Kiln Fired Vs Torch Fired Enameling

I took 2 great enameling classes at Bead Fest Philly this weekend; a Kiln Fired Enamel Bangle class with Jean Van Brederode and Torch Fired Enameling with Steven James. Both were excelent instructors, knew their stuff and very generous in sharing tips, tools and techniques. All other things being equal; I evaluated the pro's and con's of the firing methods only and here is what I came up with;

Kiln Firing Pro's                             Kiln Firing Con's
Fast                                               Kiln is expensive
Efficient                                          ~and not very portable
Only size limitation
~is the size of the kiln                                      

Torch Firing Pro's                           Torch Firing Con's
Torch is relatively inexpensive          Labor intensive
If you like playing with fire,              Only small pieces can be torch fired
~you're in luck!                                          

A limited attention span and the desire for instant gratification being at the heart of most of my artwork, I have to say that I prefer working with the kiln. And a kiln with all the bells and whistles is not needed, it just has to hold a temp of 1500 degrees for 2 to 3 minutes.

Now where did I put that copper sheet.....