After shopping extensively for a grill truly manufactured in the USA using domestic materials, not just a grill assembled here using "globally sourced" parts, I finally realized that it might not make sense to spend thousands more for a grill that might outlive me, but I did not want to buy another overseas product. Made In North America/Canada was going to have to be good enough, and the deal at Dreamwood Living made the decision even easier. "Sarah" was very helpful in answering all of my questions over several visits to their site. They had the best deal that I was able to find at that time.
The unit was securely packaged for shipping, and arrived in great condition. Delivery was scheduled ahead and Dreamwood and the trucking company were in touch several times to confirm arrival, and were right on time. Excellent.
I've only had this grill for a few weeks, but I have so far used the sear station several times, done direct and indirect cooks, and used the rotisserie and rotisserie basket, trying to get a feel for the grill. So far I'm impressed. There's plenty of heat when needed, and though I haven't done any structured testing, it seems that cooking temps across the grill surface are reasonably even. I am pleased with my decision to purchase the 665 vs. the 500, simply because of the extra real estate, extra burners and cooking flexibility that all of that gives me. The fancy control knob lights are for me just fluff, but I do appreciate the internal grill lights when cooking in the evenings. Now that we're into October, those lights will be useful more often. I'd be very much surprised if I were to find out that the LED lights and controls were not made overseas, but I was willing to accept that knowing that the heart of the grill was manufactured on this continent.
The grill construction seems to be of good quality materials and manufacturing. Except for the hood liner, all parts of the grill head are 304 S/S including the firebox, or are cast aluminum. Surfaces are nicely finished, though there are a few sharp edges to be careful of when doing the minimal assembly required. I am somewhat concerned over the use of hardware assembly vs. welding in some places, so I can only hope that Napoleon has also used good quality 300 series stainless hardware. I might still expect to have to replace some of that over time. That would be one of the compromises vs. some of the other grills I had considered. The drip tray is also stainless, which is appreciated given the corrosive nature of grilling. I'd expect that the outdoor environment, salts, sauces and heat will eventually take their toll, though I will try to minimize that with regular cleaning and a cover. The heat deflectors are 18 ga (.050) S/S, as are the flame runners, and the tube burners are 16 ga (.063), but I had some issues with those components in my previous Napoleon grill, so I am only cautiously optimistic regarding their durability. I will note that the 665 tube burners are heavier stainless than the 18 ga burners on my older Napoleon that was made overseas, so there is reason to hope. I must say that the warranty helped to influence my decision, especially when considering that when those parts burned out on my previous Napoleon, the company replaced at no charge, or for only a partial fee even though they were somewhat beyond the warranty.
One of the things that I already miss on this grill is the lack of at hand storage, i.e. someplace to set your spices, sauces, and spritzers while cooking. If you're searing on the sear burner, and staging, slicing, using an induction burner for sauces or sides (nice to have the rotisserie outlet on the rear of the grill), or doing anything else at all on the opposite side shelf, you have nowhere to stash those aforementioned items. Fortunately for me, the base cabinet of my old Napoleon is still serviceable, and I plan to turn that into a prep station that I can keep right beside the new 665. Incidentally, the fact that my old base cabinet is still useable was another influence on my decision to save the $ and purchase this Napoleon. The cost of an all S/S cart on all of the other grills was a major contributor to the total cost deltas, with cart prices often not far from the cost of the head. IMO, carts were very overpriced in most instances given their simplicity, but since my old cart using powder coated galvanized steel was still serviceable after a dozen years, and the cart materials and finish on the new 665 were basically the same, I had to make that value based decision for the Napoleon.
. Elementi Plus Bianco Optional Accessories (Sold Separately):
