I don’t have a wheel-but I do like to make bowls and cups by hand forming now and then-I’ve become good enough that my cups actually sit level so you can fill them with coffee, but it took some practice. Hopefully, I can get my kiln hooked up again this Winter and make some gift stuff. I have some molds for cups and such-but pouring slip into a mass-produced mold isn’t the same as making by hand so that each cup can be made a bit different.
It’s absolutely not the same pouring into a mold as a hand-built technique. People who understand the difference will appreciate your efforts so much more. Although I’m terrible at hand-building, getting to shape something with one’s hands is a lot more satisfying than pouring. It really allows more deliberate differences between similar items. I even like a kick-wheel more than an electric one. You’re all in to the process when you have to use all of your limbs to make something, lol!
Wow, your own kiln! Now that’s the part of pottery making that was both mysterious (what will my glazing look when it’s done?) and terrifying (did I leave an air bubble in the bowl that will blow everyone’s pieces into smithereens???!)