Which do you prefer? Since discovering the lump charcoal we like it so much better. You don't need as much. It is ready quicker and it does not leave that bad charcoal after taste in your mouth, if you use anything less than Kingsford.

Lump. We use Basques, Maple Leaf, or Royal Oak.

I prefer Royal Oak lump if I can find it. Otherwise I use K. I have never had a problem with taste with briqs but I don't use lighter fluid. I use a chimney starter and make sure that the coal is ready to grill (unless I am smoking and then I do a Minion start).

NO comparison between lump and briquets! Lump!!!! (even though I gave up on charcoal a long time ago and switched to propane!)

Yep, the purists will tell you Lump, and since I've started using it, that seems to be the way to go (the less fillers the better)...in my BGE, I can leave the unused charcoal and relight it the next time, so it helps make up for the price difference.
AND dontcha love the wood chunks (soaked) mixed in with the lump charcoal? Then you really do have a 'smoker'!

I use lump 99% of the time. I am trying to figure out the control for my drum smoker with lump, it seems to like briqs better. I however, like the taste of lump.

For any Ceramic or insulated unit, I would recommend lump, as you can close it down after a cook and reuse the lump the next cook. The Briqs fall apart on the second go around.

I use wood chunks and do not soak, as I am lazy.

Royal Oak for me, as I can find it at Rest Depot cheap or Wally World is need be.

Guess I'll be the contrarian -

I now mostly cook with gas, but when I want to use my weber kettle, I use briquettes. I find briquettes burn longer and more evenly, but slightly cooler, than the lump charcoal; and the lump is more ashy while cooking - anytime I'd open my kettle, very fine ash would fly around and onto my food. The only briquettes I've ever used are Kingsford.

I've always loved cooking with charcoal - When building our outdoor kitchen, I made sure to plan a storage spot for my kettle, because I figured while gas is more convenient, I'll use the kettle more frequently. I bought a weber summit s450, with a seperate smoker burner/box, and boy do I love that grill. I only use my kettle now when I'm cooking LOTS of food and need the extra grilling space, because that little smoker box really works great - imparts a nice smoky flavor to my food.

I use both, lump for grilling because of the hotter fire and hardly any ash left after they burn and briquets for smoking because they last a lot longer.

But hey use whatever you like just get out and do it often. We usually grill several times a week.

Speaking of being able to continue to use lump for multiple cooks.

When I made my first pork butt, I filled the firebox with lump, probably 8 lbs worth. I have have cooked 4 times so far and may get one more and still have not had to clean out the ash yet.

I've only used charcoal in my WSM (Bullet), one day I will have to try Lump.

I don't soak the smoke wood, water doesn't penetrate far enough to make a difference.