Dimplex GOSFORD Optimyst Stove, Black

I have a fireplace in my living room that never got used and I did put a red light in it to give it a bit of a glow at night. When I saw this Dimplex fire with the real flame effect I was more than impressed. After a bit of research and reading reviews on the Real flame effect I decided that it would look a lot better than a red light. I bought this model specifically for its size as it fits perfectly in front of the real fireplace. It’s very well made, no plastic or cheap feeling bits on it and generally looks good. Assembly was very easy, it comes with 6 orange LED bulbs a Transducer which makes the flame effect and was already fitted a water container and the log block that sits on top. I only had to fit the bulbs which are a simple push fit, fill the water tank put it in place and then sit the log block on top which fits very well with a thin line of foam around the edge to prevent scratches. When the water tank is fitted it will immediately start to drain into a sump underneath and this takes about half the tank so it’s wise to refill the tank after first fit. The controls including the main on/off button a nicely hidden away ander a flap just under the door, there’s also a remote control so for first use you have to put the mains power on with the switch under the flap. The smoke effect has three different intensity levels, there’s also higher the level the more water is used but even on the highest level it will last all night. There’s is also a 2000w fan heater underneath the fire but to be honest I’ve only switched it on once to make sure it was working as I never intended to use the fire to heat the room. When the flame effect is first switched on it takes around 30 seconds to start to work and to be honest I was amazed at how real the effect is in combination with the lights. I’ve had a couple of friends ask if it was a real fire which pleased me. It looks great in front of the fireplace and gives off a nice glow at night. Overall it’s expensive but worth every penny for that Real Fire Look.

We bought this in 2019, so I thought I'd give it a long term review now we've had it for 7 years. Never had any problems with it, it's worked perfectly from day 1. The flame/smoke effect really is quite convincing, at first glance you'd think it was real. The full water bottle lasts for about 8 hours of continual usage. We've never used the fan heater because electric fan heaters are VERY expensive to run and we have alternative heating. We just bought it for it's decorative appeal and it's cozy warm look on a cold winters day/night. Its difficult to pick a fault with it, but if i had to the best I could do is to say the fire effect is a bit too bright.

I previously owned an electric stove, it was cheap and cheerful and did the job. I hadn't seen a Dimplex Opti-Myst stove until recently, and when I did then I was sold. I bought a Dimplex Gosford GS 020 here from the Amazon Warehouse. It was a "used like new" offer with a significant discount from the new price. Delivery was very fast, just two days and it appeared at my door. Setting up was a little more complicated than expected. It isn't quite plug and go as advertised. First unpack carefully and make sure everything is intact and present. Place the stove in a suitable position allowing sufficient ventilation. Dimplex provide excellent instructions with diagrams which I found very helpful. After about 30 minutes I was done, the reservoir, water tank, bulbs and optimist transducer all fitted. Switch on and the flame effect is simply amazing and very convincing. I did however have a few issues to solve. As said previously, I bought a used item, and whilst overall it was in very good condition and "like new" as described it did have a minor problem with the stove door which at first would not close correctly. The membrane behind the glass was not seated correctly but I soon put it in the correct position. I also noticed the plastic log tray provided was broken. Actually only the base was in one piece with the logs that sit on top in pieces. It spoilt the desired flame effect:( but one short friendly phone call to Dimplex Customer Care, and a replacement log tray was sent just two days later. Very impressive service and a big thank you to Michelle. The instructions says to use filtered water only, also to clean the internals every two weeks which as others have commented is bit of a faff. I live in a hard water area so I have decided to use a mixture of filtered with distilled water to keep the solution as "soft" possible. For reasons I am not aware apparently pure distilled water should not be used? So anyway, I am very pleased with this stove. It looks great, it has the most convincing realistic flame effect I have ever seen and the 1 or 2 Kw electric fan heating it provides whilst won't be used very often (we have gas fired central heating) it will come in handy on those few very cold winter days we get. I forgot to mention the remote control which simple to use, smart and effective. One button controls the heating, one the flame effect and between them is a third button that switches the stove in stand by mode. In my opinion the Opti-Myst range whilst they are expensive are well worth the money . If you seek a simpler option with less faff and maintenance then you might want to look at the less expensive Opti-Flame models. Either way you will be pleased I am sure. Dimplex Opti-Myst Stove, Black EDIT: I have owned my Opti Myst fire for almost one year and everything is still working perfectly indeed nothing has failed. I read a number of negative reviews here complaining about poor longevity of components; replacing the water tank, bulbs, or the transducer on a regular basis. I surmise this is the result of poor maintenance and/or not reading the instructions. You do need to take care of this fire and that can be a faff at times but it's the price we pay for the realistic flame effect. So, don't over tighten the water tank cap. Always use filtered water. Do clean the components every two weeks and never leave the transducer in standing water for an extended period. If the fire will not be used for a while, then drain down the water and leave the transducer dry. There was another negative review commenting that LED bulbs are not fitted. Whilst LED bulbs would indeed use less electricity, It is my understanding that the heat from the Halogen bulbs is required for the flame effect. If you don't want all the maintenance, then consider the cheaper alternatives. Some look very good but none compare with the realism of the Optimyst fires.

Had this fire a couple of days now, and over all it's really good but there's a couple of minor niggles that I have with it that's stopping me giving it 5 stars. *With the heat on, the fan noise is pretty noticeable - not ideal when watching TV but it's not 'too' bad - just need to turn the TV volume up more than usual. *For a (rrp) £500+ fire, there's more plastic involved than I'd have liked. The main case is metal and decent quality, but the door is plastic and feels cheap (although 'looks' decent) and the remote plastic has that really lightweight made in china feel to it. *The remote only works at very precise angles, so can't use it from our sitting positions, have to get up and walk over to be in front of fire, another minor niggle. Like I say, none of those are big problems, just for the price of the fire I'd have preferred a bit higher quality material were used in those areas. The positives far outweigh those niggles anyway, the flame effect is brilliant and it already fooled my mother in law who asked if it was a real fire when she saw it running. Recommended.

I’ve had my Dimplex Gosford stove for 6 years. I had to replace the transducer after around four years - it stopped producing the mist necessary for the flame effect. It was a plug and play replacement which I was able to do myself. Once replaced the flame effect was back to normal. I’ve never used the heater given I bought the stove as a focal point in my living room rather than for heating. You absolutely won’t find a more realistic flame effect from an electric stove. You can even open the door and the flames continue. Given it’s a fine mist lit by yellow lamps it looks so real and there is no repeating flame pattern, it’s completely random, like a real fire. I love the way you see some unlit mist which looks exactly like smoke. I have an Amazon Echo and you can play a real log fire soundtrack. Pop the Echo behind the stove and you will really feel you have log burner in your room. Amazing! Optmyst is the best. You won’t regret buying a Dimplex stove using this technology.

Brilliant wee fire. Did a lot of research before buying it and considered all models and other makes. I’m so glad I bought this one. It looks real as other people have stated. I bought the pipe for added authenticity and everyone has been fooled into thinking it’s a real stove. Was simple enough to set up and I had it unpacked and up n running within 10mins. I will probably only use it lit up for aesthetic purposes, although the heat option is handy. The only very very small picky gripe I have is I can sometimes hear the water gurgling into the chamber that turns it to steam. It’s faint, but I can hear it. I may also add that I bought this fire through the Amazon warehouse and secured it for £50 less than normal due to some small mark on it... that for the life of me I can’t find! So it’s a very happy purchase. Would defo recommend to anyone thinking of purchasing.

This fire looks lovely but unfortunately didn't work, which was extremely disappointing. I purchased an open box, which said it was in mint condition but was clearly not and one element was extremely rusty. This is not what I expect from Amazon.

I bought one of these for my dad two years ago so giving it a considered review. The first unit arrived with a broken insert but Amazon sorted it out pretty well. My dad had been used to an open fire and enjoys the wood burning stove in our house so was anxious to get something that was easy to use. Long story short. He loves it. He does have to fill it with water every other day but despite his advanced years does it without difficulty. He gets a great kick out of been able to start it with a very simple and big button remote control and enjoys both the very real looking flame and the heat. He has it on all the time during the winter when he watches tv and gets great pleasure out of the visual look of the unit. It is a multiple of the cost of other fires but my experience of other fires which say have revolving plates is that they are very unrealistic and this unit is far more real.