Napoleon Built-In 700 Series Grill
Napoleon Built-In 700 Series 32 RB Grill (Model BIG32RBPSS) Review
Napoleon’s outdoor kitchen products ended up being the linchpin in our outdoor kitchen build. The Napoleon Built-In 700 Series stainless steel grill, door, and drawer components are certainly good looking, but are they quality? In this product placement review, we test them and examine their construction with the goal of making your purchase decision easier.
Napoleon Built-In 700 Series 32 RB Grill Specifications:
- 32” wide grill
- 66,000 BTU’s
- Propane and 120v Electric (Optional – Natural Gas)
- [4] Stainless Steel Main Burners
- [1] Infrared Rear Rotisserie Burner
- 29.5-inches x 18-inches of cooking space
- 0.354-inch (9 mm) thick stainless steel cooking grids
- Jet flame – Battery-free ignition
- Dual-level stainless steel sear plates
- Backlit glowing knobs
First Impression
Upon receiving the shipment and removing the protective covering, we were impressed with the fit and finish appearance of the Napoleon Built-In 700 Series grill.
We were first drawn to the solidly designed handle and attractive control panel. However, once installed, it was the hood that was most impressive. The stainless-steel hood not only looks great but is robustly built, with rubber bumper stoppers. Users will immediately notice the hood’s smooth operation when using it.
Premium Stainless-Steel Construction
The Napoleon Built-In 700 Series grill is constructed with grade 304 Stainless steel and seamless construction. 304 Stainless steel has a high nickel content, which resists rust and is often used in higher-end outdoor grills and cabinets.
We noted that Napoleon’s grill and built-in door and drawers do not incorporate welds in their construction, but instead have a seamless construction.
Pro Tip:
When purchasing outdoor appliances be wary of welded seam construction which can rust due to heat and contaminants compromising the steel joint. Potential buyers will want to be aware of this as it will extend the life of your backyard investment.
Napoleon 700 Series | Wave Pattern Cooking Grids
Napoleon is known for their iconic “Wave Pattern” cooking grids. This 32″ grill comes with 3 (two small and one large) aesthetically pleasing grids and leaves a wave sear pattern on food. The smaller side grids weigh 7 pounds each while the large grid weighs in at 9.7 pounds.
We noted that the grids are thick, heavy, and made from stainless steel. Measuring just under 3/8″, the wave grids are a solid cooking surface. The benefits of thick grids are that they will not warp like thinner grids.
They also retain heat longer which will make for more even cooking temperatures. Lastly, the grids are spaced 5/16″ apart, which is key for keeping small pieces of food from falling through.
Napoleon 700 Series | Commercial-Grade Rotisserie
The Napoleon Built-In 700 Series grill includes a commercial-grade rotisserie kit designed to fit the grill. Rotisserie cooking is excellent for cooking larger items like a chicken. The spinning action of the rotisserie helps food stay moist by retaining juices. The rotating action on a rotisserie provides a more even cooking temperature.
Pro Tip:
If you are purchasing a grill that does not include a rotisserie kit, you will incur an additional cost of $100-200, and need to ensure that it’s designed to fit your grill. Napoleon has included a commercial-grade rotisserie kit as a bonus to this grill package.
Note – To use this rotisserie feature, users need to remove the upper cooking grate, which allows a spit rod to spin on the two rollers. We noted that the rollers are well-made, durable, and an important part of any rotisserie system. When not in use, the upper cooking grate sits firmly in between the rollers.
The rotisserie spit rod and components are stored under the grill in an easily accessible pull-out tray. Having a specific place in the grill to store these rotisserie parts is a nice design element for this grill.
Napoleon 700 Series | Infrared Rear Burner
The Napoleon Built-In 700 Series grill features an infrared rear burner for rotisserie cooking. The rear burner is lit by an electric ignition and the ignition button is accessed via a small button on the left side of the grill. Infrared cooking allows for more consistent cooking temperatures. It accomplishes this by an indirect flame, which heats a stainless-steel grate, allowing heat to radiate toward the rotisserie, rather than by direct flame.
Dual-level Sear Plates | Reduced Grease
The Napoleon Built-In 700 Series grill features dual-level stainless steel sear plates. What does this mean? As you can see in the photographs below there is a top layer and a lower level of sear plates.
Depending on the temperature you are grilling at these sear plates will catch and vaporize most of the food drippings reducing grease from hitting your burners which will extend burner life.
We found the dual sear plates did reduce the amount of grease that made it to the drip pan. The drip pan is located behind the rotisserie storage pull-out tray. With a built-in grill, the drip pan is an important part of protecting the propane and electrical components below.
We noted that the built-in drip pan spanned the entire length of the grill and was easily pulled out for cleaning.
Jet flame ignition
The Napoleon Built-In 700 Series grill features a jet flame ignition. A jet flame ignition occurs when propane is channeled out of a strategically placed orifice with a manual ignitor mounted directly above the gas grates. The gas flows out of this orifice and is ignited automatically when you turn any burner knob, sending a consistent flame along the entire length of the burner.
Pro Tip:
We feel that a jet flame ignition is a better, more consistent, and reliable ignition source for lighting grill burners and is something you should consider when researching your grill.
Temperature Gauge
Like many grills, the Napoleon 700 Series also has a large, easy-to-read, built-in temperature gauge.
Testing Grill Temperatures
We tested the accuracy of the temperature gauge with an infrared thermometer and found the temperature readings accurate. We used the infrared thermometer to test the cooking grid above each of the four burners. As a result, we let the grill reach 250°F and then checked each grid above its burner and had a consistent reading of 250°F all the way across.
Pro Tip:
Consistent temperatures are an important part of grilling, preventing burnt or undercooked food. It’s important to choose a grill that has an accurate temperature gauge that matches the temperatures at the burners.
Illuminated Knobs
In today’s grill market, illumination seems to be an essential factor in raising the user experience and aesthetics of backyard kitchens. Many folks incorporate landscape lighting or under-the-counter lighting, into their outdoor kitchens. We appreciated that Napoleon incorporated lighting into the user interface knobs. This late-night wow factor, while not essential to cooking, raises the bar on the backyard curb appeal.
The knob lights are controlled by the small button on the control panel, once on, the knobs illuminate blue. Once a burner is ignited, that specific knob illuminates red to show that it is in use. We noted that the burner knobs have a rubber grip strip, and spin smoothly.
Pro Tip:
When designing your outdoor kitchen, determine if line voltage is required for your grill. The Napoleon 700 Series grill requires a power source for the lights to work.
Outdoor Kitchen | Planning and Installation
If you are building an outdoor kitchen, built-in appliances sometimes have tight tolerances between the appliance and the countertop. We noted that the Napoleon 700 Series grill has a 1″ overhang on each side, allowing some wiggle room to interface better with countertop installations.
Pro Tip:
When looking at grills with power supplies, choose one with a longer wiring harness. The Napoleon 700 Series comes standard with an extra-long wire harness to install to line voltage power.
Grilling
We tested the Napoleon 700 Series grill by grilling and using the rotisserie feature with different foods, and at different temperatures. We noted 700 series grills cooked evenly.
Outdoor Kitchen Built-in Doors and Drawers
For this outdoor kitchen, we also used Napoleon’s 30″x24″ large double door and 18″x24″ large double drawer. The components are constructed from high-grade 304 stainless steel and seamless construction.
We noted that the 7/8-inch-thick doors were well-built, featuring soft-closing hardware, and anodized aluminum handles. The door comes attached to a 3-inch mounting frame which allowed for an easy installation and good mounting coverage. Like the grill lid, the doors have rubber stops and magnets to keep the doors from slamming and closing tight.
The double-drawer unit has the same materials, and quality construction as the door unit.
Room for improvement
We’d like to see Napoleon add internal grilling lights to this model for night grilling.
Overall Thoughts on the Napoleon 700 Series Grill
The Napoleon 700 Series 32″ grill and built-in door and drawer units elevated our outdoor kitchen project. We were impressed with the fit and finish, quality of construction, and functionality that the 700 series offers. Napoleon offers a bumper-to-bumper lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship on major components and a fifteen (15) year warranty for all other parts. Having a warranty on a large purchase is an important thing to consider.
The Napoleon 700 Series grill certainly measured up. It is a well-made premium stainless-steel grill that was built to last. It is easy to install and use and has an excellent feature set; we recommend it.
Where To Purchase
Napoleon offers several other grills and components which are in stock and can be viewed directly on their website at www.napoleon.com or purchased online through several online dealers.
- The Napoleon Built-In 700 Series 32″ grill retails for $2,099
- Napoleon’s Built-In 30″x24″ large double door retails for $749
- The Napoleon Built-In 30″x24″ large double drawers retail for $849.00
We found this pricing comparable to similar quality competitors.
Napoleon Built-In 700 Series 32 RB Grill Video Review
