Napoleon Rogue vs. Prestige – Comparison review
Many people worldwide like to grill as it combines good entertainment with family and friends and the preparation of restaurant-quality food. Modern grills are versatile; you can prepare all types of food, including bakery. A good grill is an inspiration to cook more often.
Gas grills are one of the most popular on the market because of their ease of maintenance, relatively low price, and wide range of accessories, adding even wood flavor to the food.
Napoleon gas grills are perfect examples of multi-functional grills. Comparing Napoleon Rogue vs. Prestige, you can check their technical characteristics to define the best outdoor gas grill.
Napoleon Rogue vs. Prestige – Comparison Table
Main Differences between Napoleon Rogue and Prestige
The Napoleon Prestige P500 and Rogue 425 Grills are two different Napoleon Series entry-level grills. They are designed with the best Napoleon technologies and have the same basic construction parameters.
For sure, there are some differences:
- Тhe Rogue 425 Grill is made from powdered stainless steel; it has black color. The Prestige P500 is made without a powdered coat, so it has the color of stainless steel – silver.
- The Rogue 425 has three main burners, while the Prestige P500 has four.
- The Prestige P500 is a larger grill in dimensions and the size of cooking grids than the Rogue 425 (760 sq inches vs. 570 sq inches).Also, the main cooking grid of Prestige P500 is made from stainless steel, while Rogue’s grid is made from cast iron.
- The Prestige P500 grill has a larger closed cabinet with double doors, while the Rogue 425 has only one door cabinet.
Other differences and detailed descriptions of both models are provided further.
Napoleon Rogue and Prestige – Models Overview
Napoleon Company is a Canadian private company with a long history that started in 1976. They produce gas, charcoal, portable, electrical, built-in gas grills, outdoor kitchens, and fireplaces. The line of gas grills includes nine series of high-quality and innovative grills. As described in this article, two series became the basis for professional grills Prestige Pro Series and Rogue ST and XT Series.
Napoleon Rogue 425
Napoleon Rogue Series are high-quality premium grills at affordable prices. The Series consists of grills of different sizes – 425 with 3 burners, 525 with 4 burners, and 625 with 5 burners. We will review the entry-level 425 model with its signature wave-shaped stainless steel cooking grate. This Napoleon Rogue model is part of the Black Edition, but there are also models with a stainless steel exterior or a combined version.
This grill prepares all food with excellent color and taste. Below the cooking grid is located stainless steel sear plates with tent shape to distribute heat evenly through the whole grid cooking surface and protect burners from grease and other debris. For three burners, there are five sear plates on different levels. Each plate has several windows to check which burner was ignited. Such design prevents flare-ups. Each burner is protected with these plates, and all juices from the food are vaporized back into the food to make a flavorful smoke. Ergonomic knobs control burners. And the grill hood has an easy-read Accu-Probe thermometer to monitor the internal temperature.
You can order a similar model with mounted in the folded left-side shelf infrared sear burner if you need more burners. This burner quickly reaches 1800 F of searing temperature and creates an additional sizzle zone. Its cooking grate is made from enameled cast iron and leaves perfect grill marks. You can prepare all food at different temperatures on this sear burner and main rack.
Another option is to order a model with a side burner on this left shelf. If you order the first or the second option, you will have an additional control knob for the burner. Instead of the warm rack also, a rotisserie kit could be installed (purchased separately). Finally, a cast iron charcoal tray is available if you need wood flavor for this grill. This tray should be placed directly on the burners and sear plates should be removed.
- Wave-shape main cooking grid for sear marks
- Chrome stainless steel warming rack
- 3 burners with 5 sear plates for even heat distribution
- Closed cart for propane tank storage
- 4 wheels for easy transportation on the patio
- JetFire ignition without batteries
- Built-in thermometer to check the internal temperature
- Two side folded shelves
- Direct and indirect modes of cooking
- Easy grill maintenance and cooking
- All accessories, such as rotisserie kit or side burners, should be purchased separately
- No wood flavor, but you can buy the additional charcoal tray
Napoleon P500PSS-3 Prestige 500
The Prestige Pro Series includes four grills for the ultimate grilling experience produced in Canada. P500 is also the entry-level grill from this series; for additional burners, you need to check P500RSIB, P665, or P665RSIB. All models are available in propane or Natural Gas. The Prestige P500 has four independent burners and an iconic wave-shaped 7.5 mm cast iron cooking grate (500 sq in). Unfortunately, no additional burners are included – rotisserie kits, side burners, or an infrared sear burner. But you can choose models with these features.
The grill barrel has a center-gravity lid that can easily open with a large chrome handle. The lid does not occupy the space on the back of the grill. The dual-layered top lid also ensures perfect heat retention (35% better than traditional grills) for conventional cooking and for searing, baking, roasting, and smoking. In the lid the temperature gauge is built-in for reading the internal temperature. You can do charcoal BBQ if you purchase a charcoal tray. The four burners are protected with dual-level sear plates (7 sear plates) that catch and vaporize back all food juice and grease. The burners have JetFire ignition, but they also can be lit with a match.
The 760 sq inches of cooking surface allows to prepare up to thirty burgers and serves food for up to 26 people. The large chrome-plated warming rack also can be used for food preparation. The heavy gauged stainless steel burners have illuminated knobs that are blue when the burners are off and red when the burners are on, this feature is convenient for cooking at night. The easy-locking casters ensure a stable grill position. To start cooking, you need only 10 minutes to heat up with the closed lid.
- 500 sq in wave-shaped main cooking grid
- Four independent burners with JetFire ignition
- Illuminated in the night knobs
- 4 easy roll-locking castors
- A closed cabinet with double doors
- Special location in the cabinet for LP tank storage
- Two folded side shelves
- Sear plates for even heat distribution
- Iconic wave sear marks
- Indirect and direct modes of cooking
- No hooks for cooking tools
- No accessories and additional burners are included in the package
- No shelves inside the cabinet
Napoleon Rogue vs. Prestige- Face-To-Face Comparison
For easier comparison of these grills, the comparison was divided per main technical parameters that determine the main technical characteristics of the grills and their convenience in use: fuel type, design, dimensions, burners, temperature control, cooking area, cooking modes, grease management system, storage space, cleaning, and assembling.
Fuel type
The Napoleon Rogue 425 and Prestige P500 work from 20 lb. liquid propane tanks (purchased separately). In the enclosed cart, a special tank ring for storage is provided.
For Rogue 425, no other additional power is required; Prestige P500 requires a 1.5V AAA Battery for the lighting knobs. In addition, the tank should have a safety relief device, a shutoff valve, a collar, and an overfill protection device.
verdictThe Napoleon Rogue 425 is designed to work only on liquid propane, so it is the winner.
Because of additional features for night cooking, the Prestige P500 grill owner also has to purchase a 1.5V AAA Battery.
Design and dimensions
Napoleon Rogue 425
The Napoleon Rogue 425 has relatively small dimensions – 47.5 x 25 x 51 inches. The grill is made from black powdered stainless steel. The material handles all weather precipitations and does not show fingerprints.
It has one side shelf from each side and a stainless steel handle to lift the hood easily. The firebox of this grill perfectly resists rust and has a 15 years warranty. For easy moving, the grill has four locked wheels on the cart.
Napoleon P500PSS-3 Prestige 500
The Napoleon Prestige P500 has medium dimensions – 26.5 x 66.25 x 50.25 inches. The grill is made from stainless steel and has a silver color, including the lid. There are two side shelves for cooking and intermediate food storage.
The grill has a lifetime warranty on the lid, main grid, and tube burners, and it has 15 years warranty on the warming rack and stainless steel sear plates. The grill has on the bottom of the cabinet four rolling castors.
verdictVerdict: There are several differences between the Rogue 425 and Prestige P500: P500 is bigger and has a more extended warranty on some items; the 425 is made from black powdered stainless steel. Because of the more extended warranty, Prestige P500 is the winner in this comparison.
Burners and temperature control
The Rogue 425 has three stainless steel tube burners. Each convectional burner has Napoleon JetFire quick ignition and is rated 12.000 BTU per hour (in total 36.000 BTU).
In addition, the burners are equipped with crossover lighting for automatic reignition in case of accidental fire loss. The battery-free ignition is performed with a jet of flame. If required, the air shutter can be adjusted for extreme weather conditions.
The Prestige grill has four stainless steel burners with JetFire instant ignition. The ignition system shoots the jet of fire to light each burner immediately when you open the gas to the burner.
The burners will also be automatically relighted in case of loss of fire. Each burner is rated as 12.000 BTU per hour (total 48.000 BTU). The burners are controlled by knobs with a safetyglow system, showing which burners are lit.
verdictThe Prestige grill is the winner in this comparison as it has more burners, and its control knobs are illuminated at night.
Cooking area
The grids of the Napoleon Rogue are durable and have been tested for working many years. The cooking area consists of a main rack and a warming rack that can be easily removed when not needed.
The large chrome-plated warming rack adds additional cooking area (145 sq inches). The main rack (425 sq in) is made from porcelainized cast iron for even heating and perfect sear wave-shaped marks. Cooking grids should be seasoned before usage at 350-400 F.
The total cooking area of Prestige P500 is 760 sq inches. It consists of a 7.5 mm thick stainless steel main grid (500 sq in) providing iconic waved sear marks and a large (260 sq in) chrome-plated warming rack.
The waved shape of the main rack provides even heat distribution through the whole surface and prevents small pieces of food from falling. The warming rack can be removed to increase space above the main rack or to install a rotisserie kit (optional).
verdictThe Napoleon Prestige P500 is a leader as it has a larger size of the main and warming racks. Also, stainless steel grids do not require seasoning to prevent corrosion before first use and can be cleaned by preheating grids and a wire brush.
Cooking modes
The Rogue 425 & Prestige P500 are designed for direct and indirect grilling. Direct grilling is perfect for meat searing within a short amount of time. You need to place the food on the cooking grid directly above the working burner.
For indirect grilling, you need to place the food above the non-working burner, and this method is used for low temperatures and slow cooking of large pieces of meat, chicken, and turkey. You can roast, smoke, sear, and bake on both grills.
verdictThere is no winner in a comparison of the cooking modes of Napoleon Rogue vs. Prestige. Even though the number of main burners is different, there are no other accessories to cook additionally to direct and indirect modes.
Grease Management System
The grease management system of Rogue 425 and Prestige P500 consists of sear plates, a grease pan, and a grease tray. Grease drains into a removable pan in the grill’s cart for easy cleaning. The upper drip tray can be removed for cleaning when it is required.
You can use only Napoleon disposable liners on the drip pan and tray; never use aluminum foils. This GMS is standard for all Napoleon gas grills.
verdictAs the GMS of Rogue and Prestige grills are the same, there is no winner.
Storage space
The Rogue 425 has two folding side shelves with a durable black powder coat that can be folded down when needed. Also, each shelf has two integrated hooks for accessories and BBQ tools.
The grill has a closed one-door cart with a handle for storing the LP tank. To add storage space, you can purchase a detachable basket on the grill’s side.
The Prestige P500 has a stainless steel closed cabinet with double doors for accessories and propane tank storage. Also, on each side, there is a folded shelf with built-in beverage holders that can be removed for storage and locked with screws for transportation.
The handles of the cabinet doors can be used as towel holders. No other additional baskets can be purchased separately to increase storage space.
verdictBoth Napoleon grills have the same folded shelves, different only in material and a closed cart. But Prestige P500, as a bigger grill, has a double-door cabinet with more space for functional storage and more functional side shelves, while the Rogue 425 has only a one-door cabinet. So, Prestige P500 is the winner.
Assembling
The manuals and detailed pictures guide the assembling process of the Rogue 425 and Prestige P500. First, you need to assemble the cart and put wheels on the bottom side.
Then with the help of another person, you need to install the grill barrels, supplied pre-assembled. After that, the side shelves are installed, and the parts of the grease management system. The last step is grids and sear plates installation with a liquid propane tank. Remember before usage to do a leakage test.
verdictAs mentioned earlier, similar construction leads to an identical assembling process. There is no winner.
Buyer’s Guide – How to choose the best gas grill?
If you are still trying to decide which gas grill to choose, then the section regarding the main aspects that should be considered would be a good help.
Following this guide step-by-step, you definitely find the best gas grill for your backyard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the wave-shaped cooking grid better than the standard cooking grid?
Can I buy a rear infrared burner separately to install into Rogue 425 or Prestige P500?
How to add smoke flavor to the food in Napoleon grills?
Conclusion
Even though the Napoleon Rogue 425 and Prestige P500 are representatives from different Series, these basic models have a lot of things in common, similar cooking modes, assembling procedures, grease management system, and fuel type. However, they differ in size, which means Prestige P500 has a larger cabinet, more burners, and a larger cooking area. Therefore, if you need to serve food for a bigger company, then Prestige P500 is a better option.
Also, it has a stainless steel cooking grid that does not require seasoning and is easier to clean. Nevertheless, the burner’s construction with sear plates and even heat distribution for Napoleon Rogue vs. Prestige is the same, so if you choose Rogue 425, you will definitely be satisfied.
