Regency vs. Napoleon, who's the winner

[seabast]

Hi All,

We are about to change our stove and I'm split between both. For the ones who had a chance to use both newer model, what did you like or not? How the customer service when you had to use it?

Thanks in advance,
Seabast

[Fisherman]

Pretty sure Napoleons are made just north of Barrie, if you ever need help it's not far to go.

[terrym]

They are. I bought my BBQ right from the plant and 15yrs later when it needed a new burner went right back and was good to go in minutes. I will never buy anything but Napolean BBQ's.

[jaycee]

Broil King -- BBQ's rated best , built in Waterloo Ontario, parts readily available, they last and last, housings are heavy aluminum castings and that is why they hold the heat well.

There is a store in London Ont. that sells Broil King, Napolean , and Webber, he also does and teaches cooking on BBQ,s when he does his demo,s and teaching , it,s always on a Broil King.

[73hunter]

I think Seabast is asking about wood stoves....

[smitty55]

I think Seabast is asking about wood stoves....

That was my first thought as well.

[jaycee]

I think Seabast is asking about wood stoves....

Well, that clears it up.

[benjhind]

I have had a Regency for 5 winters now.

I love this stove. It burns hot and efficiently. I have a tiny 5" flue and I've never had creosote issues. I sweep every spring.

I use the stove for 100% of my heat unless I'm going to be away for a couple of days. I also cook on it, especially things like boiling chicken carcasses where you want to cook for a long time.

Mine has a couple of options.
1 - Ash Drawer. With this option, you can pull up a cast iron plug (replacing a fire brick) and shuffle the ash through the floor of the stove down into a drawer below. This option is completely useless. Just shovel it out the door and save messing with the plug and drawer.

2 - Blower. This is a fan on the back that has settings for On/Off/Auto and Low/High. We used it for a few years and then it developed an audible rattle/vibration. Convection seems to move the air just fine without it, so why bother. It also has a fairly short cord, most of us don't have an outlet right next to our wood stove.

3 - Airmate. This is a metal heatsink that goes on top of the stove. The blower forces air between the fins to try and maximize the amount of heat it moves. It takes away a bit of your cooking surface, but I have no problems getting a big pot in front of it. In fact, with a hot fire on everything boils over when placed on the top of the stove so if I'm simmering chicken bones they will go on the airmate if the fire is hot. In future I'd take it or leave it.

In all, I'm very happy with my stove but all the extras aren't worth the money. I think at the time most of them were offered free as a promotion.


As for BBQ's - I'm not sure where Jaycee got his Broil King but he can have mine! Hot spots like crazy and rusted out in a few years. Igniter lasts a month if you're lucky. Try to buy new grates and burners and you will realize you can get a brand new BBQ for cheaper!

[Fisherman]

As for BBQ's - I'm not sure where Jaycee got his Broil King but he can have mine! Hot spots like crazy and rusted out in a few years. Igniter lasts a month if you're lucky. Try to buy new grates and burners and you will realize you can get a brand new BBQ for cheaper!

I was told there are two versions of the Broil King, the ones sold in the big box stores are the cheap ones that don't last long. We got ours from TA appliance about 12 years ago, had to change the cast grills, were shipped directly from the warehouse around London, ON.

[smitty55]

1 - Ash Drawer. With this option, you can pull up a cast iron plug (replacing a fire brick) and shuffle the ash through the floor of the stove down into a drawer below. This option is completely useless. Just shovel it out the door and save messing with the plug and drawer.

To each their own I guess. I have a smaller Napoleon that sits in my living room that is rated for 1500 sq.ft. Being small I barely get two days of burning before the ash layer builds up enough to affect the burning as it's not a big firebox. It has an ash drawer that I find very handy. I scrape the live coals over to one side and then the ashes go down the hole into the drawer. When full I slide it out, unfold the cover over it and carry it outside to dump in my steel can. I tried using a pail before and no matter how slow and careful there is always a puff of ashes that goes into the air as I dump it in the can. With the ash drawer I get none of that, the room stays much cleaner and wifey is happier.

Cheers