Jer

Can all gas BBQ's use lava rocks? I just bought a gas BBQ from b&Q and am not very impressed with it. It does not get as hot as my old charcoal one and the food tasted like it had come out an oven with no burnt bits.
The one I have has two plates over the burners. It has two big holes in the bottom of the base so looks like you could not put rocks in it. Any advice for a gas BBQ virgin.

Coffin Dodger

Should have a grate over the burners that you can put the lava rock on.

IMO the lava rock or something similar (ceramic blocks etc.) is essential to getting the barbecue flavour. It's the fat dripping off whatever you are cooking that creates smoke when it hits the hot rocks giving you the nice smoky barbecue taste.

Of course charcoal is still king

David Lock

Does it have a lid that comes down and covers the lot?

If so it probably has a crude thermometer on the outside and that will show you it can get pretty hot in there! In fact I "bake" most things first with the lid down (place food on higher grill) which actually cooks them thoroughly and then lift lid and place on main grills which browns them and you can tip what sauces you like over the goodies for flavour and that special "burnt appeal"

Wish

iTrader: (2)

I bought the same one from B and Q a year or so ago. And sold it on ebay for a fraction of the price.

It was rubbish ! Like you say wouldnt get that hot and as soon as the lid was opened to cook, it got even cooler. It too had no laver rocks so might as well pulled it out the oven.

Cant remeber the name of it now, but it had a green top and wooden trolly

OllyK

If you take the innards out of it, you should be able to use charcoal instead, problem solved

mightyyid

The plates over the burners are the flamer tamers. Having lived in Australia, and bought back one from there, and having tried both lava rocks and flamer tamers, I'd go with the latter. Lava rocks are great but every BBQ needs to be seasoned to start with and then used. On the grills (not the flat bed), you need a few BBQ's to get the flamers seasoned up and for the fat to drip onto the flamers, thus causing the flare ups which will help create the taste. Same as lava rocks do - they just do it a different way. Lava rocks should be replaced about every year or so otherwise they lose their effectiveness (I have found anyway) which is why I went with the flamer route.

Remember to sear the meat first on the flat bed if you can to seal in flavour and juice, then transfer to the grills for the slow cooking.

Charcoal is good but I have never noticed the difference between the tastes and would say a gas BBQ is always the way to go - and instantly usable...

SJ_Skyline

Good to see the charcoal v gas debate still burning away

LG John

Charcoal vs Gas
Evo vs Scooby
Renting vs Buying
John Smeaton vs Chuck Norris
Britain vs Terrorists

...god I love scoobynet