The Napoleon Rogue 425 SIB is a four burner, mid-to-small size gas grill manufactured in Canada. This grill sports three 12,000 BTU burners (for a maximum output of 36,000 BTU) in the main cooking chamber and a 9,000 BTU SIZZLE ZONETM high heat side infrared burner.
The three main burners run from the front to rear of the cooking chamber and use a JETFIRETM ignition system. This system operates by pushing the temperature control valve for that burner in as you turn it on. These main burners are also equipped with a “Cross Light” bracket to ensure that in the event of a failure in one of the JETFIRETM igniters you will still be able to light the burner.
The infrared side burner is lit with a battery operated push button igniter on the main control panel. Both the side table and the SIZZLE ZONETM side burner are equipped with integrated tool hooks and are built to fold down to create a smaller footprint for storage.
Napoleon grills are known for their quality construction. The Rogue 425 SIB is no exception, equipped with a high quality stainless steel burner, sear plates and a 9mm cooking grate. The SIZZLE ZONETM side burner uses a cast iron cooking grate. This infrared side burner is not only used for searing, but it can also be used as you would a regular side burner.
Note: Napoleon Customer Service informs us that when using the side burner as a standard burner be sure not to cover more that 75% of the burner surface so as to prevent overheating.
The body of the Rogue 425 SIB is constructed of porcelain coated steel and comes with a removable condiment caddy which can be mounted on either side of the cabinet.
Item Specs of Napoleon Rogue 425*
- GRILL SIZE: 425 SQ.IN (2742 sq.cm)
- WARMING RACK SIZE: 109 SQ.IN (703 sq.cm)
- Total BTU 45,000
- W: 51ʺ (130 cm) H: 48ʺ (122 cm) D: 25ʺ (64 cm)
- WT: 65lbs
- 15 Year Limited Warranty NAPOLEON
*Specs from napoleon.com
What We Loved About the Napoleon Rogue 425
There’s plenty to love about the Napoleon Rogue 425 SIB, especially at its price point. The material quality and construction for example, are that of a well-built grill. Here’s a few more things we loved about this unit:
The packaging: We know this is an odd thing to love but it’s a fact. The Napoleon’s packaging is robust and well thought out. Some of the best we’ve encountered. This grill arrives in a well-protected compact package.
The fasteners: The entire assembly of the Rogue 425 SIB utilizes the same size hex head machine screw. This is an extremely convenient feature. The process of assembly can be done with one wrench and one flat blade screw driver. Extra fasteners are also included just in case one makes an escape during your build. These spares are even labeled as extras so you’re not wondering if you’ve missed something when having leftovers when you’re done.
The cross light brackets: In addition to the previously stated purpose of these brackets, they also add safety to the JETFIRETM igniting system. With these type of ignition systems, it can be difficult to tell if the burner has actually lit based on location under the sear plate; the cross light bracket ensures the burner will be lit before any excessive buildup of unburned gas can occur. This would be a great feature on all gas grills that utilize the JETFIRETM type ignition system.
The 9mm stainless steel wave cooking grate: We love the stainless steel cooking grate. The lack of any cross bars under the grate make them very easy to clean. Cross bars are generally used on grates that are exposed to extremely high temperatures in order to keep them from warping. The Rogue’s burners do not produce that type of heat, so the cross bars aren’t needed.
Napoleon Rogue 425: What Could Be Improved
The SIZZLE ZONETM side burner: The SIZZLE ZONETM uses a cast iron cooking grate which does do a fantastic job retaining heat from the infrared burner. So much so that it actually may hold a bit too much heat, causing the food that is in contact with the grate to burn. It’s manageable with a bit of practice, but a novice may struggle. A thinner stainless steel grate would be a better match up for the SIZZLE ZONETM and allow the infrared burner to perform its heat output function in a more constant manner.
In addition to the grate, the SIZZLE ZONETM is prone to flare ups with meats that have a higher fat content.
The side shelf and SIZZLE ZONETM side burner of the grill are made to fold down. This gives the unit a smaller footprint when not in use, but when folding down the side burner there is a lot of pressure applied to the gas feed line. So much in fact, that the grommet protecting the gas line where it passes thru the grill cabinet starts to displace.
Note: For safety’s sake, we strongly suggest that if you will be folding the side burner down on a regular basis you inspect the gas feed line to the side burner before each use.
The propane tank stability ring which slips over the top of the propane cylinder collar to keep the cylinder in place as the grill is moved about your patio works, but in all honesty it is a bit flimsy. An additional improvement in this area would be some type of fuel level indicator like those found in similarly priced gas grills.
Temperature consistency was ok, but not great. Though temperatures were consistent from left to right, we found a 50 degree difference in temperature from the front of the grill to the back. The back was hotter than the front.
*Testing of this was performed using the FireBoard electronic thermometer.
Who is the Rogue 425 For
The Napoleon Rogue 425 SIB is for those that want a good looking, high quality compact gas grill at a reasonably affordable price. This grill would make a great addition to any patio or deck and cooks food very well. The Rogue 425 SIB is listed on Napoleon’s website at $999.99 as of August 2019.
Final Thoughts on the Rogue 425
The Napoleon Rogue 425 SIB is a quality grill for the price. The shortcomings are minor compared to the positives. While the Napoleon website seems to lack the depth of other grill companies in terms of available information we found Napoleon Customer Service extremely responsive. Any questions we had were answered immediately via the on-line customer service chat feature.
Prefer a charcoal grill? This cooking system offers an optional charcoal tray for more traditional outdoor cooking. Seriously, check this tray out, it looks very interesting. We were unable to attain this tray, so we can’t attest to its function.
It would be nice if the rotisserie functions were tested on grills for reviews.
Thanks for checking out the review Gaius. When a rotisserie is available, we certainly test and check that function. On this model grill however, there was no rotisserie to review.
-M