Benefits of Lava Rock

The rock over the flame heats up and radiates heat to the rocks around it. This infrared heat cooks your food evenly, limiting hot/cold spots.

Natural lava rock retains heat much longer than metal plates. This is an advantage on cold or windy days, where flames can get whipped around and heat quickly escapes when the grill is opened.

Super-heated rocks vaporize drippings creating smoke to add grilling flavor. Metal plates can perform only a sad imitation of this process as most of the juices run off and end up in your grease tray.