It's all about planning really.
Amen to that!
On the charcoal 45 minute thing, one thing that's confused me in the past couple of years (since I've had a BGE) is this:
Weber mandate the use of briquettes. Preferably Kingsford. They're manufactured with constituents other than just wood.
BGE mandate the use of lump wood charcoal. Pure black stuff.
In my experience (better part of 20 years with Weber, 2 or 3 years with BGE), the charcoal lights more quickly, has a greater burn range (~200-700 deg F), and most importantly, leaves very little ash. I see no advantages to briquettes at all.
Why does Weber prefer briquettes over "proper" charcoal?