Kilns are great if you're making large items and producing a lot of pieces. For stone firing and larger items you will probably benefit from a kiln, but $5-600 they are a serious investment. If you're still just at the stage of experimenting you can use a small hand-held torch (like the kind available at cooking stores for creme brule). You Tube and a google search will almost certainly turn up descriptions on firing correctly.
I have been making PMC pieces for a while, but I simply can't afford to buy a kiln, let alone fit it in my one bedroom apartment, so I stick to pieces about the size of a quarter that I can fire with a torch. For larger pieces I take them to my local bead store that happens to have one and lets me fire for a small fee. If there is an art society or fine arts college near you they may have a similar arrangement. I haven't tried hot pots, so i can't give you any advice on them, sorry.
Have fun with it. PMC is very addictive.
-Elena