I am also looking to buy a fireplace..when I build the house I didn't get one...I saw a gas one in Lowes today for $598.00, not sure if that is a good price...it suppose to burn all gas and doesn't seem to have a pipe going out the house...is that correct?? I dont see myself using t as much...only if it gets really cold...or when visits

could it be a ventfree unit at lowes

I'm also looking at the bioethanol (denatured alcohol) fireplaces, and curious if anyone has experience or opinions.

Are they safe? It seems all the manufacturers are European, no one here makes them, and I wonder why that is. I'd just want to put it in my old (unusable) wood-burning fireplace.

The Condar Flamenco is an American made gel fireplace system. It really looks like an actual wood fire,(not Sterno cans behind a concrete facade). It has some nice controls and safety features. It is a fairly pricey system and would probably work best in existing fireplaces but might be worth a look for some of you.

Here is a link that might be useful: Condar Flamenco

I've converted my old fireplace to burn ethanol (liquid fuel) with the ethanol burner. Really like the result. The gas units I've used before looks more like stove fire. The ethanol unit has a better dancing flame in my opinion. Won't replace central heating unit, but it gives decent warmth.

I have a floor fireplace that burns gel fuel cans. I love them. All I have to do is take the label off the can, shake it, open and burn. Our's crakles and moves just like a real fire. We've had ours for almost three years now. It really heats up the room with one can and the look is beautiful.

We bought our fireplace from overstock and usually buy the gel cans from Amazon.

I have a wood-burning double glass sided fireplace - between living and dining room - just too messy and required tending all the time to keep it burning clean. I tried an electric for $899 which only filled half the space and was really cheesy. I bought two of the gel units and put then back to back and they fill the space nicely. So far I've only burned 3 cans at a time but could burn six. So, for me that is what works. I bought a bunch of orange flicker Christmas lights and sometimes just plug them in for a little fire effect with no heat and no expense, and I throw a bunch of pine cones in there too just to look festive. I placed a layer of bright yellow strings of lights under the logs to look like the ash burning. Really quite pretty and, when it get colder, I can always burn the gel. Although I understand it doesn't heat much.

Check these ones - Planika Fires