I still remember the first time I cooked yakitori over binchotan at a small izakaya in Tokyo. The grill hissed, the chicken skin crisped instantly, and there was almost no smoke drifting up toward my eyes. That evening rewired how I thought about charcoal, and it pushed me to spend the last three months testing … Read more
I’ve grilled my way through hundreds of skewers over the past three years, both behind our sushi bar counter and at home on weekends. Finding the best yakitori skewers changed everything for me. Yakitori, the iconic Japanese grilled chicken skewer served at every izakaya from Tokyo to your local neighborhood pub, lives or dies by … Read more
I have grilled on every type of skewer you can imagine over the past decade, from dollar-store bamboo sticks to professional-grade metal blades. After burning through countless packs of wooden skewers that charred, snapped, and left splinters in my chicken, I made the switch to stainless steel and never looked back. The difference in cooking … Read more
I tested eight of the most popular charcoal chimney starters over a three-month grilling season, lighting more than 60 batches of briquettes in the process. The best charcoal chimney starters share three things: they light coals fast, they survive repeated heat cycles without warping, and they keep your hands safe while you pour. After dozens … Read more
There’s something special about gathering around a small charcoal grill, the smell of binchotan smoke drifting up, and skewers sizzling inches from your face. That’s the magic of a robata grill. I first encountered proper robatayaki at a tiny counter in Osaka years ago, and I have been chasing that high-heat, clean-flavored experience at home … Read more
After spending three months comparing eight diatomite grills in our test kitchen and on weekend cookouts, I can tell you the best diatomite grills deliver something no standard gas grill can match. They reach searing temperatures above 1000 degrees F, hold that heat through thick cuts of wagyu, and produce the kind of smoky char … Read more
Last summer I hauled a 60-pound full-sized kettle to a campsite and spent 20 minutes wrestling it out of the trunk. That weekend made me a convert to the best tabletop charcoal grills, and after our team spent 90 days testing eight of them on patios, tailgates, and a Pacific Northwest beach, I’m never going … Read more
When I first set up my konro grill three years ago, I burned through two nets in six months before I learned what actually separates a great replacement from a disposable one. After testing dozens of options on our restaurant’s binchotan-fired grills, I know exactly which nets hold up to nightly service and which ones … Read more
I still remember the first time I tasted real yakitori in a six-seat Tokyo alley. The chef worked a single Konro grill with surgical precision, turning skewers over glowing binchotan while waving a paper fan. That smoky, almost sweet aroma is what every home cook chases when buying the best Japanese BBQ tools. Japanese BBQ … Read more
There is something deeply satisfying about cooking over an open flame when you are miles away from a kitchen. That is the magic I chase every time I pack a small Japanese charcoal grill for a camping trip. A compact konro or hibachi turns a patch of dirt into a tabletop yakitori bar in minutes, … Read more