A konro is a long, narrow Japanese charcoal grill. Its shape is made for skewers: you lay them across the tray, the ends rest on the edges, and only the meat hangs above the coals. This is how yakitori restaurants in Japan have grilled for generations.
Konro or shichirin: what's the difference?
In practice the names are used interchangeably. Strictly speaking, shichirin is the name for the compact, often round grill made of diatomaceous earth, and konro is the elongated version. Both work the same way: a thick, insulating wall keeps the heat in, you need little charcoal, and the outside stays relatively cool.
- Elongated (konro shape): best for skewers side by side, yakitori, kushiyaki and prawns.
- Round: more surface area in the middle, great for slices of wagyu, vegetables and a grate full of bites for a group.
Which one should you choose?
If you mostly grill skewers, choose a rectangular shape. Our rectangular shichirin table grill is exactly that: a konro shape you place in the middle of the table, so everyone turns their own skewer.
If you're with a larger group or switch between meat, fish and vegetables, choose the round 34.5 cm shichirin. It grills for two to six people at once.
The right fuel: binchotan
A konro is made for binchotan, the hard white charcoal from Japan. It burns for hours, gives off almost no smoke or smell, and produces very even heat, exactly what you want when grilling at the table. Choose binchotan maitiew or binchotan eucalyptus; after extinguishing and drying, you can reuse the coals.
Safe grilling
Even low-smoke charcoal releases carbon monoxide. So grill outside or in a well-ventilated spot, place the grill on a heat-resistant surface, and let the coals fully extinguish before you clear up.
