WARNING! Minor thread hijack/diversion follows (with any apologies you think are necessary):
Like Jack I'm kind of a Kingsford guy, mostly because it's always available (a big issue in Hawaii until recently) and, after eating "fired food" almost as many years as Jack (and Bremer), I'm used to it. My real preference, however, hasn't been mentioned (probably because this thread is titled "Charcoal," not "Outdoor carbon-based cooking fuels").
When I can con some out of friends with excess and I'm not being lazy (a smaller portion of the time every year), the ONLY way to grill is over WOOD. Not pellets, chips, or chunks, with or without charcoal - just real WOOD, like it came off the tree (but dried and usually split). It may not be as easy as charcoal and there's a learning curve involved (right wood for the cook, building a fire in a pit or grill, fire tending, etc.) but nothing can replace (or even approach) the amazing flavor of food cooked over real wood.
Jus' sayin'...