I appreciate that checklists are preferable but what i have been told is that you must be able to do everything in IMC while briefing a plate with an autopilot malfunction, i have tried this with a checklist and find it a distracting juggling act, in this respect a rote checklist is beneficial as you can fly while looking at a plate without the further hassle of a checklist, however coming from a dual pilot IFR background i understand how important a written checklist is.