Cooking barbecue in a gas grill could cause uneven heat distribution that can also burn your meat outside and uncooked inside. Are you thinking of using lava rocks to upgrade your grilling experience? We have the answers for you!
Lava rocks have been used for gas grills for a long time before new technology in grilling came out. You can use lava rocks in a gas grill to retain, reflect, and provide an even distribution of heat. These rocks from a volcano's lava can help maintain the temperature for a long duration.
Would you like to know how to use lava rocks to grill your meat, fish, and veggies? What gas can you use with lava rocks? Are they safe to use in cooking food? We have researched these topics and put all the answers in this article for your reading pleasure.
Can you Use Landscape Lava Rocks In Gas Grill?
Lava rock is ideal in indoor and outdoor natural gas firepits because of its natural temperature regulator. Lava rocks reflect and retain heat which is best for cooking. However, these rocks flare up and are hard to clean, so you need to check with your grill manufacturer if the lava rocks can void its warranty.
How To Use Lava Rocks In A Gas Grill
If you decide to use lava rocks in a gas grill, follow these easy steps:
- Open the grill's lid and remove the cooking grate.
- Layer the lava rocks evenly over the propane burners. Ensure the edges of lava rocks touch each other to spread the fire.
- Put back the cooking grate.
- Turn on the gas grill and ignite, close the lid and preheat for about 10 minutes.
- Place the food on the cooking grill and start grilling according to the recipe's time.
- After cooking, let the burners burn off the spilled grease and food on the lava rocks for 10 minutes. This process will help to clean the lava rocks for future use.
- Remove the grate and turn the rocks after cooling. Replace the lava rocks for the next session if they crumble or accumulate a grease odor that won't fade away through heating.
- Clean the grates using a grill brush after cooking.
Watch the video to learn how to cook using lava rocks.
Why Do Gas Grills No Longer Use lava Rocks For Cooking?
In the past, gas grills often used lava rocks by default. However, this changed over time as manufacturers use the latest technology. Here are the reasons why manufacturers replaced lava rocks in gas grills:
Food Hygiene
Lava rocks are porous and come from volcanic eruptions. Since these rocks are porous, the drippings of oil, grease, and food remain on the rocks. Lava rocks absorb these drippings and may cause the building up of harmful bacteria if you don't clean the grills and the lava rocks well.
If you use the uncleaned lava rocks and the smoke they create touches your food, contamination may arise and that is a health risk. You should replace the lava rocks if they accumulate too much oil and grease.
Excess Smoke
Too much grease and oil on lava rocks and around the gas grill will result in excessive smoke. Charred food has carcinogens, and extreme charring of food may increase the threat to health. Cleaning the grill and regularly replacing the rocks may reduce the health risk.
Why Use Lava Rocks In Gas Grills?
While manufacturers have moved away from including lava rocks, here are the reasons why lava rocks are still great for gas grills:
- Lava rocks preserve temperatures longer than charcoal and retain heat.
- You can reuse the lava rocks in grilling multiple times. You need to clean them after use through heating and wash them with water. Let them dry before using them again for the next grilling session.
- Oil and grease drip on the grill surface. Lava rocks absorb fats, which prevent unwanted combustion.
What Type Of Gas Should You Use Lava Rocks On?
Aside from natural gas, propane gas is also ideal to use because it emits too much heat. Lava rock will equally distribute the heat propane gas produced. The question is, can you use propane gas in a natural gas grill? The answer is yes if the manufacturer stated that the grill could hold propane. Refer to your manufacturer's user manual for further instructions.
Can You Use Pumice Stones In Cleaning A Gas Grill?
Grease, oil, and charred food scraps make the grill untidy and dirty. Cleaning such a dirty grill could even lose your appetite even before cooking. The good news is there is an easy way to clean the gas grill. You can use a pumice stone to clean the gas grill. Here are the steps on how to clean a gas grill using a pumice stone:
- Use a wire brush to brush the grill, removing all excess dirt.
- Grab a pumice stone and wet it. if the stone doesn't have a handle, wrap the tip using a rag or cloth for easy grip.
- Thoroughly rub the grill with the pumice stone using gentle pressure. You will notice that the pumice will slowly wear away as you rub the grills because this stone is soft.
- Clean the area with a soft cloth to remove the dirt. Continue rubbing again using the pumice until you have removed the grimes.
- Clean the lava rock separately. Heat it first, then let it cool before washing it with soap and water.
How Long Do Lava Rocks Last?
Lava rocks will last from 1 to 2 years of constant use. Although if you use them for grilling, it is best to change them yearly, as long as you clean the stones regularly to avoid food contamination.
Can Lava Rocks Explode While Cooking?
The water gets trapped inside the lava rock. If you leave the lava rocks wet and use them immediately using extreme heat, the water expansion could break open and makes the lava rock explode.
Ensure to heat the rocks with low fire to dry them before using them in grilling. Also, be sure to use cured lava rocks and get them from a legit supplier.
Are Lava Rocks Toxic?
Fresh lava rocks are poisonous if uncleaned, cured, and not yet weathered. Ensure that you buy lava rocks from an aquatic dealer or legitimate manufacturer.
What Are The Best Lava Rocks For Gas Grill?
Listed below are some of our recommended lava rocks brands:
Skyflame Natural Stones Lava
Skyflame lava stones are ideal for BBQ grilling, landscaping, fire pit, and more. These stones are perfect for indoor and outdoor use; improving the gas dispersion in all directions.
Click here to check Skyflame on Amazon.
American Fireglass Medium Lava Rocks
You can use this product in landscaping your garden or pathway to add aesthetics to your home. You can also use Medium Lava Rocks in aquariums, a fireplace, a fire pit, and gas grills for cooking barbecue.
Click here to check medium lava rocks on Amazon.
The Fryoilsaver Company Lava Rocks
You can use these lava rocks in gas grills to evenly help distribute heat and provide your food with the perfect grill. The fat drips get soaked in the lava rocks, which avoids control flare-ups. Best use in BBQ grills and charbroilers.
Check with the manufacturer's user manual if your grill or charbroiler is compatible with lava rocks before buying.
Click here to check The Fryoilsaver Company on Amazon.
Mr. Bar-B-Q Natural Lava Rocks
Mr. Bar-B-Q is ideal for gas grill charbroilers. It reduces flare-ups and provides even distribution to perfectly grill your food. You can also use this product in gas fire pits.
Click here to check natural lava rocks on Amazon.
Venetian Princess Lava Rocks
Aside from landscaping, Venetian Princess Lava Rocks is also perfect for gas fire pits and fireplaces. You can also cook food in BBQ grills and charbroilers using this product.
Click here to check Venetian Princess on Amazon.
Summary
In this article, we discussed you could use landscape lava rocks and how to use them in a gas grill. We also mentioned other important topics for future reference.
If you have any questions regarding this topic or you have suggestions, feel free to leave a comment below. You may also read these posts for other helpful topics about landscaping:
22 Ideas For Landscaping With Moss Rocks [Inspirational Picture List]