1200 degrees on my kitchen counter

A few weeks ago I finally got up the nerve to try the new kiln, and it's amazing!  For a relatively small piece of equipment - about the size of a large microwave - it really knows how to heat up.  I did three firings of silver clay pendants and beads at 1200 degrees, and the outside of the kiln was barely warm.  It was exciting to finally craft metal pieces from the beginning (a disc of clay about the size of a quarter) to end (a shiny new pendant) in my own kitchen.  I also have a tumbler, which is a drum-shaped container attached to a motor.  After the pieces were fired, I placed them in the tumbler with metal shot and some detergent mixed with water.  About 45 minutes of tumbling action polishes the silver to a high shine.