Cast Iron, Steel or Clay? Finding the Best Hibachi Grill

A hibachi is the simplest charcoal grill there is: a small, heavy box of coals with a grate a few inches above it and no lid. That is exactly why a restaurant cook likes one. With nothing between you and the fire, you run the heat with the vents and the height of the grate, the way a line cook moves a steak from the hot side of the grill to the cool side. For thin, fast cuts like arrachera, chicken thighs, cebollitas and chiles toreados, or a row of skewers, a hibachi gives more direct, close heat than most backyard kettles.

This guide compares seven tabletop charcoal grills sold on Amazon in the United States, from American cast iron hibachis to Japanese-style shichirin and konro grills built for skewers. For each one we list the fuel, material, grate size, weight, vents, grate heights and warranty as the maker or the Amazon listing states them, and we write “Not stated” where neither does.

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Quick verdict: which hibachi grill to buy

The table compares the five picks we would steer most buyers toward, one for each kind of cook. All seven grills are reviewed in full after it.

Five tabletop hibachis compared

Grate size, weight and heat control for our five standout picks, as each maker or Amazon listing states them.

Product images from Amazon. Specifications as stated by each maker or Amazon listing; figures marked “Lodge” or “YAK” come from the maker’s own product page. Check the listing before you buy.

Our picks for the best hibachi grill

Our camping charcoal grill guide is about carrying a fire somewhere: kettles with lids, a kamado, a grill that folds flat. This page is narrower. Every grill here is a lidless tabletop box you cook on directly, close to the coals, which is what “hibachi” means to most American buyers. The Lodge appears in both guides because it is the best cast iron example of the type; the rest are different grills, including Japanese-style designs the camping guide does not cover.

How to choose a hibachi grill for home

Five things decide whether a tabletop charcoal grill suits your kitchen. Material and heat control come first; the rest is about how you cook.

1. Cast iron, stainless steel or clay

Cast iron (Lodge, Marsh Allen, Happygrill) holds the most heat and gives the hardest sear, but it is heavy and rusts if it is left wet. Stainless steel (YAK, Bincho Grill) is lighter, needs no seasoning and resists rust. Diatomaceous earth and ceramic (BUNDOK, AUPLEX) insulate well, which keeps the outside cooler and helps a small fire last, but they can crack if they get wet or are dropped.

2. Vents and grate heights

With no lid, a hibachi has two ways to control heat: airflow and distance. Vents or a draft door change how hard the coals burn; an adjustable grate changes how close the food sits. The Marsh Allen gives you three grid heights and the Happygrill two. The YAK and the Bincho Grill describe neither adjustable vents nor grate heights, so you build the fire you want before you start.

3. Shape: square, long or two-grid

A long, narrow konro like the Bincho Grill is built for skewers. A square or rectangular grill handles steaks and burgers. Two separate grids, as on the Marsh Allen, let you keep one side hot and one side warm, which is how we would grill fajita meat and warm tortillas at the same time.

4. Size and weight

Stated grilling areas here run from 92 square inches (AUPLEX) to 157 (Marsh Allen), and stated weights from about 15 pounds (YAK, AUPLEX) to 33.25 pounds (Lodge). A heavy grill stays where you put it; a lighter one comes out more often. If you want a grill for trips rather than the patio, our camping charcoal grill guide covers lidded kettles and grills that fold flat.

5. Charcoal hibachi or an electric “hibachi” griddle?

At most American “hibachi” restaurants, the cooking happens on a flat steel griddle, often called a teppan, not over charcoal. If that is the food you want at home, a charcoal hibachi will not give it to you: you want a flat electric or gas griddle. Our guides to the best electric griddle and the best indoor Korean BBQ grill cover cooking indoors. Every grill on this page burns charcoal and belongs outside.

How we chose these seven grills

We started with what a working kitchen wants from direct heat: a grate close to the coals, a way to make a hot zone and a cooler one, and a body that holds heat. We then looked at tabletop charcoal hibachis, konro and shichirin grills sold on Amazon in the United States and in stock when we checked, and confirmed each specification on the maker’s own site (Lodge, YAK) or on the brand’s Amazon listing. Where neither stated a figure, we wrote “Not stated.” We left out unbranded listings, near-identical models, a Kinka diatomite konro that was showing very low stock, and a Fire Sense yakitori grill we could not find in stock. We have not cooked on these grills for this guide, and we did not use outside equipment reviews for it.

Safe charcoal grilling on a tabletop hibachi

Read your grill’s manual first. These rules come from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, the National Fire Protection Association, the US Fire Administration and the US Forest Service’s Smokey Bear program:

• Outdoors only. The CPSC warns never to use charcoal to cook or heat inside enclosed areas such as homes, garages, tents, campers or vehicles, because the carbon monoxide can kill you. That includes a “tabletop” grill: the table must be outside.
• Give it room. NFPA’s grilling safety tips say to keep the grill well away from the house, deck railings, eaves and overhanging branches, keep children and pets at least three feet away, and never leave it unattended.
• Protect the table. Follow the maker’s advice about trivets and heat shields. YAK and AUPLEX both call for a heat-resistant layer between the grill and the table.
• Light it the safe way. NFPA notes that a chimney starter lets you light charcoal with newspaper; if you use starter fluid, use only charcoal starter fluid and never add it to a lit fire.
• Put it out completely. Smokey Bear’s outdoor grilling safety guide says to pour water on the coals until the hissing stops, stir, add water until everything is cool, and check with the back of your hand. The USFA says to place cooled coals in a metal can with a lid. Do not pour water into a diatomaceous earth or ceramic grill if its maker advises against it; move the coals to a metal container instead.

Hibachi grill questions, answered

What is the best hibachi grill for home?

For most homes, the Lodge Sportsman’s Pro: cast iron, dual vents and a 9 by 16.75-inch grate. If you want two heat zones, the Marsh Allen’s two grids with three heights are more flexible; for a balcony table, the lighter YAK.

What is the best hibachi grill to buy for skewers?

A long, narrow konro such as the Bincho Grill 24-inch, which lets skewers rest across the rims over the coals. The YAK’s nine skewer notches also work for smaller batches.

Can I use a hibachi grill indoors?

No. The CPSC warns that burning charcoal in enclosed spaces produces carbon monoxide that can kill, and Lodge, YAK and the listings here say outdoor use only. For indoor tabletop cooking, look at an electric grill or griddle instead.

Do I need binchotan charcoal?

No grill here requires it. Binchotan is a dense Japanese charcoal used in yakitori cooking; The Bincho Grill’s own binchotan listing describes it as 95 percent carbon with a long burn. Regular lump charcoal or briquettes work in every grill on this list.

Is a hibachi the same as a teppanyaki grill?

Not in the sense of this guide. A charcoal hibachi cooks on a grate over coals; the flat steel griddle at many American “hibachi” restaurants is closer to an electric or gas griddle.

Our pick for direct-heat grilling at home

Buy the Lodge Sportsman’s Pro if you want one hibachi grill that sears hard and will outlast you. Choose the Marsh Allen for two heat zones, the YAK for a patio table, the Bincho Grill for skewers and the BUNDOK for a traditional Japanese grill. Whichever you choose, keep it outdoors and let the coals go out cold.

Related guide: Best yakitori grill.

For kettles, kamados and bigger backyard grills, see our guide to the best charcoal grill, and our charcoal grill accessories for chimneys, gloves and tongs. To warm tortillas beside the fire, a comal for tortillas works on any grate big enough to hold it, and how to eat fajitas covers what goes in them. Or let us do the cooking: see the menu or call to order.