Napoleon Freestyle 425 Review: A Premium Gas Grill Without the Premium Price

The Napoleon Freestyle 425 has all the hallmarks of a premium grill, from its chic graphite grey porcelain enamel finish to its sleek design – yet it comes with a surprisingly affordable price tag. The question is, does it cook like a high-end grill too?

With four burners, the Freestyle 425 certainly has a generous cooking surface, capable of grilling up to 26 burgers at once. It also features two sizeable side tables for food preparation and holding dishes, along with three hooks for hanging your barbecue tools. And, unless you also want to invest in one of the best pizza ovens, you can even add a pizza stone to the grill for a perfectly crispy base. When the grill isn't in use, the side tables fold down to make storage more compact.

The stand features soft-close doors and sturdy wheels that enable you to move it around your yard with ease. The enclosed cabinet neatly conceals the gas bottle, keeping unsightly hoses and battered cylinders out of sight.

To find out how the Napoleon Freestyle 425 performs in the real world, I assembled it from scratch, noting how long the process took and how easy the instructions were to follow. I then put it through a series of cooking tests, grilling steaks, burgers, sausages, and vegetables, before roasting a whole chicken using the indirect grilling method (I didn't have the optional rotisserie attachment, which is sold separately).

Read on to find out how the Napoleon Freestyle 425 performed in my tests.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Naomi Mackay

Naomi has been a freelance writer and editor for more than 20 years, having moved from local newspapers and consumer technology magazines into the gardening press as Assistant Editor at Garden Answers magazine, before becoming Top Ten Reviews' Customer Advisor for Grills. She tested the Napoleon Freestyle 425 over the course of a week, assessing its cooking performance, accessories, ease of use, and maintenance.

Napoleon Freestyle 425: Key Specs

Price & Availability

The Napoleon Freestyle 425 currently retails for around $629. You can pick it up on Amazon, at The Home Depot, or Lowe's.

If you're looking for a grill in a similar price range, the Weber Spirit E-425 Liquid Propane Grill, available at the Weber Store on Amazon, is a good option. Both brands also sell a smoker box for that classic 'barbecued' flavor.

If you're on a tight budget, the Cuisinart CGG-7400 Propane 54-Inch Full-Size Four-Burner Gas Grill is a couple of hundred dollars cheaper and has similar features. Keep in mind that the Napoleon grill has a 10-year warranty, which makes it a better value in the long run compared to the Cuisinart grill, which only has a three-year warranty.

Setting up the Napoleon Freestyle 425

The Napoleon Freestyle 425 gas grill is easy to set up. It comes with clear and concise instructions that make assembly a breeze, and the sturdy base has wheels that make it easy to move around. The grill is compact but not flimsy, making it ideal for smaller outdoor spaces, and the cookbox and lid are quite heavy and seem to be built to last with a 10-year warranty.

Premium Design

The graphite grey color of the Napoleon Freestyle 425 gas grill gives it a sleek appearance that stands out from other gas grills with black or stainless steel finishes. Its porcelain enamel finish gives it a premium look, and it is less prone to greasy finger marks compared to other gas grills.

Rounded edges make it easy to move around safely, thanks to the sturdy wheels on the base. A large warming rack offers extra cooking space for quickly cooking items, while the main cooking area is spacious enough to accommodate up to 26 burgers.

The cast iron porcelainized enamel cooking grids feature Napoleon’s iconic wavy sear marks, while the temperature gauge has a retro look. An aluminum firebox aims to create a convective oven effect. On the right-hand side, the folding table is also home to three hooks to keep your tools within reach.

Grilling Performance

I experienced some trouble with the ignition system while using the grill, as I couldn't get the burners to stay lit initially. However, I eventually got the hang of it and didn't have any issues after that.

The grill heated up quickly, but I did notice that the temperature dropped rapidly when I opened the lid. On the other hand, it rose rapidly once the lid was closed again. There was a cooler spot towards the front of the grill, which could be problematic if you're trying to cook a large quantity of food at once.

In general, the grill cooked everything well, but it does burn quite fiercely. As a result, it may require some practice to get the temperature just right. Nonetheless, I was able to achieve a nice sear on my steaks, and I was also able to cook a whole chicken over indirect heat, which took around 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Maintenance

The tables of the grill can be easily folded down for storage. Once assembled, the barbecue is lightweight and easy to maneuver. When the tables are folded, the width of the grill drops from 55 inches to 33 inches, which is a significant difference when you need to move it to a confined place for storage. If you want to keep the grill outside, you can purchase a specific cover for this model on Amazon. I found some online offers that included a free cover with the grill purchase.

Napoleon recommends seasoning the cast iron cooking grids to prevent corrosion. After use, mild dish soap and water should be used to clean them, but they should not be put in the dishwasher. It is advisable to use a brass wire brush to clean the inside and underside of the cooking box and scrape the sear plates using a plastic putty knife, like this Skrapr design. To avoid any chips or scratches, plastic putty knives or scrapers should be used on all porcelain parts.

The Napoleon grill has a drip pan that can easily slide out for cleaning, which should be done after every fourth or fifth cook. It is recommended to clean the control panel only with soapy water and to avoid using abrasive cloths or cleaners. After cleaning, make sure to cover the equipment to protect it from the elements. This will help keep your grill in the best possible condition until you use it again. Although it may seem like a fiddly job, covering your barbecue is an important step in maintaining it.

Napoleon Freestyle 425 User Reviews

Online customer reviews of the Napoleon Freestyle 425 are overwhelmingly positive, with buyers praising its ease of assembly, reliable ignition, and even cooking performance.

On Amazon, the Freestyle 425 has an average rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars, while Lowe's customers rate it 4.4 out of 5 stars. The Home Depot reviewers are even more impressed, awarding it 4.5 out of 5 stars, with 85% of customers recommending the grill.

Like me, many owners highlighted the grill's straightforward assembly, heavy-duty cooking grates, and generous warming rack. However, a small number of reviewers said it struggled to maintain high temperatures when much of the cooking surface was in use, making it harder to achieve a good sear across a full grill load.

Should You Buy the Napoleon Freestyle 425?

The Napoleon Freestyle 425 is a great grill that offers excellent value for money. It has a 10-year warranty, is well-built, and features a large cooking area with four burners. While it may not have all the fancy features found in premium models, it is a fantastic choice for those who want to cook for a large family or friends. However, it's important to note that this grill does not come with a side burner, which may not be suitable for some users.

How Does the Napoleon Freestyle 425 Compare?

While the Napoleon Freestyle 425 is a great option, there are plenty of other grills out there to consider too.

How I Tested the Napoleon Freestyle 425

To test the Napoleon Freestyle 425, I assembled it from scratch, timing the process and assessing how easy the instructions were to follow. I then put the grill through a series of cooking tests, grilling burgers, steaks, sausages, and vegetables, before roasting a whole chicken using the indirect grilling method.

During testing, I evaluated how quickly the grill heated up, how evenly it cooked across the four burners, how well it maintained its temperature, and how easy it was to control the heat. I also assessed the quality of its construction, the usefulness of its features, including the folding side shelves and warming rack, and how straightforward it was to clean after cooking.

To provide a more rounded assessment, I also considered long-term ownership factors such as the warranty, replacement parts, and customer feedback, helping determine whether the Napoleon Freestyle 425 offers good value for money.