Eddie van Aken
I’m the creator of The Grilling Dutchman, where I share what I’ve learned about BBQ, grilling, smoking, and outdoor cooking. I’m also the founder of Practical Backyard, where I write about gardening, tools, garage equipment, and practical backyard projects.
I’ve spent years cooking over fire and smoke, learning BBQ the hard way through real cooks, real mistakes, and plenty of trial and error. I’m not a chef, and I’m not interested in fancy talk. I like figuring out what actually works and sharing what I learn along the way.
That same hands-on approach eventually grew beyond BBQ. Working around my home and garden led me to test tools and equipment, grow my own food, and spend more time learning about gardening and healthy living.
More recently, I created A Faithful Life, where I share a more personal side of my journey. I write about my Christian faith, health and healthy aging, and lessons I’ve learned through life. I don’t claim to have all the answers. I’m still learning, and that’s part of the reason I enjoy writing about it.
This site is about me, my experience, and the work I do across The Grilling Dutchman, Practical Backyard, and A Faithful Life.
Who I Am
I am Eddie van Aken, a Dutch-born pitmaster living in the United States, and outdoor cooking has been a big part of my life for a long time. What started as a love for outdoor cooking grew into years of hands-on experience with grills, smokers, thermometers, and backyard cooking setups of every kind.
Today, I focus on teaching BBQ in a way that makes sense. No fluff. No hype. Just clear explanations and honest experience.
Over the years, my work has naturally grown in a few different directions. I write about outdoor cooking, the tools and equipment I use around my home and garden, and more recently, faith, health, and lessons I’ve learned through life. They may seem like different subjects, but they all come from the same place — my own experience and a desire to share what I’ve learned.
Over time, that hands-on testing went beyond cooking equipment into general backyard, garden, and workshop gear — the same real-world approach I now use on my product review site.
Everything I teach comes from experience, not theory.
What I Do
I work as an outdoor cooking educator and reviewer. That means:
- Testing grills, smokers, and BBQ tools in real backyard conditions
- Writing honest, experience-based reviews
- Teaching grilling and smoking techniques in plain language
- Creating guides that help home cooks avoid costly mistakes
- Producing BBQ content for readers, viewers, and brands
If I talk about it, I’ve used it. If I recommend it, it’s because it earned it.
Over the years, my work naturally developed into two areas. One focuses on cooking outdoors and teaching people how to do it better. The other focuses on testing the tools and equipment we all rely on around the backyard, garden, and workspace. Both come from the same place. Real use, real mistakes, and learning what actually works.
Outdoor Cooking: The Grilling Dutchman
Most of my BBQ content lives on TheGrillingDutchman.com.
That’s where I publish:
- detailed BBQ and grilling guides
- hands-on product reviews
- cooking techniques and explanations
- recipes and experiments
- YouTube videos and gear tests
If you’re looking for practical BBQ advice and honest reviews, that’s where you should start.
Visit TheGrillingDutchman.com →
Practical Equipment — Practical Backyard
Practical Backyard focuses on practical tools and equipment for the home, garden, and garage. It grew naturally out of years of testing cooking gear — because once you work outdoors long enough, you start paying attention to everything that makes the work easier, safer, and more reliable.
- Test gardening tools in real backyard conditions, not staged setups
- Compare durability and ease of use for everyday yard work
- Review storage, organization, and workspace solutions for garages
- Evaluate practical equipment that saves time and prevents repeat purchases
- Explain when a cheaper tool works just as well as an expensive one
- Share my gardening tips and results.
Faith, Health & Life — A Faithful Life
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found myself thinking and writing more about things that go beyond BBQ, gardening, and the tools I use around the house.
A Faithful Life is where I share that side of my life. I write about my Christian faith, health and healthy aging, and lessons I’ve learned through my own experiences.
I’m not a preacher, doctor, or health expert. I’m simply sharing what I believe, what I’ve learned, what I’m still learning, and what has helped me along the way.
- Faith and my journey to a deeper Christian faith
- Health, nutrition, and healthy aging
- Gardening and growing food for better health
- Life experience and lessons learned along the way
Media & Professional Work
I’m available for:
- interviews and podcasts
- expert commentary on grilling and BBQ
- product testing and reviews
- collaborations related to outdoor cooking
If you’re looking for a hands-on BBQ expert who speaks from real experience, you’ll find my background and press information here.
Visit the Media & Press page →
Why People Trust My Work
I believe in being clear about what I know from experience, what I’ve researched, and what I’m still learning.
When it comes to BBQ and equipment, I rely heavily on hands-on experience. I cook outdoors regularly, test my own gear, and explain things the same way I would to someone standing next to me at the grill. If a grill has problems, I say so. If a tool doesn’t work the way it should, I don’t recommend it.
Years of cooking, gardening, and working around my home have taught me a lot, usually through trial and error. That experience became the foundation for The Grilling Dutchman and Practical Backyard.
With A Faithful Life, my approach is a little different. I share my personal experiences with faith and life, along with what I learn while researching health, nutrition, and healthy aging. I don’t present my opinions or experiences as facts, and I don’t pretend to be an expert in areas where I’m not one.
Whether I’m writing about managing a fire, choosing a garden tool, improving my health, or exploring my faith, the goal is much the same. Share what I’ve experienced, explain what I’ve learned, and be honest about what I still don’t know.
Connect With Me
If you want to learn more about my experience, work with me, or follow what I’m doing:
- Read more about my background
- Check out my media and press information
- Visit The Grilling Dutchman for BBQ content
- Visit Practical Backyard for garden and garage content
- Visit A Faithful Life for my thoughts and experiences with faith, health, and life
- Follow me on social media
These websites cover different parts of my life and experience, but they all have one thing in common. I share what I’ve learned from actually doing it, making mistakes, asking questions, and continuing to learn along the way.
Eddie van Aken
I am Eddie van Aken, a lifelong learner who writes from real experience. I share what I’ve learned about BBQ and outdoor cooking, backyard and garden projects, faith, health, and life. Including plenty of lessons I learned the hard way. You can read more about Eddie van Aken and the websites I write for.