"scribe" > wrote in message
...
> We've been shopping to replace our old Fiesta barbecue, and find that
> every new model we've seen does not come with -- and appears to be
> designed to work without -- those lava rocks that used to be standard
> in these things.
>
> What's going on? Has barbecuing changed? Are new barbecues no longer
> equipped with those flavor-absorbing things? Are lava rocks now
> obsolete?
>
> What's the best barbecue on the (Canadian) market now?

Turns out, lava rock is not needed. There was a shift to a ceramic square
thing that worked, then Weber started using what they call "flavorizer bars"
over the burners. I don't know how they stand cost wise, but they are more
controllable and consistent than rocks.

The one big problem with lava rocks is the absorption of grease. It would
build up and after a couple of uses, you'd have a great big grease fire.
The metal eliminates most of that. To perform properly, the rocks had to be
pre-heated quite a bit and most people did not do that.

For good grills, go to http://www.napoleongrills.com/ and
http://www.myownbbq.com/ Both brands offer a lot of features.