Duraflame Vent-Free Metal Stove - 4600 BTU, 400 Sq. Ft. Heating Capacity, 1350 Watts, Model# DFSS55

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List Price: $199.99
Sale Price: $94.97
Today's Bonus: 53% Off

I generally only leave reviews for the best and the worst products that I buy here on Amazon. Thankfully, this product falls into the former.

I am pretty hard to please in general but this little stove won me over right from the start even while still removing it from it's box.

Growing up in wintry New England, we heated our modest little house in the sticks with wood stoves. This was not without it's unpleasantries. Lugging wood into the cellar and enduring bloody noses and dry skin from the moisture-sucking heated air was never my favorite but I must admit there is nothing like the sound and smell of a wood stove on a cold January night.

After living in Southern California for the last 13 years, I recently grew nostalgic for my childhood. I live in an apartment and a real stove is not possible so I looked for solutions that didn't require venting or actual wood and came across the Duraflame 4600 btu.

It's built solidly, with a nice patina that does resemble an old cast iron stove. It's also a very good size, not too big and not too small. Perfect for the corner of the living room in my 700 sq foot 1 bedroom apartment.

I was rather dubious as to the quality of the 'flames' so I wasn't expecting much when I flipped on the switch (nicely hidden by a solid glass door) to activate them. It turns out they look very realistic. The coals even look convincing. I sat with a glass of wine and watched them dance for at least 30 minutes, happily reminiscing.

After being completely spell-bound, I remembered to test out the heater part finally. It has a blower underneath that directs the heat out the front. I tested underneath, behind, on top, and found no heat except where it should be. That's reassuring to me, knowing that the heat will always be confined to a cone coming from underneath the front.

I even placed a candle on top and left it there for 10 mins. It did not melt at all. It does get hot around the circumference of the bottom surface but that's about it.

All in all, I am extremely satisfied with this product. It's going to be a big hit at my Christmas dinner party. Buy this thing immediately. you won't be disappointed.

I am already showing it off to my neighbors ...

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This is a video of my heater. The flames look really real!Everyone who sees it loves it and wants one.I am now able to keep my central heater at 70, and still have a warm home. Heats from the floor up so your feet and legs stay warm, which central heat doesn't always do that well. I absolutely love this heater/fireplace! Perfect size for bedroom, bathroom or small living room(like I have, 20"x20")Why didn't I get one of these sooner!

Update! 1/5/2012...

I had this heater almost a year now. And I just wanted to say...I STILL LOVE IT! Small size, but puts out the heat. I have a 870sq ft home. And this little fireplace keeps at least half of it warm. It may heat all. But I keep the bedroom doors closed dues to little dogs in the home. But the little ones(dogs) all really enjoy the fireplace as well. Bottom line. Get it. You won't be disappointed!

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I bought this item yesterday. Ordered it through Northland Metal for $79. Quite nice and compact. You can use the flame/log without turning on the heat.

It gives a very nice fireplace efffect coming from a small stove. The heating element is very powerful and warms up the room quite fast. I bought because of the terrible cold winter we had last year here in Tampa, FL. I suspect it will be another cold few months of temps in the 30s and 20s. So I bought it for that reason. You won't be sorry very nicely made.

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I purchased this stove instead of the Dimplex model that is almost identical because I liked the design of the door better and I thought that Duraflame was a respected brand. I know someone that has the Dimplex and absolutely loves it. I read the reviews of the Dimplex and there are tons of them and almost all extremely positive. I thought the fact that there were only a few reviews for this stove might be because it was newer to the market. The stove looks fine. Was delivered in good condition, and is easy to just plug in. No assembly of any kind. The flame is a resonable facsimile of a real fire, so all that is fine. But within a few weeks the motorized parts that rotate to make the look of fire started to make noise. Also, the heat blower makes noise. So the fire plus the blower make some pretty audible noise. If you turn off the heat blower you have what is essentially an annoying noise that actually makes me have to turn the TV up louder. Sometimes the noise gets quiter. Sometimes it gets louder. It would be too much trouble to return it so I'm stuck with it. I'll never order something this large from Amazon again.

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I am so happy with this product. Its so cozy to see the Flames and feel the heat on a cold night. Very sturdy well made.Shipping was fast. looks great in my home too. I would rcomendthis stove to any one.The flames look so amazingly real.

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MISSION 2-Door Panel Fireplace Hearth Spark Screen - BLACK

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List Price: $329.95
Sale Price: $133.00
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This fireplace screen arrived with damage to the screen in the doors. Craftsmanship very poor, unsightly welds, materials light-weight. Does no fit tightly against front of fireplace.

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Pretty solid construction. Took off 1 star because a couple of the welds are visible if you look very closely. Overall I am happy with the product. It looks very nice in my living room.

In case anyone is wondering, there are screens around the outside sections of the frame that don't appear in the pictures.

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Ash Keeper

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List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $18.99
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We bought this product to help keep the little pieces from falling through the grate. Would recommend this product. Came on time.

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It helps burn all the wood, rather than let some of the larger pieces fall through the grate. Recommend it to anyone with a wood burning fireplace.

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Honeywell 7 Fin Oil Filled Radiator Heater with Digital Controls, HZ-709

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List Price: $89.99
Sale Price: $69.75
Today's Bonus: 22% Off

THE HONEYWELL HZ-709: I'm on my sixth oil-filled radiator heater. It's a Honeywell HZ-709, the only satisfactory one I've found currently on the market. The first Honeywell I bought worked very well for one season. When I began experiencing problems, I found customer service to be very responsive and responsible.

THE OTHERS: I had a Lakewood which worked very well, but Lakewood doesn't make these heaters anymore. I've also tried two different DeLonghi radiators. Both of them continued to put out irritating fumes even after the break in period. Back they went. Likewise for the Holmes I bought. It gave off a low-level odor that I didn't find too noxious at first; but after the first few hours I developed a continuous and worsening headache + nausea that wouldn't quit unless I left the house. It didn't put out as much heat as the Honeywell either. I gave it two days to prove itself, then gave up on it.

THE WARRANTY: So I've purchased a second Honeywell. As I said, the first one worked beautifully for one season. I cranked it up again this fall and it worked fine for a few days. Then, suddenly, the heater started to put out nasty fumes. It smelled like a CFL bulb when they go bad very nasty. It still worked and I couldn't find any leaking oil. I think the problem was in the control panel. I called customer service because, unlike other heaters, the Honeywell has a three-year warranty. Customer service was very thorough and efficient. The guy I spoke to told me he would waive the $10 return fee (?!!), but he wanted me to ship the heater back at my expense. When I objected, he put me on hold for a short time, then came back and told me that this one time I could just cut off the cord and send it. This I did, and I'm waiting on my replacement heater. Meanwhile I bought another because I wanted a second heater of this type anyway.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF HEATERS: I really prefer oil-filled radiators as opposed to forced-air or open-element heaters. They are quiet, slow, even, efficient, and safe. But you have to use them correctly. You can't come into a 60 degree room, crank up one of these radiators, and expect instant warmth. Rather than sending out a fan-driven blast of warm air, it transfers heat to the air and the objects around it by natural convection. Radiator is a misnomer they should be called convectors.

(True radiant heaters, such as quartz heaters, use infrared heat (electromagnetic radiation) to warm objects (and people) rather than the air. This is, in principle, exactly how the sun heats. The air may remain cool, but if you stand in the sunshine you will be warmed by radiation. Infrared heat is great if you can afford it. Quartz heaters will make your electric bill resemble NASA's budget. Apparently, buying a little piece of the sun is a very expensive proposition.)

Back to the oil-filled gadgets. As the heating element inside the convector (aka radiator) heats the oil, a current is generated in the oil because warm oil is more buoyant. The warm oil rises and gives up its heat, via the metal fins, to the colder air. The heated oil constantly rising from the bottom displaces the cooling oil which circulates back down to the heat coil to be heated again etc. etc. Meanwhile, the heated air is rising, forming its own convection current and is circulating throughout the room without any mechanical aids. This gentle current of air ultimately feels warmer than forced air because you are not contending with the "breeze" created by a fan-driven system. The use of natural convection circulation saves money because there is no fan using additional electricity.

If your room cools to, say, 55 degrees for a while, then so do all the objects in it. In a typical room, that's a lot of mass to bring back up to the desired temperature. Until everything reaches the desired temp, all that mass is soaking up the heat from whatever source you use. I find that these convection heaters are best used over a long period of time to warm the room and all the objects in it, then to maintain a comfortable temperature. To that end I wish the timer were set up to turn ON the heater (like an hour or two before I wake up or arrive home from work) rather than to turn OFF the heater at a preset time. That would make much more sense to me.

THE CONTROLS: The only other caveat to the timer is that if you accidentally turn it on by flicking the center button, your heater will cut off unexpectedly in whatever number of hours you unwittingly chose. Some of the "malfunctions" listed in other reviews may be due to accidentally setting the timer. The other controls work very well and the heater puts out a large, consistent volume of heat for a relatively modest increase in my power bill. The thermostat for this heater is apparently located near the floor. My floor is very cold, so the recorded temperature on the heater panel reads lower than the room temp. I monitor the actual room temperature and reset the heater thermostat accordingly. Right now it is 44 degrees outside, a comfy 72.5 inside, but the heater panel reads 68. This is in a very old, drafty, poorly-insulated 600 sq. ft. unit with no other intentional source of heat.

SUMMARY: Oil-filled heaters are quiet, efficient, and safe. The cats can and do sleep right up against it without burning themselves. It will not catch the curtains afire. There is no noisy, inefficient fan. Of all similar heaters, this Honeywell is the best -well worth the additional price. It is obviously made to higher quality standards than the other, cheaper heaters I've tried. It carries a three-year warranty, and the company stands behind its product. It heats the room without poisoning the air. If they made an even better one and charged even more, I'd buy it!

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The Honeywell HZ-709 comes very well packaged with solid styrofoam wrapped around the unit all inside a heavy duty cardboard box. When I opened mine I wasn't surprised that there wasn't a scratch on it. It comes with the radiator unit, four plastic casters, two brackets, two u-bolts, owners manual, and warranty card. There is basic tool-free assembly required to put on the casters, but its so easy a cave man could do it. The instructions to do this are also very easy to understand.

Once the unit is assembled then it is time to plug it in. The digital settings are very easy to adjust with one power button and three two-way switches. One switch is for adjusting the thermostat, which can be set to the max of eighty five degrees fahrenheit. Another is for setting the power low (600 watts), medium (900 watts), and high (1500 watts). The last switch is for setting a hourly timer for shutting the unit off. The temperature switch can also be used to change from fahrenheit to celsius within the first few seconds of powering the unit on. Let me add that this unit is extremely silent, I had to check it a few times to make sure it was on.

I purchased this heater a few weeks ago from Target after we got a blast of cold weather (hovering below and above freezing at night) for a couple of weeks because my home does not have central heat and air and I have about 20 space heaters of which none have ever made my house feel close to warm during the winter. I decided on this unit because it was the most expensive one so I figured it must work for that price and plus I had never tried a oil filled radiator style heater before. I am so glad I decided on this heater.

This heater is in my bedroom which is roughly 700 square feet 26x26. I have a 52" ceiling fan which I set to low on the updraft setting. I tried to place the heater in the center of the room but the cord was too short, but I do have a pretty huge bedroom, so I just put it as far as it would go toward center from the wall outlet. I turned the heater on the highest power setting and highest temperature setting about 5:00pm on an evening that was going to drop below freezing. I have a thermometer on my night stand and the temp in the room read fifty nine degrees. By the time I went to sleep at around 10:00pm the temperature had already raised to seventy two degrees. When I woke up the next morning the temperature was seventy eight degrees. I was shocked!!! It was actually warm in my room. My wife was in shock too. What is amazing is that the unit itself is not extremely hot to the touch like quartz radiant heaters are, while it is still hot I don't feel like it is a fire hazard like quartz heaters are and I feel comfortable leaving it on all the time, even when I am not home. I am still a bit confused on how it does such a great job of heating but it really does. For the past two weeks I haven't been cold in my bedroom at all and I love this heater. It hasn't gone above seventy eight degrees in my bedroom, but I don't want it more than that anyway. It was definitely worth the money. I want to purchase 2 or three more of these units for the whole house now.

I just wanted to update my review a little after a year that I wrote it. It went through another winter and kept us warm, I had since bought a couple more. Still very happy with the units. I had people ask about energy consumption and decided to put a formula on here so you could figure it out for yourself since it would be different for everyone:

It is very easy to figure how any electrical device will affect your electric bill.

Use the formula:

Cost = (watts x hours used x rate per kwh) / 1000

So if you use the unit on high (1500 watts) for 12 hours a day at your electric company's kilowatt hour rate (mine is always changing but usually stays around .02 cents per kwh) then divide that number by 1000 you get your cost which would be:

Cost = (1500 watts x 12 hours x 0.02 kwh charge) / 1000 = $0.36 cents per day or for 30 days: 30 x 0.36 = $10.80

You can use the formula for any electronic device in your home.

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I just bought this unit from Target, and it is great.

First of all, it is very quiet. The only noise is the sound of oil percolating around in metal housing, which is actually soothing. It is powerful enough to heat our average size bedroom (about 15'x15') even on the lowest setting, and it is below freezing outside.

It is really nice to have a thermostat. You can set it and it will keep your room at a constant temperature. The non-digital model is about $20 cheaper, but just get this one. I've used heaters with no thermostat, and you can never get it to hold constant at a nice temperature. You will wake up too hot or too cold.

The Honeywell costs a little more than the cheap-o brand, but it is WELL worth it. The first radiator heater I bought was cheap-o from Walmart. It made a really loud electrical arcing noise every time it kicked on. It was loud enough to wake us up. It sounded like those weapons from War of the Worlds.

Update: Durable too. We've had ours for.. 5 years?? Still works!

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We loved ours! A lot of the people who are having problems with it shutting itself off randomly are probably playing with the middle button on the unit it is some kind of timer. We never used it, but realized when we had the same problem.

Our problem is that the oil pan must have burst or something I came into the kitchen one day and there was a brown puddle on the floor and the thermostat was registering 90 degrees. So thankful it didn't catch on fire or anything, but if it hadn't been on linoleum it would have left a nasty mess on the carpet. Returned it to the store no problem, but we were unable to replace it with the same model as it was not in stock.

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I've owned this for a little over a year. I was quite pleased with it until I noticed that my electrical outlet had black around it I pulled the plug and saw that the plug was melting causing it to short. I blamed the outlet only to find another outlet making hissing/sparking noises shortly thereafter (and more melting) the problem is the plug becomes warm either by being close to the unit when on, or from electrical resistance this warms up the rubber/plastic separating the prongs causing the less electricity resistance and voila you have a potentially lethal problem. Even with the unit off the plug will continue to spark/short/melt. Don't know why the circuit breaker didn't blow it must not be enough to trigger. Buyer beware. I'm contacting Honeywell today.

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Atwood EHM-6-SST Electric Water Heater w/Heat Exchanger - Stainless Jacket - 6Gal - 110V

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List Price: $432.97
Sale Price: $355.60
Today's Bonus: 18% Off

I bought this as a replacement for the one that went bad in my boat. It was very easy to cruise through all the offerings on Amazon to find the right price and seller and the transaction was painless. The item shipped the very same day and it was at my door in the time period promised.

The heater is a solid product and well-made.

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Birch Bundle of Logs

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List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $37.45
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I was renting a house with a fake fireplace and the "firebox" was so shallow I didn't know what to put in there. I saw an ad in a home magazine and it had birch logs placed vertically leaning against the back wall of the fireplace in the shape of a teepee. So I was on a search for birch logs and I have to say I was surprised at the price, I thought they'd be a lot cheaper, but this was the best price I could find. These are very nice, I am very happy with my purchase.I get compliments on how they look all the time

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The logs were exactly as pictured. I only wish I would have doubled my order. The shipping costs are a bit expensive but the logs are heavy, so it's no surprise. We love them in our antique grape bin by the fireplace.

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just what I was looking for , outstanding brought the trees that I love , indoors, from the north , don't have them in the south

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I love these logs. They look clean, fresh and modern in my fireplace, which I do not use for burning. I wish the logs were a bit bigger around, though. I bought ten logs. They are pricey and the shipping is expensive but they are heavy and the logs are real. I had wanted birch logs for a long time and decided they didn't cost any more than other home accessories. So happy I bought them.

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I love my log set and have them next to my electric fireplace. They add a nice touch to my décor and my kitties like to cuddle next to them when the fireplace is turned on. They DIO NOT COME with the basket so be prepared to buy that item. In this, the online ad is a misleading one. Dr. Carole

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Lumisource C-Shape TV Stand

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List Price: $299.99
Sale Price: $218.99
Today's Bonus: 27% Off

I purchased this TV stand for a space that is basically divided in half. When I received the stand, I was able to put it together with the included allen wrench in about 15 minutes. There aren't a lot of parts to attach so it feels heavy and well-built. It swivels perfectly -it rotates easily but feels solid when it moves. This allows us to swivel the television in both directions with minimal effort.

I was excited about getting this unit because the specifications stated that it fits "up to a 50 inch TV". I have a new 46" LCD TV that BARELY clears the attached shelf. When I say barely, I mean by less than a quarter of an inch. I can confidently say that there is no way this stand would accommodate my slightly older 50" plasma TV.

I gave this item 3 stars because it works, but just barely. If you have a 46" or smaller TV that you need to swivel this unit should work great. If your TV is any larger, I would hesitate to purchase it because it may not fit.

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I have bought this TV stand for my TV and media PC and it works quite well. It looks good, it is compact and rotates which is very nice feature and was the main reason for buying it.

Nice feature of this stand is space behind the TV where you can hide all cables.

Definitely recommended.

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I enjoy having a large great room that serves as both my living room and office. This stand's 360-degree rotation lets me easily turn it to face my desk or my couch, as the situation requires. It is well-constructed, easy to assemble, and a unique visual statement. There isn't much space for games and controllers, but those are easily handled with an end table.

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Great looking, sturdy and compact. Easy to put together. We love it. Not bulky like other stands. We recommend it to anyone who likes contempory furnishings.

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This product took awhile to come but when it did it was worth the wait. It was easy to assemble (did not not contain hardware for TV mount). It looks great once assembled.

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Rest Secure Restwarmer Dual Control Mattress Pad

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I used to have a mattress pad from Sunbeam. The improvement I see in Rest Secure are: 1) the power cord connector is on the side, instead of on top of the mattress like Sunbeam, which is annoying when you sleep on it. 2) warmer heat zone for the feet, it does get colder that side. 3) the setting control has 2 buttons, 5 levels, Sunbeam has a rotational knob for 10 levels. I have to say buttons looked less sophisticated, but it is easier to manipulate, especially when you are half awake at night.

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Fabulous product!! I like these heated mattress pads much more than heated blankets and always have. In the winter, these things take the chill right out of the bed before you get in. We turn it on an hour or two before going to sleep and it's just perfect. This mattress pad has a 10-hour auto-timer so you don't have to worry about turning it off unless you get too warm of course. It has five levels and I'm finding level two or three is plenty. Turn it on and make sure the bed is "made" or the covers are covering the bed so the top covers/blankets also get nice and toasty.

We didn't have any issues getting this on a regular queen mattress fits fine.

Favorite features:

heating coils are all over, but their more concentrated in the bottom where your feet are great design.

Auto-off timer

But, the winner is my favorite feature has to be the dual remotes so we can adjust each side of the bed separately. I get hot easily at night but my better half is constantly cold.

We've also found that these work well in humid climates. Friends in the Caribbean and Florida swear by these for keeping the sheets dry. They only turn them on in the morning when they get out of bed. The sheets, mattress and pillows all dry quickly because of the low level heat. Wonderful for people like me who sweat a lot at night.

Brilliant and unexpected bonus!!

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As a "queen sized" "restwarmer" mattress pad, this item barely fits a basic queen sized mattress of very normal height. Most Queen mattresses available today have a padding of some kind on top that extends the height to as much as 15 inches. This pad will only cover the top of that deeper mattress and, without something to hold it in place will pull off of the corners and not fit well after a few tosses and turns by a sleeper. Heat and setting are typical. Not recommended for the deeper Queen sized mattresses. Should work ok for a thin basic mattress.

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When this mattress pad first arrived I was unhappy with how it looked. I almost sent it back. Once we put it on the bed I thought it wasn't going to stay put. It does not have any elastic, nor does it reach the bottom of the mattress. It looks as though it is made for a skinny, non-pillowtop mattress. We have a Cal King pillowtop. To my amazement, it does not shift and has stayed put so far. It warms just enough...... although I do turn it down while I sleep. The dual control is wonderful as is the warming feet feature. This pad is much nicer than a heated blanket. The heat rises to you rather than trying to absorb heat from a blanket on top of you.

I would recommend this pad to anyone..... I do wish it did attach to the mattress with elastic or even straps, thats why I didn't give it 5 stars.

UPDATE: This is our second season of using this heated pad. Now the lack of elastic or straps is becoming an issue. After machine washing and a season of use, the sides have stretched and lost some shape. I plan to add straps (or maybe suspenders) underneath the mattress to hold the heated cover in place.

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This thing is great, turn it on about 30 minutes before you go to bed and it warms your whole mattress. Feels like a million bucks when you jump in, especially when it's really cold outside. Only problem is now I need to get one for my kids because in the winter they keep sneaking into our bed to sleep !!

Well made too, not cheap looking. Have used it for about 6 months and no problems.

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Frigidaire FAH12ER2T 12,000-BTU Through-the-Wall Air Conditioner with 10,000-BTU Heat and Electroni

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I recently moved to a Co-op Complex that has Emerson in the wall units. This unit is easy to install (but very heavy), blows very cold air out and the remote is easy to use. It comes with the stuffer sealer and replacement sealer for inside the wall sleave. My living room is 12' wide and is approx. 36' long. The air circulates rather well and after having the A/C on for a little while, the temperature reader on the remote control did drop severl degrees. This was when we had a heat wave of 93 degrees or higher for several days in a row. It defiantly is powerful, I had the bathroom door closed and it was hot in there while the living room was noticably cooler than earlier. For 12,000 BTU the energy rating was not bad at 9.0 but its not an energy star model. Still, it was much better than the 20 year old A/C that it replaced. I believe the other model that was less than 12,000 BTU had an energy efficiency rating of 9.4 which my maintence guy said isn't really noticable and the new Frigidaire 12,000 BTU model is much better at energy efficiency than the old Emerson that I replaced it with. Still when I replace the other 2 Emerson A/C's I think I'll stick with Frigidaire.

Update: 7/26/08

This unit is great! My electric bill is not making me twist my head like from The Exorcist. I just bought its middle sibling, the 10,000 BTU unit for my bedroom and its great. My bill only slightly went up a few dollars but that was it. Last year when I had the Emersons going, the bill was constantly over $70. I got the 10,000 BTU A/C for $350 from PCR. The 12,000 BTU A/C from the same place was about $410 last year. Frigidaire and LG are the only products that we buy. (major appliances)

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This unit is so expensive to operate and sent our electric bills through the roof!! We hardly ever turn it on now, because we can't afford it and wish that we had never bought it.

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I am quite pleased with my through the wall AC/Heater. I purchased this for my "Man Cave" that is a 16 x 32 x10' room attached to my new garage. I will use this to cool it on the humid summer day's and to supplement my pellet stove for heat in the winter if needed. Using the wall sleeve kit installation was a breeze.

As for cost to operate etc. we will have to wait and see.

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Product arrived as promised. Easily installed in new construction application. Works great! Price was significantly cheaper at Amazon than through local retailer.

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For a 12000 BTU unit there are some givens: it's going to be heavy, it's will raise your electric bill some to have it running, and it's going to make a little noise. If you can live with those things, this is a great unit.

You should know: this unit requires a single 20 amp, 230 V outlet #10 or #12 wire from the outlet to the breaker. It should be on its own circuit breaker (2-pole breaker). Installation of the wall sleeve was challenging due to poorly written instructions, which caused me to take the heavy unit in and out of the sleeve a few times. Installation of the A/C unit itself is pretty straightforward: slide it into the wall sleeve, stuff insulation around gaps (also sprayed some Great Stuff for extra measure), slide in the edge trim, plug it in.

The room I installed this in is a 400 sq ft bonus room over our garage. We let the A/C run if we're actually in the room. The room never gets chilly, but the unit keeps it comfortable before installation it was uncomfortably hot. We watch TV or the kids play in this room. When the unit is on high fan we turn up the volume on the TV about 10 dB (a minor adjustment), and the fan is background white noise. Not enough to be bothersome, but this is by no means a silent unit.

The remote on this particular model doesn't have a temperature sensor. Great idea but you won't see it with this model. In the place of the "remote sensor" button is a button simply labeled "heat."

The unit has three control options: fan control, temperature control, and timer control. You can set the fan to low, medium, high or "Auto Temp," which means it automatically blows high until the desired temperature is reached, then it will switch to a lower fan setting. Lower fan speeds are quieter. The temperature options are cool, heat, fan only, and "Energy Saver," which the manual describes as: "In this mode, the fan will continue to run for 3 minutes after the compressor shuts off. The fan then cycles on for 2 minutes at 10 minute intervals until the room temperature is above the set temperature, at which time the unit cooling system starts again." The timer allows you to do a delayed start, a delayed stop, or sleep mode. Sleep mode will adjust the temperature (up in cool mode, down in heat mode) 2 degrees at a time every 30 minutes. After adjusting the temperature twice it will maintain the temperature for seven hours. We don't sleep in our bonus room, so you decide if that feature is useful to you.

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Waring Pro WPM10 Professional Popcorn Maker

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $110.00
Sale Price: $59.95
Today's Bonus: 46% Off

Like many customers on-line I seem to be replacing an older "stir-crazy" model only to find poor reviews on the newest model (and every other unit too)so I had to choose among the models/brands that seemed to be the least frustrating. That is how I ended up with Waring unit. But, as many mentioned, it is almost impossible to get popcorn that is not burntyou have to take it out BEFORE all the kernals are popped or there is no way to keep that from happening. Also, the popped corn is not as crisp as the older unit (I've tried with top lid on and off).

So a little frustrating to replace a 10 year old unit that saws lots of usage to only find the quality on all these products seems to have gone down.

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My Westbend popcorn popper was hard to wash, the lid cracked after only a few uses, and after a summers use, it was just old and yucky. This waring pro is fantastic! First it has an on/off switch!!! Second the lid... it is thicker, the top for melting butter is larger and the lid stays attached. Third and very best of all, the base separates from the electric heating unit! This makes for a product that will last a long time, stay clean and get a lot of use. Bravo! to Waring for making such a thoughtful and great popcorn maker. Butter flavored olive oil is great! There is also butter flavored grapeseed oil. If you like oil popped popcorn and you want something that can be easily maintained and cleaned, this is hands down the very best of the best! Worth the extra buck!

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I bought this popcorn maker as a Mother's Day gift for a mom who frequently pops bowls of popcorn over a stove top. The main benefit of the Waring popcorn maker is that it requires less oil than you would need with the traditional stove top method. Another perk is that the top of the appliance doubles as a bowl for your popcorn once it's popped. The bowl is a decent size, but if you regularly use your biggest mixing bowl to serve your pots of popcorn, keep in mind this bowl is a more modest size.

The primary downside (and this goes for many specialized appliances, not exclusive to this one) is that it's somewhat hefty and will take up a good chunk of space on your counter top. For that reason, I'd really only recommend buying it if you're truly a popcorn enthusiast and will use it frequently enough to warrant the kitchen space you'll need to store it.

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We were excited to get this as a Christmas present to replace a Presto Power Pop (a bowl you use in the microwave to pop the corn) that saw HEAVY use. The idea behind this is great, the execution not so much.

We used this one day to make three different batches of popcorn, using both yellow and white corn to see which was better. Every time each batch was done, as with other reviewers, no matter how fast you flip the corn into the bowl there are burnt and scorched pieces. After replenishing our supply of popcorn kernels at the store, about a week later when we tried to use this again. The arm would not spin, the gear that spins it, coming out exactly a few inches away from the searing heat ring, it was discovered the gear was PLASTIC, not metal!!!

Seriously, who does that? What chinese designer, and this is made in China, thought a molded plastic gear was good next to an extremely hot surface? The gear didn't melt, but disintegrated into myriad pieces. So we got exactly one day of use out of this for three batches of popcorn. Not a great way to spend $60. This junker is going back to the store, we are sticking with the Presto Power Pop, and if you are smart you will steer clear of this popcorn maker and find a better alternative.

Pros: When it works, makes ok popcorn with very little kernels left and uses little oil

Cons: Poorly designed and constructed, substandard materials, relatively high price for what you get

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Discovered problem with this product but did find a workaround... although not ideal and are reporting to this the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

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Hearth Cricket Polished

Customer Ratings:
List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $18.99
Today's Bonus:

I was looking for something decorative that I could put on our wood stove as it's a big black boring hunk of metal. I read that crickets are supposed to be a traditional sign of good luck when placed on the hearth and, after looking online at many different options, I selected this one. It arrived quickly and in perfect condition. The cricket is cute, especially his little antennas, and he looks great perched on the top of the stove. Several people have commented on him. One note: As the cricket is metal, he heats up quickly and cannot be handled at all while the stove is hot. So if you have children around the house who might want to pick him up, the top of the stove may not be the best place for this item.

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Nostalgia Electrics CCM-505 Vintage Collection Cotton Candy Maker

Customer Ratings:
List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $55.59
Today's Bonus:

Pros:

5*, not 3*

Way cute

Constant use duty cycle

Short warm up time

No cool down time required

Beautiful cotton candy

Good size cones of candy compared to other toy machines

Largely metal construction

Quiet

Cons:

Spinning, heated disk is a serious hazard to anyone that might touch it.

Disk will get damaged if dropped.

Slow to be expected from a toy.

Small output of candy to be expected from a toy.

Note that the "Nostalgia Electrics CCM505 Cotton Candy Maker" is the same mechanism as Looney Toons cotton candy maker. My review applies to both.

I give this a 5 star rating (excellent). I think I initially rated it only 3 stars because of the safety concern. Amazon won't let me change my rating. Other than the safety concern this is an excellent toy machine.

This way cute toy cotton candy maker is good. I used it a lot and it held up fine. It easily makes nice cotton candy. Largely metal construction is durable and well made. Clean up is not too bad. You pay for the cuteness in storage space, this box is big, something like a deep fryer. I was able to make respectable cones of cotton candy, similar to those shown on the box. As you run the machine longer it starts to work better, I guess it's heating up more. This machine can run for extended periods of time without overheating, a big plus over the misnamed "The Real Cotton Candy Machine," (TRCCM) a competing toy machine. I have run it for an hour at a time with no problem.

At a recent event I served a cone and absolutely stopped the show with everyone marveling at how beautiful was the cone of cotton candy.

With this machine there is only a two minute heat up period and no cool down period required, both big pluses. From ice cold you pour the scoop of sugar into the hopper, turn it on, and about two minutes later it begins to make the candy. At 1'45" you will smell the most wonderful aroma of caramelizing sugar!

As far as making candy goes, there is no question. This machine is far superior to TRCCM. However there is one serious reservation: this machine uses an exposed spinning metal disk. The heated disk spins at high speeds and would prove plenty dangerous if anyone was to touch it or get hair, jewelry, or clothing tangled. By contrast, TRCCM has no exposed moving parts and a plastic guard to keep fingers out.

Disassembly allows good access for cleaning. Cotton candy is intrinsically messy so you've got a problem no matter what. The disk keeps most of the sugar and candy away from the heating elements so you don't get a mess inside the unit. The bowl seals well against the body of the unit so not much candy there. The bowl detaches so you can wash it in the sink. Without the bowl you get good access to wipe down the rest of the unit.

The metal disk is sturdy, but gets damaged if dropped, which I did with mine. The Looney Tunes company offered a replacement disk for $10. Not free, but not a rip off either.

The instructions specify white table sugar only. This works fine, makes a lovely cone, and the lack of vanilla flavoring makes for delicious, unusual candy. However, people constantly annoy me by griping that it's not purple and asking if we can put food coloring in the sugar. I don't think that would work, I think the sugar would clump. So, to appease them, you might consider the "Nostalgia Cotton Candy Fun Kit CFK-515," but shop around because the one on Amazon here is posted with a price that is way too high. Commercial floss (colored and flavored sugar) is also locally available, I don't know if either of these options would work in this machine.

This machine suffers some typical toy food maker shortcomings.

1: It's slow. It takes about two minutes to start making candy and then maybe five more to complete the cone. When trying to serve even five kids, hahaha-think again. It's not happening. With five machines maybe.

2: Quantity of candy output is small. The instructions warn you not to put too much sugar in at once; it's probably best to heed that warning. It comes with a little measuring scoop so that you can get it right. Once you put in that scoop, you need to wait until it's exhausted before adding more. That will cost you a two minute delay each time while the fresh sugar melts. However, that scoop does make a nice fluffy cone of candy that is great for this toy machine. Unfortunately it's not what you get at the carnival, but for this toy it's great. With practice you learn how to roll the candy loosely so as to make the most attractive cone possible. I found that candy output doubled or more on the third and later batches.

3: Lack of suction cup feet on this model will help this guy vibrate off the table.

4: Toy size bowl with no cover allows sugar granules and candy fibers to escape machine, making a mess. I didn't find it troublesome.

5: Consistency of candy is on the light side compared to what I get at the grocery store. That makes this candy light, fluffy and delicious, but it also allows you to eat the entire cone in a few bites. My guidelines: no sharing, and savor every bite for all it's worth, because that cone doesn't last long.

Notes on the video:

Here we are having great fun making cotton candy with the Nostalgia Electrics machine. You will obviously see that this machine works great. In this video Suelo made a gigantic cone that actually rivals what you'd get at the circus. It's similar to the cones shown on the box of this unit, that's an honest company, but then they don't have anything to be ashamed of with this unit, do they?

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My daughter got this for christmas and we have had so much fun making cotton candy. It's easy to work and clean up and it makes a nice size ball of cotton floss. I found that the first cone of cotton candy I make each time turns out smaller then the subsequent ones. The hotter the machine gets the better the cotton candy. Also, once you accumulate some floss on the cone by holding it vertically, turn the cone horizontally to collect the rest. The higher you hold the cone and twist, the fluffier the ball of cotton candy will be. It just takes a little practice. The machine came with a small bag of strawberry vanilla floss sugar and I also purchased a couple boxes of flavored floss sugar at another web store. The floss sugar works great. The instructions say you can use regular table sugar if desired and it can be flavored with sweetened kool-aid powder. We haven't tried this yet.

This really is a lot of fun!

Buy Nostalgia Electrics CCM-505 Vintage Collection Cotton Candy Maker Now

My son loves cotton candy. Whenever we go to the fair, it's one of his must-have treats. Therefore, when he wanted a cotton candy maker at home, I bought this one.

For best results, you need to follow the instructions scrupulously: run the unit for five minutes without sugar to heat the spinning disk, turn it off to put one scoop (1.5 tsp) of sugar in the center, and turn it back on. It takes a good 3-4 minutes for anything to happen, then a ring of sugar particles will show up on the wall of the basin. Shortly after that, threads of candy will show up in the bowl. At this point, start winding the cone vertically around the center. After you have collected some, you can lift the cone, and continue twirling it to keep collecting the spun sugar. Now hold the cone horizontal and twirl just fast enough to keep the sugar going on. With a bit of practice, you will have a moderate ball of fluffy sugar. Subsequent loads will melt faster and spin into larger wads of candy. Quite a lot of fun for something that is about 23 calories!

Cleaning the spinner is critical (soak in hot water until all sugar is dissolved).

Because of the heat and the spinner, this is an appliance for teens or adults. Because of the speed, it is best for small groups or patient users. Small children might find it hard to wait. Still, for 1/20th of the cost of a commercial unit, it does quite a nice job.

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I got this for christmas and I love it. It's not messy at all if you do it right. It's very easy to work and it tastes great! My friends think it's really cool and want to use it all the time. I got extra flavors of cotton candy sugar to go with it and they all taste good. It's very easy to clean up after you're finished. I recommend this cotton candy maker if you're looking to buy one.

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Pros:

Way cute

Constant use duty cycle

Short warm up time

No cool down time required

Beautiful cotton candy

Good size cones of candy compared to other toy machines

Largely metal construction

Quiet

Cons:

Spinning, heated disk is a serious hazard to anyone that might touch it.

Disk will get damaged if dropped.

Slow to be expected from a toy.

Small output of candy to be expected from a toy.

Note that the "Nostalgia Electrics CCM505 Cotton Candy Maker" is the same mechanism as Looney Toons cotton candy maker. My review applies to both.

This way cute toy cotton candy maker is good. I used it a lot and it held up fine. It easily makes nice cotton candy. Largely metal construction is durable and well made. Clean up is not too bad. You pay for the cuteness in storage space, this box is big, something like a deep fryer. I was able to make respectable cones of cotton candy, similar to those shown on the box. As you run the machine longer it starts to work better, I guess it's heating up more. This machine can run for extended periods of time without overheating, a big plus over the misnamed "The Real Cotton Candy Machine," (TRCCM) a competing toy machine. I have run it for an hour at a time with no problem.

At a recent event I served a cone and absolutely stopped the show with everyone marveling at how beautiful was the cone of cotton candy.

With this machine there is only a two minute heat up period and no cool down period required, both big pluses. From ice cold you pour the scoop of sugar into the hopper, turn it on, and about two minutes later it begins to make the candy. At 1'45" you will smell the most wonderful aroma of caramelizing sugar!

As far as making candy goes, there is no question. This machine is far superior to TRCCM. However there is one serious reservation: this machine uses an exposed spinning metal disk. The heated disk spins at high speeds and would prove plenty dangerous if anyone was to touch it or get hair, jewelry, or clothing tangled. By contrast, TRCCM has no exposed moving parts and a plastic guard to keep fingers out.

Disassembly allows good access for cleaning. Cotton candy is intrinsically messy so you've got a problem no matter what. The disk keeps most of the sugar and candy away from the heating elements so you don't get a mess inside the unit. The bowl seals well against the body of the unit so not much candy there. The bowl detaches so you can wash it in the sink. Without the bowl you get good access to wipe down the rest of the unit.

The metal disk is sturdy, but gets damaged if dropped, which I did with mine. The Looney Tunes company offered a replacement disk for $10. Not free, but not a rip off either.

The instructions specify white table sugar only. This works fine, makes a lovely cone, and the lack of vanilla flavoring makes for delicious, unusual candy. However, people constantly annoy me by griping that it's not purple and asking if we can put food coloring in the sugar. I don't think that would work, I think the sugar would clump. So, to appease them, you might consider the "Nostalgia Cotton Candy Fun Kit CFK-515," but shop around because the one on Amazon here is posted with a price that is way too high. Commercial floss (colored and flavored sugar) is also locally available, I don't know if either of these options would work in this machine.

This machine suffers some typical toy food maker shortcomings.

1: It's slow. It takes about two minutes to start making candy and then maybe five more to complete the cone. When trying to serve even five kids, hahaha-think again. It's not happening. With five machines maybe.

2: Quantity of candy output is small. The instructions warn you not to put too much sugar in at once; it's probably best to heed that warning. It comes with a little measuring scoop so that you can get it right. Once you put in that scoop, you need to wait until it's exhausted before adding more. That will cost you a two minute delay each time while the fresh sugar melts. However, that scoop does make a nice fluffy cone of candy that is great for this toy machine. Unfortunately it's not what you get at the carnival, but for this toy it's great. With practice you learn how to roll the candy loosely so as to make the most attractive cone possible. I found that candy output doubled or more on the third and later batches.

3: Lack of suction cup feet on this model will help this guy vibrate off the table.

4: Toy size bowl with no cover allows sugar granules and candy fibers to escape machine, making a mess. I didn't find it troublesome.

5: Consistency of candy is on the light side compared to what I get at the grocery store. That makes this candy light, fluffy and delicious, but it also allows you to eat the entire cone in a few bites. My guidelines: no sharing, and savor every bite for all it's worth, because that cone doesn't last long.

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Chimney Balloon CB33X12 Large Chimney Balloon, 33" x 12"

Customer Ratings:
List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $53.99
Today's Bonus:

Bought this to stop any heat loss up my chimney when the fireplace was not in use. It is very straightforward to use, although the topography of your chimney matters, so take a look at their website first to figure out where you would put your balloon and therefore what size you should get. (I could not fit the balloon in my basement fireplace because the chain that closes the flue was at an angle such that it was impossible to place a pillow there.) Blow it up a third of the way and then push it in place, then fill it up and close the valve. I leave the extended blow tube on and dangling down; it is unobtrusive with the fireplace glass doors closed, but unmistakable when they are opened. You don't want to build a fire with your chimney balloon in place. Easy removed by turning the valve and releasing the air.

I could tell that it was working because the glass doors on my fireplace -usually ice cold in cold weather -are now room temperature.

A completely unexpected benefit was evident when I heard skittering sounds of something dancing on top of my chimney balloon and unable to get below it into the fireplace. I suspect it was a mouse.

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