I'm a KBB guy; consistent, dependable, inexpensive on sale and when fired up correctly no bad taste. I tried Kingsford Competition and didn't like it all. Burned way too fast and less weight per briquette. Here's a test, drop a briquette of KBB in a pan of hot water along with a King Comp briquette. The King Comp briquette dissolves like an Alka Selzer, only faster! The KBB dissolves much slower. The Comp burns hotter and cleaner (less ash) because its air!
Now, that said, I do use lump or a mix of lump and KBB, especially when doing a 300F+ hot n fast smoke. I've tried RO Lump. Good stuff. Pricey. Paid $15 for 18.8 lbs off season. I scored 40 lbs of Lazzari Mesquite Lump for $6 when a grocery chain was closing out the product. Sizes are all over the place but adding the extra charcoal grate at 90 degrees keeps the small pieces in the fire. If loading my
WSM with lump I still use KBB in the chimney. No fireworks! The Lazzari sparks like a campfire! Typically I put down a layer of KBB, then some of the lump, then dump a partial chimney load of hot KBB on top.
I like the Lazzari. I know that Costco has sold it in the past, 40 lbs for $13.50. Bevmo here on the west coast sells 40 lbs bags for $20; 20 lbs bags for $13. I'll have to watch them to see if they put it on sale during the "season." At 50 cents a pound though I'd still buy it.
Unfortunately I don't have enough charcoal in the garage to get me to the Memorial Day KBB sales. I've got about half a bag of RO Lump, 20 lbs of the Lazzari, and less than 60 lbs of the KBB in the garage. I hate paying off season prices but the good thing is that I'm being much more efficient at how I'm loading my smoker.