Larry’s recent ski trip has turned his thoughts to fireplaces and the fact that gas fireplaces seem to be popping up everywhere: in homes, hotels, ski lodges, etc. The appeal is their ease of use: nothing could be simpler than pressing a button to start an attractive fire in the hearth. It even looks real–at first glance. But, as Larry has observed, a gas fire can’t compete with wood from an olfactory or auditory perspective. A gas fireplace can’t replicate the comforting aroma of burning logs nor does it provide the snap, pop, and crackle of real wood when it burns. Surely there is a gas fireplace out there somewhere that can also emit an artificial wood smoke aroma while playing a soundtrack of crackling wood? Regardless, a gas-powered fire simply can’t match the pleasure of a real wood burning one.

For varied heat–from blazingly hot to a gentle warmth–, for the evocative aroma of wood smoke, for the chance to roast chestnuts and marshmallows, and for visual variety, a wood-burning fire is still the only choice. ‘Nuff said.