Advice

Advise on using your Konro Grill

After much feedback from Chefs and a number of personal trial runs we have compiled a list of suggestions for best results when using your Konro grill

The Binchotan charcoal itself produces no smoke and flair up is minimal. The grills are regularly used in commercial kitchens and when placed under an extraction hood in a well ventilated area we would suggest equally suited to the home
As with any fire source we have to be careful with what we endorse and below are purely suggestions. Chefslocker accepts no responsibility for improper use. *Remember, anything when burnt (even food) will give off some degree of carbon monoxide

Important Information

Always use a natural fuel such as our Sumi Binchotan Briquettes
Only use a natural firelighter (If using)
The Binchotan alone will not smoke but please take care to use in a well ventilated area / under an extraction hood
We would strongly recommend lighting the Grill outside and Extinguishing the coals once you have finished your cook, returning any spent coals outside
Do not over fill the Grill
The outside of the Grill will stay cool and the heat resistant legs will protect even a wood surface

If using wooden skewers, soak in water beforehand
Have the vents open at the beginning of a cook

The Diatomite material is incredibly porous and should not get wet, the grill should not be left outside and not stored where there is damp
Please take care when you have finished using your grill. In the example below the coals were still warm after an incredible 6 hrs

The Konro performs at it's very best when used with seafood, thin strips of meat, vegetables or skewers (yakitori / Kushiyaki). It is not advised to use cuts of meat with a high fat content (unless finishing a pre-cooked dish).

The natural Binchotan Briquettes are notoriously hard to light but once lit will last for a very long time (6-7hrs)
Below we have outlined a number of popular methods to get you up and running in no time at all...

Starter Pan

Using our Starter Pan is probably the easiest method will little fuss.
Simply place the Briquettes in the heavy based pan on a medium to high heat and turn intermittently with metal tongs until glowing
*The process can be speeded up significantly with the addition of our Looftlighter

Without the starter pan, placing the briquettes directly on your gas hob will have the same result but will take longer and inevitably make a mess.

LooftLighter

Of course you could simply choose to place a small amount of briquettes in the grill (with the vents open) and use our Looftlighter Firelighter but this will take considerably longer and a bit of patience...

Starter Chimney

The final option (which we would only recommend for outdoors) is using a starter chimney with natural firelighters.
These are readily available online and we have seen good results with Flamers firelighters (odourless wood wool)

* A kitchen blow torch is helpful in this instance

And You're Done! - The whole process should take no more than 15 - 20 mins*

And remember your Sumi Binchotan Briquettes can be used a number of times. Simply remove the briquettes after your cook with metal tongs and place into one of our extinguishing pots for next time.
* Caution * Just because the coals look like they are cool to touch, they likely aren't. If not using an extinguishing pot we would recommend leaving them outside over night before you attempt to move them

We do not recommend using a Lumpwood Charcoal in our grills. In our experience the heat is too 'Fierce', the cook too smoky and not what the grill was intended for... Using a Lumpwood Charcoal on a regular basis may effect the longevity of your grill

Happy Grilling!!!