on like this, with a little spurt of flame down the burner, kinda cool. Also, with both burners on it heats up very quickly, within about 5 minutes, lid closed it was above 400F and climbing into the "searing" range on the nice thermometer on the lid. I like it, I really don't have anything I don't like about it, that's cool. Full disclosure, haven't cooked on it, but, it's a grille, it will do wonderful I'm sure, everything operates perfectly.