I have been using Kingsford briquettes for as long as I can remember. But almost every book/TV show on grilling recommends using lump charcoal. The only exception is the book written by the folks that make Kingsford. Go figure.
So I am asking my fellow ranchers what charcoal do you prefer, lump or briquette?
Briquettes last longer, so for BBQ or smoking applications, they work better (as long as you don't get those ridiculous "quick-light" ones impregnated with lighter fluid that make everything they come near taste like jet fuel).
For grilling, I prefer the intense, but shorter-lived, heat of lump charcoal.
Someday, it's my dream to own a Big Green Egg.
And always use a chimney starter and not lighter fluid!