I garage because I make bigger beads that wouldn't survive cooling in a fiber blanket. I had to batch anneal for about a month or two but after loosing some beads that I spent significant time on I knew the kiln was worth it. I was also positive by then that lampworking wasn't a passing fancy. Even for small beads, I like knowing that when I have a finished bead it is annealed and ready to be used immediately once clean, no worries about accidentally getting an unannealed bead mixed up with an annealed one.
Initially I was afraid my electricity bill would skyrocket but even with a month of using the kiln ~4-5 nights a week (maybe 20-30 hours of torch time each week) I would only add $15-20 to my bill. If you get a higher temp kiln you can do alll sorts of techniques with it depending on the type you get (fusing, metal clay, even enameling) in addition to lampworking. The kilns are pretty dependable, hold their value well and are a good investment in the long run imo. I have several now lol
.
Tina