First Impressions of the Napoleon 700 Series 32 Griddle
Napoleon ships this as a head only. What arrives is a stainless box made to drop into a counter. Boxed, it weighs 126.77 pounds, so the lift into the island takes two.
Closed, it looks like a short grill. A flat stainless lid sits over a slotted vent strip and two knobs. The knobs glow blue at rest.
Raise that lid and very little waits inside. One flat sheet of steel, a lip on three sides, a grease slot in front. The lid itself lifts off its hinges entirely if you would rather not keep it.
The first light is a ritual. Napoleon wants 30 minutes on high with the lid open to burn off factory oils.
Then comes seasoning. Oil the washed plate and heat it to 350°F until it smokes. Let it cool, then wipe.
The knobs turn red once a burner catches. Push, turn, listen for the clicking, and the left or right half comes alive.
The size reads bigger in person than on paper. Measure 33.5 inches of width and 26 of depth before you cut anything. Swing the lid up and the head needs 35 inches of clear height. Check any shelf or beam above the counter.
Key Features of the Napoleon 700 Series 32 Griddle
Napoleon kept this appliance simple, and its spec sheet shows it. Two burners, one plate, a lid and some electronics. What matters is how each piece is specified.
- Stainless steel throughout: the body is 304 stainless and the plate is 5 mm of 430 stainless. No carbon steel anywhere on the cooking side.
- Two U-shaped burners with a baffle: the left knob feeds the left side, the right knob the right. A baffle under the steel keeps those zones apart.
- Push-button igniter: pressing a knob fires an electric igniter, and turning it opens the gas. A supplied rod holds a match for power cuts.
- LED controls: SafetyGlow PLUS knobs light red when gas flows and blink red if the flame dies.
- Flame sensing shutoff: if a burner blows out, the griddle detects it and stops the gas on its own.
- Detachable lid: hinged and removable, and a cover rather than a hood. More on that below.
- Front grease management: a removable tray loads from the front, and the plate has a scraping channel built in.
- BBQ Cover: sold separately as part 61831, listed at $77.99.
- Shared cut-out: the opening matches Napoleon’s 32 inch built-in grill head, so a matched pair lines up.
The head can also power an optional Napoleon side burner from its own supply. That saves running a second cable to the island.
Start with the number Napoleon would rather you skip. Napoleon’s fire, spread across its steel, comes to 45 to 48 BTU per square inch. The Broilmaster BSB322G runs 78, and the Char-Broil Medallion runs 56 to 62.
In practice, low density shapes the whole cooking style. Lay twenty cold patties on a hot plate and the steel gives up heat to them. With less fire underneath, it takes longer to climb back. The first batch sears well; the third batch may steam.
Eggs, pancakes, fish and vegetables tell a different story. They want even, moderate heat, and the U-burners are built to spread it. The baffle lets you run one half on high and the other near low. A pan of sauce can sit on the cool side.
Napoleon rates the plate for 28 burgers, counted as 4 inch patties. Read that as a count of footprints, not a promise of crust. Fill every spot at once and the thin fire per inch shows. Half a plate at a time is a kinder ask of it.
Stainless also behaves differently from the carbon steel on most flat tops. It spreads heat sideways more slowly. That suits a held, steady surface better than a blasting one. It is also why Napoleon wants the plate oiled before every cook.
One more rule shapes every cook. The manual forbids closing the lid while the griddle runs or stays hot. Nothing melts under a dome here. Cheese on a burger needs a separate basting cover.
Build, handling and durability
The body earns its price. The whole body is 304 stainless. That grade holds up best near salt air and pools. The burners are heavy wall 304 too.
The plate is where Napoleon saved. It is 430 stainless, a magnetic grade that stains more readily. At 5 mm it also carries less mass than the 8 mm plate in the DCS. Less mass and less fire compound each other on a crowded cook.
The plate lifts straight out for burner service. Napoleon asks for two people to do it. Never splash cold water on it hot. The manual warns that can warp it, and a warped plate pools grease.
The warranty favours the parts that matter. Napoleon backs the U-burners and the lid for life. Everything else, plate included, gets 15 years.
The electronics are the part to watch over time. A transformer, a flame sensor and lit knobs all live under the control panel. Napoleon warns that food left on the plate draws rodents, and rodents chew wires. Clean nightly and the risk stays small.
Running costs, upkeep and value
At $2,219, this costs the same as Napoleon’s 700 Series 32 grill head. That parity is the pitch. You are buying a module that fits a Napoleon island and matches its neighbour.
Measured as a cooker, the value is thinner. The DCS GDE1-30-L costs $5,299 and brings 40,000 BTU. The Broilmaster brings 36,000 BTU to a smaller plate. Napoleon’s figure is the lowest of the three.
Installation adds to the bill. You need a GFI-protected outlet for the 12VAC transformer that lights the knobs and igniter. Your gas fitter must size the pipe to hold 7 inches water column. Keep combustibles 24 inches behind and 7 inches to each side.
Upkeep is where stainless pays back. Wipe the plate after each cook, along the grain, then oil it lightly. Empty the front tray every time. Expect a golden tint across the steel within weeks; the manual calls it normal.
Buy the matching cover on day one. Part 61831 lists at $77.99 and keeps rain off the plate and the knobs.
Fuel is a one-time choice. The griddle’s valves are not convertible, unlike Napoleon’s grill heads. Pick BIG32FTNSS for natural gas or BIG32FTPSS for propane, and live with it.
Possible Napoleon 700 Series 32 Griddle Complaints
- Slow recovery under a big load. Thin fire under a full plate of cold patties means the steel sags and stays down. Cook a party’s burgers in smaller waves. Give the plate 10 to 15 minutes on high before the first one.
- The lid is a cover, not a cooking tool. Many flat tops let you drop a hood to melt cheese or trap steam. This one forbids it while lit. Budget for a separate dome.
