Japanese-style cooking is trending this summer and Kasai has you covered

With the interest in outdoor cooking increasing in recent years, it seems this curiosity is beginning to stretch beyond the realms of the traditional BBQ. Google searches for “Japanese hibachi grill” and “Kasai grills” have soared in the past three months ahead of National BBQ Week as Brits begin to dip their toes into the art of restaurant-style Japanese cooking at home.

Japanese-style hibachi and konro grills cook at an intense heat for a faster cook and smokier, more flavoursome finish than might be achieved on a traditional BBQ. You may have even seen some of these Japanese-style grills popping up on your social media feed, whether being celebrated by acclaimed UK chefs, or in videos from outdoor cooking influencers as the recent warm weather has called for more BBQs.

British-made Kasai Grills is a brand in the BBQ scene creating authentic Japanese-style konro grills that are loved and used by some of the country’s most celebrated chefs such as Gordon Ramsay, Rick Stein, and Tommy Banks, the Michelin-starred chef and restaurant owner who has collaborated with the brand to create a professional-grade konro designed for serious grill enthusiasts. The Medium Wide Kasai Konro Grill (£499) offers excellent heat retention for a more precise cook.

To help achieve authentic Japanese cooking from home, other popular products from Kasai include the Nano Konro Grill (£299), which was recently named “Best Japanese-style Barbecuing Grill 2026” by BBC Good Food and rated 4.5/5 stars. The Kasai Konro Skewer Rack and Skewers (from £49) are inspired by traditional Japanese yakitori cooking and allow the meat to sit above the coals in the ideal position for the best flame-grilled flavour, while the Kasai Burger Press (£35) helps to create crisp smash burgers for even pressing and caramelisation.

Kasai grills are used in renowned restaurants including the Lucky Cat and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London, Rick Stein’s The Seafood Restaurant in Padstow, and Tommy Banks’s Yorkshire restaurants, The Black Swan, Roots, and The Abbey Inn. “There’s something powerful about cooking over fire – it’s honest, it’s bold, it’s instinctive. Kasai does that beautifully,” says Banks.