How Miraculous is the Amish Fireplace?

From Consumer Affairs:



There is a sure-shot way to perk up the ears of a consumer writer: Hand him an advertisement for a product that claims to be a "miracle." This is what happened to me recently when a neighbor asked me to check out his latest purchase.


Upon entering his living room I saw what appeared to be a small fireplace tucked inside a wood cabinet, and next to that was a large unopened cardboard box. "They were giving two of these away free to each household," my neighbor said. Then he added, "With shipping, both of them cost me $600.00."
While I was trying to figure out why he paid $600.00 for two free products, my neighbor gave me a large advertisement that described his recent acquisition.

Read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/02/amish_heaters.html#ixzz0RflocbPG

My grandmother had to move into my parent's house last year. They took in a room that was previously a back porch, so there was no heat/ac. My mom bought one of these fireplaces for Memaw and it was a huge hit! So I know firsthand that they work and are made very well.

Too funny! I wondered how many people would go for those ads. They do look interesting, don't they?

I know Amish do not use electricity, so I was always doubtful if they had anything to do with the space heater that fits into the wooden box---but I didn't imagine that the dang heaters were "made in China!"

IF the Amish truly made the encasing for the space heater, I'm sure it is well made. But it'll be a long cold winter before I pay that much money for a wooden box and a space heater!

My basement needs a space heater. But I buy the electric (1500 Watt) wood stove looking ones. I pay about a 100.00. I've seen them on up to 500.00. I am paying extra for the looks because they do not last any longer than a space heater (about a year), and they don't heat any better than a 40.00 space heater.

IMO, the Amish Fireplace or any other electric fireplace is a rip off if all you want is heat. Like I said, I buy what I buy because they look better.

Also, the idea that electric anything is better than gas for the environment is false. Coal fired power plants produce the most polution and leave the worst footprint on our planet. IMO, increasing our electric usage increases the output of coal fired power plant polution. I cringe when I see ads pushing electric.

I have one of the electric heaters that looks like a little black wood stove. It has the fake flames in it, which are very nice - they create an "ambiance" in the room.

I have a large sliding glass door in my livingroom and when the temperature gets down to zero outside, my living room gets a little chilly and I turn on my 1500 watt space heater - which sits right in front of the woodburning fireplace that I rarely use!

I paid $80 for it, on clearance at an end-of-season sale at Walmart 3 years ago.

I was interested in the Amish fireplace a couple of years ago but found a number of bad reviews online that said that is was not so good. I can't remember the specific complaints but I did not purchase. I look for online reviews of every product advertised on television that I an considering. It saves me a LOT of money

The worst part of this is that they claim they are giving away 2 for free and then charge $300 in "shipping" each! They should be required to prove they have to spend that much to ship them.

Also promoting things like "UL certified" which EVERY electrical device sold has to be.

It just reeks of scam all the way through. It's a shame nothing is done by the FTC about them.

My brother has one that he loves. Of course, he has a HUGE four BR Victorian w/ no insulation. He keeps the thermostat at 45-55 degrees at a cost of $1,000/year minimum. The heater keeps him from freezing to death while watching TV.
You can buy them here at a furniture store, although I think my mom bought my brother his at a florist's shop in my hometown. They're cheaper if purchased from a dealer and they take care of shipping it back if there's a problem & furnish you w/ a temporary replacement. (My brother's died last year & they took care of everything and gave him a loaner.)

In case anyone is interested in a more inexpensive but good looking heater, here are some:

http://www1.shopping.com/-electric+wood+stove