Napoleon TravelQ Pro 285 Propane Grill - PRO285

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 boxCONs:-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!!