new bbq; but no grate for lava rocks

19 years ago

I recently bought a new bbq from home depot and it doesnt have a bottom grate for the lava rocks or ceramic briquets like my old bbq. all it has is a piece of ventillated sheet metal that is bent up like a tent that covers the burner. the guy at hd said I don't need the lava rocks/ceramic bricks with this kind, and I can just go ahead and cook without it as it is not supposed to use them.

well, i did that last night and all i got was the black soot covering my veggies from the propane smoke/flame.

is this the way how this bbq is supposed to be set up, am i suppposed to cook without lava rocks?

Can i put in lava rocks if I wanted to? (i'd have to get a bottom grate to hold the rocks from actually sitting on the burner and on the bbq pit itself.)

i am not used to cooking this way and i don't see how you could get that bbq flavour/scent with just a propane flame.

Featured Answer

Daniel Schwarzhoff

10 years ago

last modified: 10 years ago

If you want to have flavor BBQing on a propane grill then you WANT flare up! "Flare up" encourages char and char add flavor to meat.

Control freaks who decided no one should have "flare" ( Too dangerous, right?) have ruined outdoor cooking for everyone else. Who has been put in charge of marketing for these companies? Little girls?

("Rock don't add flavor" Good Lord. Of course, rocks don't add flavor. It's what happens when melting fat hits hot rocks that adds flavor)

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Comments (12)

msmarion
19 years ago
I've asked the same question several times to the salesperson at the "outdoor kitchen" stores. They tell me that lava rock really doesn't flavor the food it's just our imagination. Ya right.
jono123
19 years ago
You should not use lava rocks in your grill if it is not designed for it. It will not help and will most likely mess up the air flow and drippings diversion system that was designed into your grill.

BBQ flavor comes from wood smoke. You cannot get it from lava rocks or from a gas flame which brings heat but no extra flavor to the party. Lava rocks are only there to disperse heat so that it is more even and reduce flare-ups. In general, lava rocks are surpassed in their function by what you call "tents." The tents do a better job of diverting drippings away from the flames and therefore, produce less flare ups than lava rocks. The majority of modern grills use "tents" though I have seen some that still use lava rocks. Adding rocks will not do any good and will more likely cause problems or reduce the efficiency of your grill.

As for your veggies, since propane does not create soot and adds no flavor to your meal other than what the heat brings (a good sear when done properly) I am taking a guess here that perhaps you did not burn off the coat of oil that the factory puts on your grill. Oil will most certainly (I speak from experience) create an off taste to your food.

If you have burned in your grill, there should be no soot taste. If you have not burned in your grill, and even if you have, go out and burn it in now. Burn it on med-high with the top down until you see no visible smoke coming out of if and no odor (lower the burners if temperature climbs much past 500). It should be about 45min to an hour.
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texascableguy4u_msn_com
15 years ago
We are looking too and YES the Lava Rocks give the BBQ flavor we want!!! Take a look at the High Dollar Rest. Equipment and Grills...... up to $4,000. or more... they are gas WITH LAVA ROCKS!!!!!
jcgriller
15 years ago
It's not the lava rocks themselves that produces the addtional flavor, it's the fact that the cumulative drippings end up on the lava rocks so when you cook, you get that addtional flavor, just like a seasoned dutch oven is so much better than a new one. If you think propane doesn't have flavor, you have desensitized taste buds. After a few uses, the lava rocks act like a seasoned dutch oven, masking the propane flavor.
meester_66_yahoo_com
15 years ago
My old grill was on its last legs, 12 years old. So When I went to shop for a new one, all the new ones are chinese and nixed the lava rocks. I tried the new ones, it was like cooking with a propane torch. Luckily I saved the old one, bought new replacement parts and The Lava Rocks are the trick. Seems they store heat with the flame off for searing, and in case you run out of gas, & also Moderate heat changes. The best part is the evaporation of greases for that great grill taste. They just wanted to save shipping weight from China, and everyone fell for it-except me!
bonadea99_hotmail_com
15 years ago
Same problem here. I can't stand the new ones. I just wrote one of the companies to complain.
vanole
15 years ago
If you are looking for lava rock take a look at the Broilmaster line.
lindac92
10 years ago
Weber....made in the USA Weber uses "flavor bars"...not lava rocks. For my money Weber makes the best grills and know what they are doing.
Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
We have a newer grill with infrared. Brand is Blaze. To get that good smoky flavor, we use the traeger smoker. Sad that you have to own two methods of cooking outside. Our Traeger is a pellet smoker, so you do get that good wood flavor, but we use it for slow cooking. Steaks must go on the other grill. Nope! It doesn't have lava rocks. Our previous one did, was built in, and was far superior to the new one here at this house.

Sometimes I just want a regular charcoal grill. Even a hibachi

I remember at our other house where we did have lava rocks, I would soak wood chips, wrap them in heavy duty foil, poke small holes in the foil, and they would release a lot of smoke. I forgot about that trick. Might try it on our Blaze tonight.
barryv_gw
10 years ago
If you want a smoke flavor, try A-MAZE-N products or something similar.http://www.amazenproducts.com/ The A-MAZE-N products hold pellets, or wood dust, you light it and put it under the grates, and it will produce lots of smoke. I have the tube smoker and it works quite well. Other options include wood chips or chunks wrapped in foil.
Michael Schalk
9 years ago
Has anyone removed the Tru-Infrared panel and had someone make a rock grate to replace it with the Lava Rock? I hate this grill I bought - I may as well cook the steak in the oven - it tastes about the same! I want the flames that my old one from Builders Square gave me. THAT is what grilling is all about!

new bbq; but no grate for lava rocks

Daniel Schwarzhoff

Comments (12)

msmarion

jono123

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