Ron, I picked up that tip somewhere this summer, and use it all the time. Especially for searing steaks and stuff like that. I also like to use it for thin pieces of fish, as the cooking grate gets really hot, then I oil the grate with a rag and the fish cooks quick without sticking. And that's my go-to for cooking corn on the cob: no soaking, just dry ears with full husks right on the heat until the outer husk turns black.
My friend adapted the idea by turning his stamped-metal baskets upside down, then putting coals on the bottom of the baskets to sear filet mignons. The baskets are quite a bit taller, so the coals are even closer.