tekobo Posted April 23, 2018 Report Share Posted April 23, 2018 3 hours ago, Pequod said: I wouldn't. Based on previous questions about running a KK indoors, I sort of expected this response. I agree, it is logical to avoid starting a fire indoors if you don't have to. However I am still interested in the possibility. First thing is to get hold of a grill and see how much it smokes and how well my re-constituted binchotan dust briquettes actually work. We do have fireplaces indoors and keeping the chimneys swept and providing good ventilation is key to avoiding CO build up. I will take your counsel and look into getting a CO monitor if I do decide to try the grill indoors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckreef Posted April 23, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2018 Here is a sneak peak of the the Konro. I did this cook a few weeks ago when I first got it. The setup is much different now. It sits down in the table with only about an inch sticking out above the table. I also have steel tubes I use to hold the skewers instead of using the screens. I am planning on doing a proper post once I get the setup complete (still need to trim the cutout hole in the table). As for using this inside - I believe with proper precautions it would be doable. I get my coals completely glowing orange before dumping them in the Konro. Once glowing orange they give off no smoke. The only smoke you get is from the juices dripping onto the hot coals and that would easily be carried away by a vented hood. You could set it on a piece of finished 2"x12" if you were worried about the surface below. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekobo Posted April 24, 2018 Report Share Posted April 24, 2018 That looks great @ckreef. Looking forward to seeing the final set up! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Pearson Posted April 24, 2018 Report Share Posted April 24, 2018 Wow KK, WFO, and Kongo you are going to have one heck of a nice ODK Charles can’t wait to see the finished setup! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckreef Posted April 24, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2018 (edited) 22 hours ago, amusedtodeath said: Probably the main thing that has stopped me from buying a yakitori/robata grill is the crazy expense of that binchotan. It sounds like you are cooking some good food without going to that expense, so I'll be paying attention to your experience! Any reasonably decent lump will get hot enough to cook with. The problem is most lumps don't last long when burning that hot. The harder the lump the longer it will last. The sound of two pieces of lump hit together is a good indication of just how hard it is. The harder the lump the more of a "clink" sound it will make compared to a "thud" sound. Take for example RO. Burns plenty hot enough but burns up rather fast. When you strike 2 pieces together it makes a dull "thud", almost hollow sound. The Marabu on the other hand has a "clink" sound to it. They talk about this sound when talking about binchotan. Let your lump talk to you, become a Lump Whisperer - LOL Also properly sized pieces is key to success. I never sort lump but will do so for this cooking adventure. Edited April 24, 2018 by ckreef 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckreef Posted April 24, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2018 23 hours ago, tekobo said: am still waiting for my konro grill. Hoping it will come in the next few weeks so I too can spend a leisurely evening eating meat over super-hot coals. In the states these grills were on backorder for a number of years. Early this year when it looked like they were going to finally come off of backorder I pre ordered mine. I probably got one of the very first ones coming out of the container. A friend on the Guru forum ordered one recently. His is expected by end of April. Fingers crossed that yours arrives shortly. Me and Mrs skreef always have a good time cooking and eating this style. I just need to get a bunch more recipes under my belt. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amusedtodeath Posted April 24, 2018 Report Share Posted April 24, 2018 Nice little video. http://video.bonappetit.com/watch/cook-like-a-pro-main-editorial-episode-with-erik-ramirez-konro-grilling-anticucho 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckreef Posted April 24, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2018 I love watching videos like that. Interestingly not all of the charcoal he used was pure binchotan. Just after he dumps it in you can see a piece of extruded charcoal with its perfectly round hole in the middle. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Posted April 24, 2018 Report Share Posted April 24, 2018 I noticed that as well. Speaking of extruded charcoal, does anyone know if Dennis has come up with a solution to shipping his cocochar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5698k Posted April 24, 2018 Report Share Posted April 24, 2018 I just emailed Dennis about that issue. No solutions yet, but working on it, hasn’t given up. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Pearson Posted April 24, 2018 Report Share Posted April 24, 2018 Charles when my lump starts talking to me I think I’ll have to go see Dr Phil I’m glad I still have a lot of the charcoal left over from that that last order from Dennis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Posted April 24, 2018 Report Share Posted April 24, 2018 Thanks Robert. Glad to hear he hasn’t given up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted April 27, 2018 Report Share Posted April 27, 2018 I think that CocoChar is a pretty good substitute for binchotan, but that's a bit speculative, seeing as I've never cooked with binchotan in my yakitori grill. Fingers crossed that Dennis solves the shipping problem, as I've been seriously hoarding my last few boxes of CocoChar. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekobo Posted April 30, 2018 Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 On 4/27/2018 at 4:36 PM, tony b said: I think that CocoChar is a pretty good substitute for binchotan, but that's a bit speculative, seeing as I've never cooked with binchotan in my yakitori grill. Yeah, you are right, it is difficult to compare without being able to do a side by side comparison. I have not had the opportunity to use Dennis' cocochar but am happy with the cocoshell briquettes that I have found in the UK. One day, I might make it over to Indonesia or to one of your places in the US to see how the good stuff burns. As for binchotan, it still holds a mystical appeal. The fact that you can quench it in water after use may mean that it lasts quite a long time. I'll be working on that angle to justify value for money if I ever get to the point of buying some! On 4/24/2018 at 2:24 PM, ckreef said: In the states these grills were on backorder for a number of years. Early this year when it looked like they were going to finally come off of backorder I pre ordered mine. I probably got one of the very first ones coming out of the container. A friend on the Guru forum ordered one recently. His is expected by end of April. Fingers crossed that yours arrives shortly. We appear to have a similar back order problem here. I placed an order with a company that isn't answering my emails and I may end up filing for a refund through Paypal. There is another, more expensive, source here https://www.chefslocker.co.uk/konro-grill.html. They do have some interesting additional grill sizes on offer and so I might, in the end, bite the bullet and get one from them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckreef Posted April 30, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 On 4/27/2018 at 11:36 AM, tony b said: I think that CocoChar is a pretty good substitute for binchotan, but that's a bit speculative, seeing as I've never cooked with binchotan in my yakitori grill. Fingers crossed that Dennis solves the shipping problem, as I've been seriously hoarding my last few boxes of CocoChar. Interesting idea as I have a couple of boxes of cocochar. I'll give it a try in the chimney starter and see what happens. For me the comparison is not with binchotan (since I'll probably never spend that kind of money lump) but compared to other reasonably priced lump. What I'd really like is to get my hands on a bag of coffeechar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckreef Posted April 30, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 (edited) @tekobo interesting website. What they call a LG most places have listed as MD. The extra wide versions are interesting but would definitely force you to use a screen every time. I believe the backorder issue was the factory just didn't produce the special Konro bricks for a couple of years. Once they did the current production run everybody was snatching up the grills. I had been watching the backorder status for about 3 years. As soon as I knew they were coming off backorder status I jumped on it. Edited April 30, 2018 by ckreef 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekobo Posted April 30, 2018 Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 2 hours ago, ckreef said: @tekobo interesting website. What they call a LG most places have listed as MD. The extra wide versions are interesting but would definitely force you to use a screen every time. Yes, it is an interesting site - good references from some of our more famous chefs too. Did you get a LG or extra LG? And when you say that the extra wide versions would force you to use a screen every time is it because you wouldn't be able to bridge the gap with a standard person sized skewer? I may well have to be patient to get the right one but hope to get a konro in time to try it out in the garden this summer. A step up from those nasty smelly portable foil bbqs that I hate sooo much! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckreef Posted April 30, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 2 hours ago, tekobo said: Yes, it is an interesting site - good references from some of our more famous chefs too. Did you get a LG or extra LG? And when you say that the extra wide versions would force you to use a screen every time is it because you wouldn't be able to bridge the gap with a standard person sized skewer? I may well have to be patient to get the right one but hope to get a konro in time to try it out in the garden this summer. A step up from those nasty smelly portable foil bbqs that I hate sooo much! Not counting the wide versions most of the sites I've seen label them like this: Note this is listed in vents per side. SM - 1 vent MD - 2 vents LG - 3 vents - 30" XL - 3 vents per side with an extra brick panel - 36" I have the LG 30", 3 vents per side version. I use square rods to hold the skewers. They can be moved in and out so no wooden skewer section is exposed to the heat. I suppose on the extra wide version you could have 4 steel tubes running length wise effectively giving you twice the grill. I would need to go back into that website and do the mm to inch conversion on the width to see if that even makes sense. Other than that you're left with 2 options, metal skewers or using the screens. If you stretch wooden skewers across the bigger width you would have to load it completely full or the wood skewer will burn up and your food ends up in the coals (yea it's happened a few times before). Hope that made sense. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekobo Posted April 30, 2018 Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 1 hour ago, ckreef said: Hope that made sense. Yup, thanks. I hadn't cottoned on to the wooden skewer challenge. I shall now go back to look at the grills and decide what I really need. A little one would be available now and would be more practical for storage and portability. On the other hand, the urge to go large (extra) is always hard to resist. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amusedtodeath Posted April 30, 2018 Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 (edited) I've got a medium backordered through Kirin, expected arrival is "summer"... You can get a large sooner, "early June". Sorry, @tekobo, I meant Korin... In case you were going to look. I'm pretty sure this is the mothership for konro grills. Edited April 30, 2018 by amusedtodeath 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
