"hearth Heaters" or hybrid insert/woodstoves, what other options out there?

[tickbitty]

As you might have seen from another thread, I recently bought an old hearthstone. I bought it quick because the price was right, but I have to put this in front of a fireplace yet the pipe only comes out the top. I don't think we want to put a big old hole in the wall and all just in order to use this stove, so we may have to look for something else. We have been "looking" off and on for a couple years. My husband spent a week with no power in an icestorm here in VA a number of years ago and kept himself toasty with a little old stove with a slab of stone on top. Since we have a fireplace here and it's got doorways sort of to either side of it, I thought a woodburning insert with blowers would be the way to go, but he feels that all the heat would go up the chimney if the power was out and blowers weren't working, and anyway that inserts don't give the ambient heat or whatever you call it that a woodstove out in the room does. An edit - RADIANT heat, that's the word I was looking for.
I have seen only one company, Regency, that offers what they call a "hearth heater" - an insert that comes out significantly into the room and yet the "footprint" of it is still way smaller than what you would need for a freestanding stove. It has a blower but appears to have a lot of surface area in the room too. However, if there is only one maker of such a thing there's not many options in terms of price and design. THis is the one I am talking about - it's a bit expensive and I think it's not very attractive. Anything similar you guys know of that I could look for? http://www.regency-fire.com/Wood/Inserts/H2100/index.php

 

[webbie]

There are a lot of stoves that will fit the bill - many units with rear vents are designed just for this use. So many that it is hard to list them all.

Jotul, VC, HearthStone, Morso, Harman Oakwood and other come to mind. Dutchwest cast models too. Even a lot of top vent inserts can be set partly back in the fireplace and vented up - and by not using the panels (sometimes that even saves you money), you will get more heat.

A lot of folks here have Woodstock Soapstone stoves in front of fireplaces also. As I said, a lot of models will fit that bill. You have to measure the fireplace and hearth, look at the mantel and other wood trim and then start shopping.

 

[tickbitty]

Sorry, I'm not up on the terminology - rear vent means the pipe comes out the back? So basically, if I got one that was front loading and could be sunk partially into the fireplace (not too tall) I could get what I am after, don't have to have one that inserts all cozy to save the space? Yeah, I can see that that would open my options up. Thought about trying that with the hearthstone II if it would fit, but I think it might not, it's a bit tall and the front door probably not big enough to use as the main loader, you'd need the side for that and it wouldn't be that accessible if sunk into the fireplace. (My fireplace is a reasonable size but from the '50s, not some big farmhouse deal.
Thanks for the tips though. Just rear venting, that could be fine.