Eddie van Aken
Creator of The Grilling Dutchman, a BBQ and outdoor cooking brand focused on grilling, smoking, and meat preparation for backyard pitmasters. I am also the founder of Practical Backyard, where I review garden tools, garage equipment, and gear that help homeowners build and maintain their outdoor spaces.
I’ve spent years cooking over fire and smoke, learning BBQ the hard way through real cooks, real mistakes, and a whole lot of trial and error. I’m not a chef, and I’m not interested in fancy talk. I focus on what actually works in the backyard and why it works.
Working outdoors naturally led me to constantly test thermometers, tools, and equipment. Over time, that hands-on testing expanded beyond BBQ gear into backyard, garden, and garage equipment, which eventually became the foundation for Practical Backyard.
This site is about me, my experience, and the work I do across both projects.
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, I’ve cooked on just about every type of grill and smoker you can think of. I’ve tested thermometers, tools, and BBQ gear in real conditions — not labs, not showrooms, but actual backyard cooks where things don’t always go as planned.
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
BetterPricedOnline 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.
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 don’t get paid to say nice things.
If a grill has problems, I say so.
If a tool doesn’t work the way it should, I don’t recommend it.
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. Simple, honest, and practical.
I don’t separate theory and tools. Cooking outdoors constantly forces you to evaluate thermometers, knives, fire tools, lighting, storage, and maintenance equipment. Years of solving those small real problems naturally turned into reviewing gear and helping others avoid the same mistakes.
Whether someone is learning to manage a fire or choosing equipment that won’t fail mid-project, the goal stays the same — practical knowledge based on real use, not lab testing or marketing claims.
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 Better Priced Online for garden and garage content
- Follow me on social media
Everything here connects back to the same thing — real outdoor cooking, and a beautiful backyard and garage done the right way.
Eddie van Aken
Being an enthusiastic and experienced backyard grillmaster and product reviewer, I share my experience with outdoor cooking, including everything that went wrong, here on my website. You can read more about Eddie van Aken here.