Sorry that your lamp is making you cough - it looks nice though!
My listing more what I have, than what's "best"
There are a lot of options, and the key is to try them before you need to use them (like the poster above that dislikes the smell of Kero burning.)
Part of the "plan" is to have more than one fuel type, too....
It's been an interesting road. Battery lamps, candles, Colemans, cold & hot-blast lanterns, and then..... oil lamps. I agree completely on having more than one type as you don't know what fuel you will have. I even have a couple tin can slut lamps kicking about which will burn any oil, even used crankcase oil.
As flea market and yard sale season approaches, center-draft oil lamps will be out there. They are usually overlooked too and that makes them cheap. They are easy to bring back, even ones that were converted to electric. Most importantly, nearly every part is available. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you find one -
*If it is an electric you want to convert back, be sure the fount was not drilled. This usually isn't the case as the center-draft has a hole through the center of the fount for air and the AC cord is usually dropped (but not always) dropped through there.
*You want to check that the fount seams are all intact as well. I usually fill the fount up with water and let it sit for awhile. If there is a leak it will show. Founts are usually thin brass or steel and they can be repaired with a soldering gun and rosin-core solder. Gas tank sealer will do the job too.
*Electric conversions are usually always missing the flame spreader. Those are available new, the diameters are fairly standard, and they are easy to find. Prices are all over the map so shop around. It is a critical piece, the lamp will not operate properly without it.
*The most important thing is that the wick lifter mech is intact. Depending on who did the electric conversion it may be complete, partial, or missing entirely. Basically, the wick lifter is 2 parts, the knob & cog you turn to raise the wick and a metal frame that fits around the center-draft tube. This is different from a typical Dietz lantern which uses a flat wick and uses the cog teeth only to advance the wick. On a center-draft, the wick fits over the frame so it can be raised & lowered without much friction. The cog meshes with a ladder on the frame and it works like rack & pinion steering. This is the part that is often missing. You can find them but they tend to be pricey. The price you pay for the oil lamp should definitely be reflected in the status of this part.
*To check all of this out, the burner just unscrews off the fount. The burner will either have threads or a bayonet type attachment. When you take it off, the wick frame may stay around the center-draft tube or come out completely with the burner.
*The rest is pretty basic, fit the proper chimney, fit the wick & trim it, fill it with fuel, light it and SLOWLY advance the flame up. Some of the center-drafts can be startling in how high the flame can be. Right over the top of the chimney on some like the one I have pictured. Damn thing is like a jet engine it drafts so well. Everything above applies to center-draft oil lamps that have not been converted as well.
With the center-draft and their brightness comes heat, they cook! Mine tend to be winter service lamps which works out well as that's usually when we lose power. If the room they are in is warm to begin with, it will get even warmer. As far as how bright they are, I had my single mantle Coleman lit next to the one above. The Coleman has a whiter almost halogen type light but not really that much brighter light. I would rather use the Coleman if I was doing any detail work. The oil lamp is definitely a warmer yellow/white but you can read by it perfectly. The other nice point is that the Coleman has a constant background hiss and needs to be pumped up periodically. The oil lamps are silent and will run 10-16 hours on a fill. Plus, the flame can be turned down to near invisible and idle. When you need light again just turn it back up.
Anyways, don't pass one up because you are uncertain about it and whether or not it can be made to work. They are simple but clever devices and for decades they were the only option for bright, reliable light.
Good Hunting!