I mostly use lump charcoal, and some kind of charcoal holder is a must with lump. These will fit in a Jumbo Joe, and are great for smoking or searing. One full size chimney is plenty to fill both up. For smoking just light a fistful of coals in the corner and fill the rest up with unlit coals and watch it slowly burn across for hours. I also like using these because you can change your setup on the fly. I can lift the cooking grate up and with a pair of tongs move these together or apart for searing or indirect cooking. Much easier than trying to pick up individual coals.