Napoleon PRO22K-CART-2

Our buy button leads to Amazon. The technical details on this page come from the operating manual N415-0445W, whose title page names exactly this model, from two archived Napoleon product pages from 2020 and 2023, from Napoleon’s main catalogue 2023 and from the Amazon catalogue. What we write about the successor comes from its current product page at Napoleon. How the grill compares with the other kettle grills in our data comparison is shown in the kettle grill overview.

Is the PRO22K-CART-2 still available?

Not from Napoleon: when we checked on 1 October 2026, its former product page was no longer publicly reachable. Under ASIN B06ZZVBNR6, Amazon lists exactly this model according to its catalogue, but our catalogue query of 24 September 2026 did not include a price.

Napoleon’s charcoal PRO series now has five grills: PRO18K-LEG-3, PRO22K-LEG-3, PRO22MK-LEG-3, PRO22K-CART-3 and PRO605CSS. The successor with a cart is the PRO22K-CART-3, RRP €449. For it, Napoleon states a main cooking area of 55 cm diameter and a total cooking area of 2,340 cm². According to its product page, new compared with the CART-2 documents are a Vortex heat management system, a chimney, a stainless steel extension ring for the rotisserie, probe doors and modular storage; the grill can also be rotated in the cart so that you can reach all sides. The page also mentions a tool hook; on the CART-2, the holder for it was an accessory, as described below under scope of delivery. The cart of the CART-3 is powder-coated and foldable. The page gives the dimensions as 111 cm high, 161 cm with the lid open, plus 84 cm wide and 75 cm deep.

For the CART-2, Napoleon’s German product page showed an RRP of €429 in October 2020, and the Austrian one showed €499 in December 2023. Both versions now exist only in the web archive.

According to the manual, the manufacturer is Wolf Steel Ltd. in Barrie, Ontario (Canada), and in Europe Wolf Steel Europe BV in Geldermalsen (the Netherlands).

Bowl, grate and cart

Lid and bowl are porcelain-enamelled; Napoleon’s catalogue calls this platinum porcelain, the manual a baked-on enamel finish. The lid opens on a corner hinge, which the 2023 catalogue assigns to the two PRO22K models, the PRO22K-LEG-2 on legs and this CART-2. The 2023 product page describes an offset hinge that gives access to the whole grill when opening. The lid needs room above for this: closed, the grill is 106 cm high, with the lid open 152 cm. An ACCU-PROBE thermometer, part number N685-0011, sits in the lid.

Napoleon calls the cast iron grate the WAVE grate. The German product page from 2020 describes it as porcelain-coated, with the coating protecting against rust; the 2023 page says the grates are seasoned like cast iron frying pans. The parts list breaks it down into a main grate (N305-0080) and a side section (N305-0081). On both sides it has an insert that you fold up to reach the charcoal grate N305-0077 underneath. The air deflector N500-0043 sits in the centre of the grill, and the 2023 product page also mentions a stainless steel heat distributor that spreads the heat and guides spent charcoal to the ash catcher.

Under the bowl hangs the removable ash container N710-0103, which the parts list also lists as a drip pan. It is made of steel; the 2020 page calls it heavy and corrosion-resistant. The ventilation dampers are made of stainless steel.

The cart is open at the bottom. In the catalogue image and in the Amazon photo, a front panel with the NAPOLEON lettering (N475-0288) stands on the left, a shelf (N010-0691P) lies below, and neither image shows a door. On the right, the stainless steel side shelf sticks out, which Napoleon describes as an additional preparation surface. Unfolded, the grill is 114 cm wide, folded 79 cm; the catalogue says 80 cm. The depth is 73 cm. In the assembly step for the side shelf on page 75 of the manual, two magnetic catches (N430-0002) are shown.

The grill moves on two large wheels with a rubberised tread, which the catalogue calls weather-resistant, and two lockable casters; the parts list gives them as Z745-0001 and Z130-0002. Napoleon’s 2023 catalogue gives the weight as 43 kg. Amazon lists 87 pounds, which converts to around 39.5 kg, and dimensions in inches that convert to about 107 x 74 x 114 cm, matching Napoleon’s outer dimensions. According to the product page, the carton weighs 46.71 kg and measures 50.98 x 66.50 x 70.49 cm.

In detail: grate height, air and amount of charcoal

With three grate levels, you have a third lever for the heat at the food, alongside charcoal and air. The radiant heat of the embers decreases with distance. If a piece browns on the outside faster than it cooks inside, a higher grate level helps, meaning more distance from the embers, without you having to rearrange charcoal.

For both cooking methods in the manual, you first open the vents in the lid and bowl fully, remove the lid and grate, and put the emptied ash container back in.

For direct grilling, you use the air deflector or leave it out. With it, temperatures become more even according to the manual, and the charcoal in the centre of the grill burns down more slowly. To light, you place solid firelighter or loosely crumpled newspaper on and around the deflector and pile the charcoal over it in a cone. Or you use a chimney starter; the Ultrachef charcoal grill starter that the manual specifies for this has to be bought separately. Once the lighter is burning completely, you close the lid and wait until a light grey layer of ash covers the charcoal. Then you spread it over the whole charcoal grate, deflector included, using grill tongs with long, heat-resistant handles.

For steaks, we would deviate from this and cover only one half of the charcoal grate densely. You push pieces that are done on the outside onto the empty half, so that they keep cooking without embers directly beneath them. How the two zones work together is explained in our guide to direct and indirect heat.

For indirect cooking, you take out the air deflector, insert a drip pan and place the charcoal to the left and right of it, in charcoal baskets if you like, which the lighting instructions call optional. The parts list, however, lists a charcoal basket N590-0207 as a standard part. Whether a second one for the other side is included cannot be seen from the manual; the assembly step on page 86 shows exactly one.

How much charcoal is given in a table on page 40, without a unit: 50 for direct cooking, 25 per side for indirect, and 8 more per side for each additional hour of cooking time. Because the text on page 43 counts in charcoal briquettes, we read the figures as piece counts. Napoleon treats them as guidelines; in cold and wind you need more.

With the lid closed, the vents are normally fully open according to the manual. More air makes the charcoal burn hotter. You control the temperature by sliding the damper to the left or right; closing it partly or fully cools the charcoal. No Napoleon source gives a damper position or target temperature for long, low-heat cooking, and the vents in bowl and lid are closed completely only when the grill is to cool down or a flame is to go out.

Closed, the grill cooks hotter and more evenly according to the manual, and cooking times fall; fish and vegetables, which need only a short time, may be left on with the lid open. For very lean meat such as chicken breast or lean cuts of pork, you grease the grate before preheating so that nothing sticks. Very fatty meat can flare up. Napoleon then advises trimming fat or lowering the temperature. If it still burns, you take the food away from the flame, close the vents further and leave the lid open.

You add charcoal through the hinged-up inserts, keeping your distance and using long tongs, because fresh air can make the embers flare up suddenly. On the grate itself, Napoleon writes that cast iron stores and spreads heat particularly well. A solid cast iron grate cools less when cold food is placed on it than thin steel bars; in our assessment, this matters mainly for hard searing at the start.

Scope of delivery, accessories and warranty

The parts list on pages 88 and 89 of the manual marks standard parts with x and accessories with ac. Among others, it marks the grate parts, the thermometer, the front panel and lower shelf of the cart and the charcoal basket as standard. It marks the holder for the tool hook (55110) as an accessory, so it is not in the carton.

According to the 2023 product page, the grill comes without a rotisserie, and the carton does not contain a chimney starter either. The 2023 catalogue marks a warming rack as optional; item 71022 fits NK22K-LEG-2, PRO22K-LEG-2 and PRO22K-CART-2 according to the catalogue. The rotisserie set for NK22K and PRO22K is listed there under number 69222. The Austrian product page from December 2023 listed these accessories with RRP: Rotisserie Heavy Duty for Ø 57 cm €185, warming rack for Ø 57 cm €34.95, charcoal baskets €34.95 and the JETFIRE chimney starter €29.95. These are prices from 2023.

Napoleon graduates the warranty by component. Page 38 of the manual gives the porcelain-enamelled lid and bowl 10 years. For air regulation and grates made of porcelain-coated cast iron, Napoleon covers 5 years each in full, for chrome-plated grates, which this grill does not have, 3 years; after that, up to the 10th year, the rule for these three groups is less 50%. That means you get the replacement part in this period at half the regular selling price. All other parts have 2 years. The 2023 catalogue gives only 3 years in full for cast iron grates, the manual 5.

The commitment applies to the original purchaser and only to products bought from an authorised Napoleon dealer. Components that fail in normal domestic use because of a manufacturing defect are replaced. According to the manual, normal domestic use means that a licensed, authorised service technician or contractor installed the appliance following the enclosed installation instructions and all local and national building codes and fire regulations, that it was properly maintained and was not used as a communal facility or commercially. How Napoleon interprets this sentence for a grill that you screw together yourself is something we would ask the dealer about before buying.

Page 38 defines broadly what does not count as a failure. Excluded are signs of wear such as scratches, dents, rust formation, worn paintwork and plating, and discolouration from heat, abrasive or chemical cleaning agents or UV radiation, plus damaged porcelain-enamelled parts, excessive heat generation and flames that go out because of strong wind or insufficient air circulation. Damage from improper use, accident, hail, grease fire, lack of care, adverse environmental influences such as salt or chlorine, modification, negligence or installed parts from other manufacturers does not count either. In practice this means: rust on the cast iron grate is not in itself a warranty case, and chipped enamel on the lid or bowl is not one under this wording either, although both have the longest period. If a part rusts or burns through within the period to the point that you can no longer use it, however, Napoleon provides replacement parts.

Only the replacement component is covered. Napoleon does not cover costs for installation, labour, freight or export duties under this warranty, nor incidental, consequential and indirect damages, and accessories and extra parts are excluded entirely. The warranty applies in addition to the rights you have by law. For a claim you need the purchase contract or a copy of it, plus the serial and model number, and Napoleon may have the product or part inspected beforehand by an agent. Contacts are Napoleon customer service or an authorised Napoleon dealer. Page 47 sends you to the dealer where you bought for spare part and warranty questions, and for a complaint requires the type designation and serial number, the article number and name of the part, a concise description of the problem (defective alone is not enough) and the proof of purchase. Napoleon can make return shipping of the part a condition.

According to page 47, shipping, customs and other fees, assembly work and assembly costs, communication costs for a diagnosis, including remote, discolouration on stainless steel, and damage from inadequate cleaning and maintenance or from unsuitable agents such as oven cleaner and abrasive chemicals are also not grounds for a warranty claim. The warranty expressly does not oblige Napoleon to keep individual parts in stock. Depending on parts availability, Napoleon may instead grant a pro rata credit towards a new product and, after the first year, refund the wholesale price of the part instead of the defective part. For us, this sentence weighs heaviest on the CART-2.

Setting up and lighting according to the manual

The first page of the German section warns about carbon monoxide: burning charcoal releases it, so you must not operate the grill in homes or in garages, tents, vehicles or other enclosed spaces. The same page warns that failing to follow the instructions can lead to fires with serious injury or death, and requires you to read the lighting instructions section before the first lighting.

The general safety list on page 39 is long; we arrange it by topic. Up front, it requires you to read the manual completely before use, never to modify the grill structurally and to follow all instructions carefully when lighting.

The grill is stored only outdoors and well ventilated. Among the enclosed areas where you never use it, the list expressly includes not only buildings and garages but also conservatories and garden gazebos, and it is not intended for installation in caravans, motorhomes or boats. You keep 1.5 m clearance from combustible materials on all sides; Napoleon recommends additional clearance near vinyl cladding or large panes of glass. The surface must be firm, level and non-combustible; balconies or terraces made of wood or other combustible building materials are expressly excluded. The grill is neither set up nor operated under roofs, carports, awnings or eaves, and never under an unprotected combustible structure. A spot sheltered from wind is also needed, because strong wind impairs cooking performance. You keep the ventilation holes, those of the cylinder according to the translation, free of dirt and deposits at all times.

You never light the charcoal with the grill lid closed, and you do not lean over the grill while doing so. Petrol, alcohol and other highly flammable liquids are excluded; the only liquid allowed is firelighter made specially for charcoal. You remove any accumulated lighter fluid in the pan before lighting, and you never pour it on hot or warm charcoal. You close the container after use and keep it at least 8 m from the grill during lighting and operation. The overview on page 46 gives 7.6 m for this, which corresponds to the 25 feet of the English original; go with the larger figure. Liquid lighter is not recommended in any case: page 41 calls it difficult to handle, and if it has not burned off completely before grilling, it can give the food a chemical taste. For the chimney starter, the same page has its own block of rules, which you read before first use.

You keep children and pets away from the hot grill; the same sentence forbids letting children climb into the cabinet, which this cart does not have at all (more on this in the questions above). You never leave the grill unattended in operation and do not move it while it is hot or in use. During the preheating time, the lid stays closed. The ash and grease catcher is already in place when you light and stays inserted during operation, and you clean it regularly because grease build-up can lead to grease fires. Grill tongs and other utensils are long-handled and non-combustible, and when grilling and when adjusting the vents you wear grill gloves or heat- and fire-resistant oven mitts. Lighters, matches and other combustible materials do not belong on the side shelves.

You control flare-ups by closing the vents slightly. If you want to extinguish the embers completely, you close all vents and the lid fully according to pages 39 and 44. You never use water to put out flames or burning charcoal in the grill, because it can damage the finish. After grilling, you do not leave charcoal and ash unattended in the grill, and according to page 44 you should only touch it once it has cooled completely. The ash comes out only once the charcoal has burned out completely and cooled down, and the grill takes a long time for that. You shovel it with a metal spatula or metal shovel into a non-combustible metal container, soak it completely with water there and leave the container for at least 24 hours before charcoal and ash go in the bin. A note under Californian law completes the list: burning charcoal produces substances that are listed there as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction, so you ensure sufficient ventilation when grilling.

Cleaning and grate care according to the manual

According to page 44, you empty the ash container and grease catcher after every use. You avoid maintenance on a hot appliance and unprotected contact with hot surfaces, and you wear gloves and safety glasses when cleaning. You use neither a pressure washer on the appliance or its parts nor oven cleaner, and grates or other parts do not belong in a self-cleaning oven. Clean in a place where the cleaning solution cannot damage the balcony, lawn or terrace. Barbecue sauce and salt are corrosive and quickly attack the grill and components if you do not clean regularly.

You clean the grate and warming surface best while preheating with a soft brass wire brush; for stubborn stains, the manual allows steel wool. For the inside, you take out the grates, brush loose dirt off the grill head and the inside of the lid with a brass brush, scrape the bowl out with a spatula or scraper, remove ash with a wire brush and sweep everything into the removable catcher. If you like, you wash the inside again with mild detergent and water, rinse thoroughly with clear water and wipe dry.

You pull the drip pan out to clean it. You do not put foil, sand or other materials in it, because they can impede grease drainage. It too is scraped out, you catch loosened grease and dirt in a non-combustible metal container, and washing, rinsing and wiping dry follow as for the bowl.

On the outside, you never treat painted, porcelain and stainless steel parts with abrasives. Handle the porcelain enamel with particular care: the coating is like glass and chips easily when struck. You clean the outer surfaces best lukewarm with warm soapy water, stainless steel with a suitable or non-abrasive cleaner and always along the grain, never with steel wool, because it leaves scratch marks. Under heat, stainless steel turns golden or brown; according to the manual this is normal and does not affect performance. The heading of this section in the German manual speaks of a gas grill, a translation error.

You wash the cast iron grate by hand with mild washing-up liquid before first use to remove production residues, never in the dishwasher. Then you rinse it with hot water and dry it with a soft cloth so that no moisture gets into the cast iron. To season, you spread vegetable fat over the whole grate with a soft cloth, including grooves and corners; you do not use salted fats such as butter or margarine. Then you preheat the grill for 15 minutes, put the greased grates in, leave them in the grill for 30 minutes and then let them cool. You repeat this a few times per grilling season; it is not necessary in daily use. There, you cover the grate surface with vegetable fat before preheating, preheat and then brush off residues with the brass wire brush. According to Napoleon’s description, regular seasoning creates a protective layer that reduces corrosion and sticking.

What Napoleon does not state about the PRO22K-CART-2

None of the Napoleon sources we evaluated contains:

• a maximum temperature or an achievable temperature range
• scale and measuring range of the ACCU-PROBE thermometer
• the sheet thickness of bowl and lid
• the material of the frame, front panel and lower shelf; stainless steel is documented only for the side shelf, and according to Napoleon only the cart of the CART-3 is powder-coated
• dimensions and load capacity of the two shelves
• the distances between the three grate levels in centimetres
• the capacity of the ash container
• an assembly time
• a charcoal consumption in grams or kilograms
• country of manufacture and year of market launch; documented are only the issue note JUL 13.18 in the manual and the oldest archived German product page from 30 October 2020
• whether third-party accessories or CART-3 accessories such as the Vortex system and extension ring fit
• a cast plate with an article number for this model
• whether spare parts can still be ordered for the discontinued model

It also remains open whether the stainless steel heat distributor on the product page and the air deflector N500-0043 in the parts list are the same component.

Three alternatives: NK22K-LEG-2 and two Webers

The prices come from our data sheets for the linked grills. For the CART-2, it is the value from our price box; for the Amazon catalogue, see the model status section above. The scores are editorial assessments based on manufacturer and catalogue data, not measurement results, and the 9.2 for the CART-2 still comes from the earlier version of this page.

Who the PRO22K-CART-2 suits and who it does not

According to the Napoleon catalogue, the grate is enough for up to 12 people. If you already have a work surface at your grilling spot, with the CART-2 you pay for a cart you do not need. The Napoleon NK22K-LEG-2 costs approx. €373 according to the data sheet, €176 less than the CART-2. Watch the model, though: behind the buy button of that review is, according to the Amazon catalogue, the NK22K-LEG-2 with a chrome-plated steel grate, not the PRO22K-LEG-2 with a cast iron grate.

If you want to grill with Weber inserts for the Gourmet BBQ System, the two Weber Master-Touch grills in our comparison are the better choice, as no such insert system is documented for the CART-2. The Weber Master-Touch GBS E-5750 costs approx. €329 according to the data sheet, €220 less than the CART-2, and stands on three legs without a side shelf in the Amazon photo. Behind our review of the Weber Master-Touch GBS Premium E-5770, Amazon lists, according to its catalogue, model 14501001, without the Premium suffix in the title. According to Amazon it has a tool hook and two rubberised wheels of 20.3 cm, and according to the data sheet it is at approx. €399, €150 below the CART-2.

In our assessment, the CART-2 is rarely suitable for a balcony. The manual rules out wood as a surface, as well as the roofing listed above under setting up, and on all sides you need the clearance from combustibles from the safety list. What is allowed on balconies is covered in our guide to grilling on a balcony, and the grill finder suggests devices for your space.

With the cover (RRP 2023: €74.95) and the JETFIRE chimney starter, you end up at around €654, calculated with the grill price from the table and the 2023 accessory RRPs.