The Napoleon Prestige 500 Connected meets
the Weber Spirit E-210
A welded-aluminum gas grill with a 1,800F infrared sear zone and rear rotisserie that converts to charcoal or griddle on demand. We tested it head-to-head against the Weber Spirit E-210 ($449) across 7 key dimensions.
Napoleon Prestige 500 Connected
“A welded-aluminum gas grill with a 1,800F infrared sear zone and rear rotisserie that converts to charcoal or griddle on demand”
Weber Spirit E-210
“A bare-bones two-burner gas grill with the thickest cookbox in its class and the most stable low-temp control of any budget grill tested”
Head-to-Head Breakdown
Strengths & Weaknesses
Napoleon Prestige 500 Connected
- Infrared side burner hits 1,800F for a true steakhouse sear without overheating the main chamber (David Gafford)
- Converts into a charcoal or griddle cooker via optional drop-in trays, plus integrated 18,000 BTU rear rotisserie (Trevor)
- Fully welded cast aluminum firebox built in North America, backed by a lifetime bumper-to-bumper warranty (Trevor)
- Holds a steady ~330F across the grates for indirect cooking like bratwursts (David Gafford)
- 24-burger physical capacity confirmed in instrumented testing (David Gafford)
- $2,329 price tag puts it well above the budget tier
- Wi-Fi smart features are finicky — took Trevor four tries to pair and constantly drops back to manual mode
- Optional drop-in charcoal tray sits dangerously close to the grates, scorching food if you use too much fuel (David Gafford)
- Not built for brisket or pork-butt-style low-and-slow smoking — buy a pellet grill for that
Weber Spirit E-210
- Thickest cast aluminum cookbox of any grill in the under-$500 tier (David Gafford)
- Best low-temp stability in its class — held a steady ~300F across the grates (David Gafford)
- Fit 16 quarter-pound burgers despite its small footprint — punches above its weight on capacity (David Gafford)
- 10/10 cleanup score from David Gafford thanks to easy-to-clean grates and a disposable grease liner
- 10-year cookbox warranty is the longest in the budget category
- Maxed at 560F after a 15-minute preheat — weakest sear of any budget grill tested (David Gafford)
- No side burner, no sear zone, no rotisserie — a bare-bones cooker with no extras
- Weber's required 3D BILT assembly app has vague instructions and misaligned parts (Tom Horsman)
- Two-wheels-plus-two-static-legs design forces you to lift the grill to move it across the patio (David Gafford)
The Verdict
Our Bottom Line
The Napoleon Prestige 500 Connected wins on three reviewer-measured strengths that no grill near its price matches at once: searing, build, and convertibility. David Gafford of The Barbecue Lab measured the dedicated infrared Sizzle Zone side burner reaching 1,800F, which delivers a 60-second-per-side steakhouse crust without turning the main chamber into an inferno. Trevor at Embers Fireplaces praised the same burner as the reason serious cooks splurge on this line, alongside an integrated 18,000 BTU rear rotisserie that most competitors charge extra for.
Napoleon Prestige 500 Connected
The Napoleon Prestige 500 Connected wins on three reviewer-measured strengths that no grill near its price matches at once: searing, build, and convertibility. David Gafford of The Barbecue Lab measured the dedicated infrared Sizzle Zone side burner reaching 1,800F, which delivers a 60-second-per-side steakhouse crust without turning the main chamber into an inferno. Trevor at Embers Fireplaces praised the same burner as the reason serious cooks splurge on this line, alongside an integrated 18,000 BTU rear rotisserie that most competitors charge extra for.
- You have a permanent patio or outdoor kitchen and a budget that comfortably absorbs a $2,329 grill
- You sear steaks more than once a month and want true steakhouse-quality results at home
- You want rotisserie capability built-in instead of as a $400 accessory
- You value North American manufacturing and a lifetime bumper-to-bumper warranty
- You entertain crowds — the 24-burger capacity handles a full backyard party
Weber Spirit E-210
The Weber Spirit E-210 wins Best Value not because it's the best grill in this group — it scores lowest overall at 61.0 — but because it's the best $449 you can spend on a gas grill that won't disintegrate in three years. David Gafford crowned it the overall winner of his under-$400 shootout for one decisive reason: the thickest cast aluminum cookbox of any budget grill he measured with digital calipers. That cookbox is what carries Weber's 10-year warranty, the longest in the budget tier.
- You grill weeknight burgers, dogs, and chicken — not steakhouse-grade steaks
- You're working with a small patio, balcony, or compact yard
- You want Weber's reputation and 10-year cookbox warranty at a $449 entry price
- You prefer a bare-bones cooker over a feature-loaded grill you'll never fully use
- You care about easy cleanup and don't want to maintain a complicated fuel or smoke system