Ignoramus11443 wrote:

I thought to just buy some thicker steel, or stainless, rod and weld
it together. The question is what is the recommended material.

In wood burning stoves, cast iron grates out last steel. I don't know if they still exist
but years ago, you would stop at a road side rest and find a cast iron grill for cooking
at many stops. The cooking grate in those was cast iron. They must have known something.

Wes