Dimplex Castillo Freestanding Optiflame Electric Fire, Chrome/ Silver, Contemporary LED Flame Effect with a Choice of Coal or White Pebble Fuel Bed, with Thermostat and Adjustable 2kW Heater

I bought this to replace my last fire (which was not a Dimplex) after it blew up spectacularly and knocked the power out. Having trawled every single major DIY store in High Wycombe (and there are plenty of them!), I could not find anything suitable. Most of them had too deep an inset (mine is only a few centimetres deep), and the freestanding ones I found were quite expensive and not this nice. I should have saved my petrol and gone straight to Amazon- as always it came up trumps.I actually bought this 'used' from Amazon Marketplace- the £30 saving over a new one was worth the risk- and it paid off. There is nothing 'used' about this product- there is not a scratch on it, the only giveaway is that the box had a slight hole in it and had been taped up. The fire is fine- it must have been bought by a customer who opened it and changed their mind. So a £30 saving for me- I shall be buying from Amazon Marketplace again!Moving onto the fire itself, it is beautiful. Much much better than the one it replaced. The flame effect is near-silent (certainly compared to my last one!), the pebbles and flame effect look stunning. Lovely and bright. Like some of the other reviewers, I would choose the white pebbles because they really stand out when it is switched off, and when it is switched on the orange light reflects off the white pebbles and make them look like glowing coals anyway! You wouldn't get that effect with the coals because they don't reflect the light (my last fire I chose the coals and I much prefer these pebbles).So to cut a very long review short, I love it. It looks the part, was excellent value and so far I can't fault it. If you like the look of this (or the Castillo sister model which is identical except the surround is silver instead of black), I would say have a punt at a "used" model on Amazon Marketplace. With the savings, buy yourself a bottle of Dubonnet, sit by your new fire and toast an excellent purchase and great taste :)One last point- I ordered this at 1am on Tuesday morning, and it was with me by Wednesday afternoon! Perfect service (particularly welcome as my central heating has gone wrong!) If this fire lasts 5 years like my last one did, I will be a very happy bunny.

After being let down by two alternative fire suppliers we found this on Amazon. I was a bit unsure as we'd original looked for something a bit more modern, but there are only so many flat black screens you can have on your wall! Looked at the other reviews and took a chance on buying unseen, but no regrets whatsoever. It's a great fire. And it is really odd, but psychologically, it feels so warm with just the "flame effect" on, we've had to turn it off more than once!! And it's lovely in the late evening when the heating goes off and you just need a warm glow. Haven't had to use the heater much over Christmas, but it's absolutely great - and we have a relatively big room (21ft X 10ft).And the delivery . . . Tesco promised a fire in 3 days; 38 days later, no fire. Argos promised another fire in seven days. After 6 days they called to say it would be a further 20 days. Amazon; fire promised by 1pm on the 3rd working day. Received several texts and emails confirming and on d-day, text to say fire would be delivered between 10.54 [sic] and 11.54 by a named driver. At 11.04, the fire arrived!! Could not be faulted. Would thoroughly recommend.

This heater replaces an open barred one which meant we could see when the heat was on. On this Heater the controls are not too easy to see neither is the source of warmth. It is the only source of heat in our Sitting Room and we have yet to adjust to these changes. We are pleased with the look of it and in this milder weather it has fulfilled its task. Concern is how quickly it will warm things in a cold spell?

Our old optimist fire eventually gave up and I needed something that would fit across an old fire place opening. This was perfect . The flame effect is really good and it’s easy to use. Heat output is good but the heater fan is noisy, but we didn’t buy it for the heat output. Dimplex fires are much more expensive in the shops so this was a great buy. Also it comes with white pebbles ( which we like) and black coals so you can choose which you like.

This electric fire is really nice looks the part you would think it was real it is so quiet and easy to install bulbs

The fire was delivered earlier than expected so I was very pleased, the fire is lovely fits in with our decor beautifully.This fire is a little bigger than some others so fitted our awkward space very well, the flame effect is very cheering and realistic I could not be more pleased, we only use flame effect as focal point in room, so price was very good.

I got this to replace my real coal fire as we've had central heating installed and so didn't want the mess of keeping my real coal fire. It was dispatched really quickly and arrived in excellent condition. It's a beautiful fire and compliments my black granite hearth and back panel beautifully and all who've seen it really like it. It covers the old fire trim, so you would never guess there was a coal fire sitting behind it. It comes with real coal and pebbles, so you can swap and change the look if you want to. I've only used the coal up to now as it looks so nice, and the immitation flame effect is quite hypnotic. I have mine on just the flame effect so no heat is produced, but it has 2 heat settings. I have to say I wish I'd have got this sooner because it looks lovely, stops the draft from the chimney (with the help of a chimney balloon purchased separately), and gives a really cosy glow just like the real fire did, but without the mess and expense. Just two small points to mention; it seems to make a quiet tapping sound when it's switched on, but this is really only noticeable if the room is quiet or if the tv is off; and the cable is a little short for where our socket is, and so would not sit flush to wall. I've had to buy an extention lead for this reason. These are minor things, hence me still scoring 5 stars. I would recommend to anyone.

Creates a focal point for my open plan living area. Very stylish and flame affect gives a warm cosy feel to the room.The chrome outer frame is plastic which I thought would be metal. Still looks great though.Gives off nice heat if needed.