Napoleon BISZ300PSS-1 20″ Built-In Natural Gas Grill Review
Napoleon is a Canadian-based grill manufacturer that has spent decades earning a reputation for offering grills with superior materials as well as thoughtful engineering. They also tend to back their products with superior warranty programs as well as serious focus on good customer service.
It’s built largely from commercial-grade 304 stainless steel. This particular model is set up to only work on natural gas but borrows many of its components from other successful propane models in the Napoleon line. Just keep in mind that it cannot safely burn liquid propane. So, you will need to make sure that there is a natural gas line plumbed to the area where you want to install the grill.
This particular model is a drop-in grill head designed to be the beating heart of an outdoor kitchen or grill station. It measures in at 9.6-inches by 20-inches and 20.5-inches deep. You will need to make sure that your installation spot accommodates these dimensions.
It features a pair of natural gas burner elements rated to produce up to 15,000 BTUs per hour each. The 30,000 total BTUs direct their heat energy to one of Napoleon’s infrared elements which when properly preheated can reach temperatures nearing 1,800 degrees.
This natural gas Infrared Grill also features Napoleon’s hallmark “Wave” grill grates made from 304 stainless steel. This imparts distinctive sear marks while also helping to divert away any drippings.
Construction & Ease of Assembly
Napoleon earned its reputation as a high-quality grill manufacturer by engineering grills with superior material selection. You see this immediately in the commercial-grade 304 stainless steel used throughout this 20-inch Built-In Natural gas grill.
There isn’t really much in the way of assembly with this grill. However, the installation itself may take some time. This grill measures in at 9.6-inches by 20-inches and 20.5-inches deep, which is a little bit smaller than most drop-in gas grills. This means it’s more likely to be used in a new-construction outdoor kitchen rather than as a replacement grill head.
If you aren’t familiar with local building codes, or you aren’t particularly handy, you should strongly consider having a licensed contractor install this grill for you. Especially if you need a new natural gas line plumbed to the installation location.
Grilling Performance
This grill is set up to use clean-burning natural gas to produce infrared heat. This is different than direct flame grills, which tend to damage food’s natural moisture boundary. It means that even when dialed down this grill will produce grilled food that retains more of its natural juices.
The Napoleon BISZ300PSS-1 is also rated to get up to an impressive 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. Though it does need a solid 10 to 12 minutes of preheating to get this high. Realistically, if you want to sear off some steaks or chops you could just as easily fire it up on medium-high, preheat for 7 minutes and it will still provide you with a Steak house sear.
You could argue that this drop-in grill is meant to be used as more of a searing station or side burner. However, with a little experience and thoughtfulness, there’s no reason why you couldn’t use it as your daily grill station. Especially if you have limited space in your outdoor kitchen area.
Dialing in the temperature can be a little bit of an issue with a grill like this. Especially if you want to use it for something other than high heat searing steaks, chops, and kabobs. It might help to add an infrared thermometer to the checkout cart when you buy the Napoleon BISZ300PSS-1. It allows you to point and shoot a little red laser beam at the grill, which will then tell you the exact temperature of that spot.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that this somewhat-small drop-in grill with infrared emitter does not have the ability to produce dual heat zones. Though you can still dial it down low for cooking things like stuffed pork chops and bone-in chicken. When the meat is cooked through to a safe temperature, you can turn the burners up and the infrared emitter will quickly heat up to crisp or sear off the interior.
Grilling Areas
The Napoleon BISZ300PSS-1 20-inch Built-In Natural Gas Grill has stainless steel Wave pattern grill grates that offer 257 square inches of grilling space. There is also a small warming rack built into the lid.
Special Features
The infrared emitters are what stand out the most with the Napoleon BISZ300PSS-1. The ability to grill at astoundingly high temperatures is a great option for people who want to replicate a professional steakhouse sear.
The Wave pattern stainless steel grill grates also make visually attractive grill marks, while also helping to divert some of the drippings away from the underlying burner elements.
Ease to Clean
The 304 stainless steel Wave pattern grill grates are a little on the sticky side. They can also be a little bit awkward to properly scrape down. Make sure to let the grill burn for 3 to 5 minutes after you are done cooking. This will help dry out any stuck-on material. Then use a wire grill brush to carefully clear away any leftover debris.
The Napoleon BISZ300PSS-1 20-inch Built-In Natural Gas Grill also has a small collection tray that will hold any excess drippings. Though most rendered grease ends up vaporizing on contact with the burners.
Warranty
The Napoleon BISZ300PSS-1 20-inch Built-In Natural Gas Grill only comes with a 1-year warranty. Which is a little sparse for Napoleon.
Conclusion
The Napoleon BISZ300PSS-1 20-inch Built-In Natural Gas Grill can be used as an infrared high-heat grill station, or you could repurpose it as your daily grill. If you do want to use it for lower heat applications, you should strongly consider investing in a quality infrared thermometer to keep track of the temperature at the grate.
