I have cooked on soooo many different cookers over the years it's ridiculous!!! Gas, wood, kingsford, lump charcoal, pellets... I have owned and sold way to many cookers. For the last several years I have been cooking exclusively over lump charcoal on a couple of kamado's. Love them!!! But with my acquisition of a used Mak 1 Star last month... (went used to make sure it's really cracked up to be what everyone claims it to be)... I am BLOWN AWAY!! These Maks really are all that... and more! Thanks Mak for building one of the finest cookers on the market and refusing to take short-cuts! I have found Mak to be a "you really do get what you pay for" cooker. Just one guys testimonial