Can you use konro grills indoors? Here’s why you shouldn’t

Author: Joost Nusselder, author of The Essential Japanese meal planner cookbook Updated June 28, 2021

You should not use Konro Grills indoors as it is a fire hazard. The grill exterior can get scorching hot, including the base.

Using it on top of a carpet or tatami will certainly ruin them. Only fireproof and heat-resistant surfaces are safe enough to put the grill on.

Moreover, a Konro Grill can even cause a flame due to its open-fire feature. It also will produce carbon monoxide, which can be dangerous if inhaled too much.

If you use it indoors, there might not be enough ventilation for the crucial air circulation required.

Also read everything on using charcoal indoors here as well

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Konro Grill and the Benefits

Konro grill refers to a boxy charcoal grill, commonly used to cook yakitori or other Japanese grilled dishes.

You can also use the tool to grill modern-style steaks or burgers.

This authentic Japanese grill has a ceramic exterior with grill bars on top of it to lay down the meat slice or the skewers.

Can you use binchotan charcoal indoors?

For a Konro Grill, most people use Binchotan Charcoal instead of the common lump ones. It burns a lot hotter than regular charcoal so it might be even more of a fire hazard, but surprisingly enough, it’s actually safer to use indoors because it produces a lot less smoke.

You should always ventilate the room thoroughly though before attempting something like this. Most restaurants that use binchotan have vents right on top of the konro.

The special Japanese charcoal has many advantages, such as:

Juicy, More Umami

A Konro Grill has much better heat dispersion than common grill devices. As a result, it retains more juice on the meat.

According to research, 160 grams of steak will lose its weight at about 22.4 grams after grilling with a gas hob. But with Konro grill, it loses only 11.7 grams due to less juice loss.

Smokeless

While lump charcoals usually produce thick smoke while grilling with common grill stoves, the Binchotan Charcoals in a Konro Grill is smokeless.

While grilling, you might notice a slight smoke. That is the smoke of the meat’s fat instead of the charcoal burn.

This also makes it more dangerous indoors because you can’t see the smoke that well, and there still is carbon monoxide in the air.

Last Longer

Grilling with Konro and Binchotan Charcoal is convenient as you don’t have to refill the grill with new charcoal too often.

One session of Binchotan Charcoal burning can last about five hours, while common charcoal usually finishes in about 40-60 minutes.

Reusable

After usage, you can rinse your charcoal with clean water and put it under the sun. Leave it until they get dry and light. After that, you can store them to use again later.

Binchotan Charcoal might be hard to find outside of Japan. As a substitute, you can use Pok Pok Thaan Charcoals from Thailand instead.

Both types of charcoals have similar features, although Binchotan is still slightly better. However, it is better to avoid using common charcoals because they produce excessive heat.

I also wrote a post on the best Konro grills which I reviewed, you should read that as well if you’re looking to buy one.

How to Use Konro Grills

Konro Grill is easy to operate. However, if you are unaware of how to properly use it, you might end up doing it wrong.

Not only improper usage might cause your dishes to cook unevenly, but this ignorance may also cause your grill to stop working at all.

Or you might produce excessive flames, which is dangerous even if you’re not using your Konrol grill indoors!

To do the grilling, first, you need to put the charcoals inside the interior box. Light them up with a gas burner or burning paper, then spread the charcoal evenly.

Adjust the vent to get the perfect heat. And then, you can start placing the meat or skewers over the grill.

It would take a while before your dishes finish cooking. In the meantime, do not move your Konro Grill.

If the charcoal gets reduced, you can add in a few more. You only need to make sure the charcoal covers the floor surface of the interior.

When you are done grilling, do not pour water to douse the flame because it might damage your Konro Grill.

Take the charcoal out and dunk them in water. Leave your Konro Grill until it cools off, then you can safely store it.

Also read: konro vs hibachi grills, how they are used differently

Other Things to Be aware of

Apart from knowing how to use it properly for cooking, here are other important things to know about the safety of operating a Konro Grill:

• Never leave your Konro Grill unattended while it is still on
• The metal part can be as hot as a flame. Hence, be careful not to touch it
• The grilling process produces carbon monoxide which may cause respiratory problems if inhaled too much
• Keep children away from the Konro Grill when it is still hot
• Never move the grill while it is still on
• The exterior of Konro Grill is ceramic, which would break if falling or banged
• Do not store the grill in a humid place. Instead, keep it in a weather-proof area

If your Konro Grill does not work because it is wet or humid, wait until it gets dry to try using it again.

You can easily find people using Konro Grills in Japan. Street vendors use them to sell freshly-made yakitori.

This tool is also popular for family barbecue parties in the backyard or any casual parties in this country.

Other than Japanese grilling, many people also love making any grilled dishes with this particular device due to its advantages.

I’ve even explained how to use some of the best charcoal you can get in a Konro so take a look and read it if you have some time.

You should also take a look at my article here about the Hida Konro grill, which is the safest one I found in all of my cooking.

Check out our new cookbook

Bitemybun's family recipes with complete meal planner and recipe guide.

Try it out for free with Kindle Unlimited:

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Joost Nusselder, the founder of Bite My Bun is a content marketer, dad and loves trying out new food with Japanese food at the heart of his passion, and together with his team he's been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with recipes and cooking tips.