Lava rocks have fallen out of favor because they did just what they
were advertised to do - smoke your food by heating fat droppings to a
very high temperature which then smoked. That helped flavor the food,
but some believe heating meat fat until it smokes creates cancer
causing molecules that end up in you. I don't know how much of a
problem that really is, but it is why you don't see many lava rocks in
grills these days.

no different than smoke from those bars.

I have my moms old gas grill with lava rocks, i have taken it apart and put many of the parts in my self cleaning oven on a short cleaning cycle, even the lava rocks.

my old gas grill bought early 80s works far better than new ones sold today. i am thinking of getting a old friend with a machineshop to make me a forever burner for it.

stanless comes in both magnetic, it rusts, and NON magnetic THAT NEVER RUSTS.

most gas grills made today are magneticstainless, they still rust but calling it stainless creates sales

i have replaced the burner perhaps 20 or more times over the years