Best Charcoal for Yakitori and Konro Grills, and How to Set Up the Fire

Published 2026-10-18 · CV. ABRA

Binchotan white charcoal glowing in a ceramic konro grill

The best charcoal for yakitori is binchotan. On a konro the skewers rest only a few centimetres above the coals, so the fuel has to give steady heat with almost no smoke, flame or smell, and binchotan does that better than any other charcoal. Ogatan, pressed from sawdust, is the common lower-cost alternative. Lump charcoal and briquettes work, but they flare, smoke and burn down quickly at that distance.

What makes yakitori different

Most barbecue cooks food on a grate well above the fire. Yakitori skewers sit on the rims of a narrow trough, close to a dense bed of coals, and are turned by hand every minute or so. Three things follow from that:

Smoke from the fuel goes straight into the chicken. Charcoal with a lot of volatile matter makes the meat taste of smoke rather than of chicken and tare.
Flame burns skin and sauce. Fat dripping onto the coals will always flare a little; fuel that flames on its own makes it much worse.
Heat has to be even along the whole trough. A service runs for hours, and the cook moves skewers to hotter or cooler spots rather than adjusting a knob.

Charcoal options compared for yakitori

	Binchotan	Ogatan	Lump charcoal	Briquettes
Smoke and smell	Very little	Little	Noticeable	Noticeable, from binders
Flame	Almost none	Little	Flares while burning in	Some
Heat over a service	Steady for hours	Steady	Drops quickly	Moderate
Lighting	Slow	Slow	Fast	Medium
Cost	Highest	Middle	Low	Lowest
Verdict for yakitori	Best	Good budget option	Home use only	Avoid

More detail on each fuel is in binchotan vs ogatan vs lump charcoal.

Which binchotan size for which grill

Binchotan is sold by stick length. Match it to the inside of your grill:

Small tabletop konro and shichirin: short sticks, our size S (5–10 cm), which sit low in a shallow fire box.
Standard yakitori konro: size M (10–20 cm) sticks laid across or along the trough.
Long restaurant konro and robata: size L (20–27 cm) sticks laid along the trough, which keep an even bed with fewer pieces.

Split sticks pack flatter than round ones and help build a low, even bed. Many kitchens keep a mix.

What is a konro grill?

A konro is a long, narrow Japanese charcoal grill. Traditional ones are carved or moulded from diatomaceous earth, a light, porous material that insulates very well, so the outside stays cooler and the heat goes up towards the food. Skewers rest directly on the rims, sometimes on metal bars; there is usually no grate. A small vent at the front lets you control the air.

Konro or hibachi? In Japan a hibachi was a heater rather than a cooking grill. Outside Japan the word is used for small charcoal grills, often round and made of cast iron or ceramic, and in the United States also for teppanyaki-style flat-top cooking. A konro is the grill built for skewers.

How to set up a konro for yakitori

Light the binchotan in a chimney starter over a gas burner for 20 to 30 minutes. Step by step: how to light binchotan charcoal.
Lay the sticks in the konro close together in one layer, filling the length you will cook on.
Wait for a thin coat of white ash and an even glow before the first skewer goes on.
Make zones. Pack the sticks tightly where you want high heat for skin and sauce, and leave gaps at one end to hold cooked skewers warm.
Control the heat with air. Fan the coals for a quick burst; close the front vent to calm the fire.
Top up from the chimney, never with cold sticks, which pull the temperature down.
After service, shut the leftover sticks in a lidded metal pot and use them again next time.

Can you use a konro indoors?

Only under an extraction hood built for charcoal grilling. Binchotan makes very little smoke, but all burning charcoal produces carbon monoxide, which has no smell or colour. Restaurants with indoor konro rely on proper extraction; at home, grill outside.

We supply binchotan in sizes S, M and L for yakitori kitchens and distributors. See the size range and lab figures or request a quote.

Looking for a binchotan supplier?

CV. ABRA produces binchotan white charcoal in Indonesia in sizes S, M and L, minimum one 20 ft container FOB Surabaya. See the product range or request a quote.