Binchotan White Charcoal Long Cut

No. Use ordinary charcoal as the fuel and add a thin layer of binchotan on top; that's enough for yakitori. You can of course burn binchotan on its own, it's just expensive.

Japan makes very little binchotan and supply keeps getting tighter; our own wholesale price is about two and a half times what it was a few years ago. It burns longer and hotter, and in our experience that gives yakitori a better finish, but a layer on top is enough. Save the leftovers in an extinguisher to use again.

Use a chimney starter about half full; its upward airflow lights the charcoal evenly. When a third to half of the charcoal is glowing red, tip it into the konro, then add more once the first lot is going.

Binchotan is dense and slow to catch, so give yourself time and start well before you plan to cook. Heat it gently: rushing it makes it pop and spark, so keep your face back. Smaller pieces catch faster, and some cooks start with easier-lighting charcoal and add binchotan on top.

Binchotan pops when it's damp. It's so dense that trapped moisture can't escape gently, so it bursts out when the charcoal heats up quickly.

Store it sealed in a bag or tub with a desiccant packet. If it's been sitting around, dry it first, in the sun on a dry day or in a dry cabinet, then warm it slowly at the edge of the konro before moving it into the fire. Never drop fresh binchotan straight into a red-hot fire, and never dry charcoal in a microwave.

Never pour water on a konro. Move the coals into a charcoal extinguisher and close the lid: with no air, they go out without any water.

Don't waste the leftovers, especially binchotan. Once fully cold, the extinguished pieces light again easily next time. Wait until the konro itself is cold before you clean or store it.

The grill itself doesn't smoke. A konro body is diatomaceous earth, which doesn't burn. Smoke comes from the charcoal and from the food.

Damp charcoal smokes and spits, so keep it dry. Binchotan is over 90% carbon, so it burns very cleanly, but like all charcoal it still gives off carbon monoxide. Vegetables hardly smoke at all; fat from meat dripping onto hot charcoal makes plenty, so with steak or yakitori some smoke is unavoidable. That's why outside is better, or right under a strong rangehood.