Product · Napoleon
Napoleon NK18: 44.5 cm kettle with hinged grids
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The Napoleon NK18 is a smaller kettle for couples, small households and compact gardens where a 57 cm grill would be overkill. Its standout is the hinged stainless steel cooking grid: sections lift so you can add charcoal, top up a water pan or drop in smoking wood without clearing the food off first, a feature many larger kettles lack.
- Type
- Kettle
- Grill size
- 44.5 cm, 240 sq in
- Weight
- 9.07 kg
- Ash handling
- Ash bucket, separate from lower vents
- Vents
- Hidden top vent, bottom air inlets, gauge
In its favour
- Hinged stainless steel grids let you add charcoal, wood or water pans easily.
- Top vents are hidden under the Stay Cool handle, protecting them from gusts and rain.
- Bottom air inlets work separately from the ash bucket for finer control.
Good to know
- A 44.5 cm grid is smaller than a 57 cm kettle and suits fewer people.
- Light at 9.07 kg, so it is more easily knocked by children or pets.
Our take
Heat and airflow as Napoleon describes it
The listing makes several claims about airflow. A conical Vortex Heat Management System is said to improve convection for searing and smoking, raise fuel efficiency and steer ash into the bucket. The top vent is hidden under the Stay Cool handle, which Napoleon says shields food from gusts and rain while still allowing precise control.
At the bottom, the air inlets are separated from the ash bucket, so emptying ash does not disturb the vent setting. A built-in temperature gauge sits in the lid.
Grid size and what it means
The cooking grid is 44.5 cm across, which Napoleon gives as 240 sq in. In practice that is a meal for two to four people rather than a garden party. If you regularly feed six or more, a 57 cm kettle will be less frustrating.
The porcelain-enamelled lid and bowl are meant to resist weather and hold heat, and the spec sheet notes a chrome-plated grid in its highlights alongside the stainless description in the bullets, so check which you receive if that matters to you.
Weight, legs and stability
Amazon lists the NK18 at 9.07 kg and roughly 62 x 53 x 98 cm. That is easy to move and store, though a light grill is also easier for a dog or a child to knock. The features list includes a locking caster, which helps keep it put on a patio. Assembly is required.
Next to the Weber and Oklahoma Joe's kettles
The Weber Original Kettle 57 cm offers a much bigger grate and One-Touch ash cleaning but a single fixed grate. The Oklahoma Joe's Blackjack has a 382 sq in grate, a hinged lid and a side shelf, at 29.5 kg. The NK18 is the lightest and most compact of the three, with the most refuelling-friendly grid for its size.
Verdict
Choose the Napoleon NK18 if you cook for a small household, want hinged grids for smoking and refuelling, and value a light grill that stores easily. Anyone cooking for six or more should go for the Weber Original Kettle 57 cm, and if you want shelf space attached, the Oklahoma Joe's Blackjack is the roomier alternative.
Compared with alternatives in: Best charcoal BBQs for UK gardens
Amazon listing title: Napoleon NK18 Premium Charcoal Kettle Grill, Black, Porcelain-Enameled Lid