Duraflame 3D Infrared Quartz Electric Stove Review

Plenty of 'electric stoves' are a cheap fan heater with a flickering light bulb. Duraflame's 3D infrared stove is a legitimate cabinet heater first — quartz infrared elements behind a quiet fan, a real thermostat, overheat shutoff — and the flame effect is a bonus that happens to be the best in its price class. The 3D flame layers projected flames in front of and behind the log set, which gives it a depth that single-plane LED effects don't have. From across a room it reads as a fire.

As a heater it performs like the other 1,500W infrared cabinets: fast warmth on your skin when you're in front of it, then a gradual, even rise in room temperature that it holds via the thermostat. In a 12×16 living room it takes the edge off within twenty minutes and keeps it there all evening. The glass front and cabinet get warmer than a Dr Infrared's wood box — 'don't rest your hand there' warm, not 'burn' warm — which is worth knowing if toddlers are around.

Flame-only mode is the feature that earns its keep in June: the stove becomes a lamp with ambiance for a few watts. If you want pure heating efficiency per dollar, the DR-968 is the better buy; if the heater is going to live in plain view in a living room, the Duraflame is the one you won't want to hide in a closet come spring. Wall outlet, three feet of clearance, and keep it off deep-pile carpet that could block the intake.