You had me at "cake." I only make the Italian - never the Swiss. The idea of standing by the stove is what turns me off. I like the idea of putting the mixer on and being able to attend to other things. But I am curious about the difference in taste. Do they taste that different? I made a wedding cake for 125 using the Italian and had great success with it. (Vanilla cake with lemon curd filling & vanilla buttercream.) I also made (for the same event) a chocolate cake with chocolate Italian buttercream with ganache over it. I just may be asking for this for Christmas. Or my birthday. :) When done correctly, it's very hard to tell the difference. There's a slightly greater danger of having a grainy texture with the Swiss if all of the sugar doesn't dissolve. I'm with you, I make Italian first, but this one is still a good one to know, especially if you're in a hurry. Susan

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