So you've been eyeing off a hibachi grill. Maybe you saw one at a mate's place, watched some yakitori videos at 2am, or you're just sick of your gas barbie producing the same flavourless chops every Saturday. Good news: hibachi grilling is dead simple, produces incredible food, and once you've cooked a steak over proper charcoal, you'll wonder why you ever bothered with gas.
When I first started designing our hibachi grills, I spent weeks testing every prototype in the backyard. That first cook on what became our 100cm model — lamb skewers with just salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon — that's when I knew we were onto something. The charcoal flavour, the sear, the simplicity of it. Been hooked since.
This guide covers everything you need to get started. No fluff, just the practical stuff.
What Actually Is a Hibachi Grill?
Quick version: a hibachi is a Japanese-style charcoal grill. Open top, no lid, compact design. Charcoal sits in a tray beneath the grates, and you cook directly over the coals at high heat. They're typically rectangular and come in various lengths.
The name "hibachi" technically means "fire bowl" in Japanese, and the traditional ones were ceramic. Modern ones like the WillBBQ range are stainless steel — lighter, more durable, and a lot easier to clean. Don't confuse these with the flat teppanyaki plates you see at Japanese restaurants where the chef juggles shakers and flips prawns into his hat. That's teppanyaki. This is hibachi. Different thing entirely.
What makes hibachi grilling different from your standard Bunnings Weber knockoff? Direct, intense heat from real charcoal. No gas regulators, no ignition buttons, no flavour bars trying to simulate what charcoal does naturally. Just fire and food, separated by a grate.
Choosing the Right Size
This is the first decision you'll make, and it matters more than you'd think. Too small and you'll be cooking in batches all arvo. Too big and you're burning through charcoal to feed two people.
Here's how I think about it:
For Couples and Small Spaces
The 18cm and 26cm width grills are your go-to. Both handle skewers perfectly and have enough room for a couple of steaks or a dozen prawns side by side. The 26cm gives you a bit more breathing room. If you're on an apartment balcony or just cooking for one or two, these are the sweet spot. The 100cm x 18cm hibachi is a popular starter — long enough to lay out a solid spread of skewers.
For Families and Weekend Cooks
The 26cm width in 80cm or 100cm length hits that middle ground. Enough room for a family feed without being unwieldy. Most of our customers land here. You can do skewers on one end and vegetables on the other, or lay out a row of lamb chops across the full length.
For Parties, Events, and Markets
The 120cm and 150cm models are serious bits of kit. If you're feeding 15+ people, doing a market stall, or you're the designated AFL Grand Final BBQ host, this is the size you want. The 35cm wide commercial model is also worth a look — extra thick, heavy-duty build for constant use.
The Portable Option
If you want something that goes from backyard to beach to campsite, the Hydraulic Height Adjustable Portable Grill ($198, down from $285) is built exactly for that. The hydraulic charcoal tray is genuinely useful — lets you adjust heat intensity mid-cook without shuffling coals around. It folds down flat for transport too.
Getting Started: Your First Cook
Right. You've got the grill. Here's what you need and what to do.
What You Need
- Charcoal: Lump hardwood. Aussie ironbark or red gum is brilliant. Avoid briquettes for hibachi — they're slower to light and don't get as hot. Definitely avoid anything self-lighting.
- Chimney starter: Non-negotiable. If you're trying to light charcoal with lighter fluid, stop. A chimney starter gets your coals ready in 15-20 minutes with just newspaper and a match. It's the single most useful accessory you'll own.
- Long tongs: You're working over open coals. Short tongs mean singed arm hair. Get a decent pair that's at least 30cm long.
- Oil: High smoke-point oil for the grates. Rice bran, canola, or grapeseed. Not olive oil — it'll smoke like crazy at hibachi temperatures.
Lighting Up
- Fill your chimney starter with lump charcoal. Don't pack it, just pour it in.
- Scrunch up two or three sheets of newspaper (or use a natural firelighter) and place them underneath.
- Light from the bottom. Set it on a fireproof surface — a spare paving slab works fine.
- Wait. Seriously, just leave it. About 15-20 minutes until the top coals are grey-white with ash and you can see flames licking over the top.
- Carefully tip the hot coals into your hibachi's charcoal tray. Use gloves. This stuff is north of 300°C.
- Spread the coals, give it 5 minutes to settle, oil your grates, and you're cooking.
After years of doing this, the one tip I always give people: don't rush the chimney. Half-lit charcoal gives you uneven heat and that acrid smoke taste. Wait for full ash coverage. Get a beer. It'll be ready when it's ready.
Temperature Control: The Tricky Bit
This is where hibachi grilling has a learning curve. No knobs to turn. No digital readout. You're managing a live fire, and that takes a bit of practice.
The Basics
More charcoal = more heat. Simple as that. A full, tightly packed tray of coals will run 300-400°C at grate level. Half a tray, spread out, drops you to 200-250°C. You control intensity primarily by how much charcoal you use and how it's arranged.
Two-Zone Setup
This is the most useful technique you'll learn. Push all your coals to one side of the grill. Now you've got a screaming hot direct zone for searing, and a cooler indirect zone for resting or slower cooking. Sear your steak over the hot side for 2 minutes per side, then slide it to the cool side to finish gently. This one technique solves 90% of temperature problems.
Height Adjustment
On the Hydraulic Adjustable Grill, you can raise or lower the charcoal tray while cooking. Lower the tray (coals further from food) for gentler heat; raise it for searing. It's the closest thing to a temperature knob you'll get on charcoal.
On standard hibachis without height adjustment, you achieve the same effect by varying coal depth. Pile coals higher under where you want more heat. Leave a thinner layer where you want less.
Airflow
Hibachis are open-top, so airflow management is simpler than a kettle BBQ. But wind matters. On a breezy day, the windward side of your grill will burn hotter. Position yourself accordingly, or use your body as a wind break. I've done this more times than I'd like to admit at beach BBQs down on the Peninsula.
Reading the Heat
Hold your hand about 15cm above the grate. If you can hold it there for:
- 1-2 seconds: High heat, 300°C+. Searing zone.
- 3-4 seconds: Medium-high, 230-300°C. Most grilling happens here.
- 5-6 seconds: Medium, 175-230°C. Good for chicken, fish, veggies.
- 7+ seconds: Low. Add more coals.
Not the most scientific method, but it works. Every time.
Five Things to Cook First
Don't overcomplicate your first few cooks. Hibachi grilling rewards simplicity. Here's where to start.
Chicken Yakitori
Cut chicken thigh into 2-3cm cubes, thread onto stainless steel skewers, and grill over medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes per side. Brush with a simple tare sauce (equal parts soy, mirin, and a spoon of sugar, reduced by half) in the last minute. This is what hibachi grills were made for. The charcoal gives the skin edges that crispy, smoky char you cannot replicate any other way.
Steak
Get a 3cm thick scotch fillet or porterhouse. Salt it heavily 40 minutes before cooking and leave it uncovered on the bench. Pat dry, light oil, and sear over the hottest part of your grill — 2 minutes per side for medium-rare on a properly hot hibachi. Rest for 5 minutes. That's it. No marinades, no rubs. Let the charcoal and the beef do the talking.
Prawns
Whole king prawns, shell on, tossed in olive oil, garlic, salt, and a pinch of chilli flakes. 2-3 minutes per side over high heat until the shells go pink and start to char slightly. Squeeze lemon over the top. This is peak summer eating — I reckon I cook these at least once a fortnight from November through March.
Vegetables
Zucchini halved lengthways, thick slices of eggplant, capsicum quarters, mushrooms. Oil, salt, high heat. Vegetables on a hibachi develop this incredible smoky sweetness that an oven or gas grill just doesn't produce. Don't overcrowd the grate — give everything space or you'll steam instead of char.
Lamb Skewers
Lamb shoulder cut into 2cm cubes, marinated for an hour in yoghurt, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic, and lemon juice. Thread onto skewers with chunks of onion between the meat. Grill over medium-high for about 4 minutes per side. The yoghurt marinade keeps the lamb juicy while the edges get properly charred. These disappear fast at any gathering.
Cleaning and Care
Stainless steel is forgiving, but you still need to look after your grill.
After every cook:
- While the grill is still warm, hit the grates with a wire brush. Everything comes off easily when it's warm.
- Let the coals burn out completely or close off airflow to extinguish them. Never dump hot coals in a plastic bin. Learned that one the hard way.
- Once cool, wipe down grates and the body with a damp cloth.
Every few cooks:
- Wash grates with warm soapy water. Dry thoroughly.
- Clean out the ash tray. Built-up ash holds moisture and restricts airflow.
- Wipe a thin layer of cooking oil on the grates before storing.
Storage:
- Keep it dry. Garage, shed, or under a cover. Stainless steel resists rust but it's not bulletproof — don't leave it out in Melbourne's sideways rain for weeks at a time.
- Empty all ash before storing. Ash is hygroscopic (absorbs moisture from the air) and that's what causes corrosion over time.
- Our portable grills fold down compact enough to fit in a cupboard or car boot.
Where to From Here
That's the bones of it. Hibachi grilling isn't complicated — that's kind of the whole point. Good charcoal, simple food, live fire. It strips cooking back to the basics and the results speak for themselves.
If you're still deciding on a grill, have a look through our full range. We're based in Springvale, Melbourne, and you're welcome to come check them out in person at our warehouse — 2/56 Smith Rd, weekdays 9-4. All our grills ship free Australia-wide.
And if you've already got a WillBBQ grill running at home, chuck a photo up on socials and tag us. Always good to see what people are cooking.
Happy grilling.
WillBBQ — proudly featured on Channel 7's Dipper's Backyard BBQ Wars.
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