Touchstone Forte 40-Inch Recessed Smart Electric Fireplace (#80006)

An Upright Recessed Firebox, Not a Linear Strip

The Touchstone Forte 40 is a recessed electric fireplace with a tall, upright fire display rather than the long horizontal band most electric fireplaces use. At 40 inches wide and 26 1/2 high, with a fire area of 17 1/8 by 30 7/8 inches, it reads like a traditional fireplace opening. It needs no flue, no gas line and no chimney.

The Tallest Flame Display in the Touchstone Line

Touchstone builds the Forte with more flame height than any of their other fireplaces, which is the whole reason to choose it over a Sideline. Five flame settings and three color options, orange, blue, or the two together, and a log set and crystals both come in the box so you can pick what sits under the flame.

Two Heat Settings, and the Flame Runs Without Either

The heater runs at 1,000 watts on low and 1,500 on high, rated at 5,000 BTU and about 400 square feet of supplemental warmth. The flame works with the heater off, so the fireplace still earns its wall in July. It is quiet, 20 to 30 decibels, which matters in a firebox this size in a small room.

Frame the Opening at 32 3/4 by 25 9/16 Inches

Touchstone specifies a rough opening 32 3/4 inches wide, 25 9/16 high and 5 3/4 deep. The fireplace itself is 40 inches wide, because the trim overhangs the recessed body on both sides, so the hole you cut is narrower than the fireplace you see. It clears a 2x6 wall.

Best for a Wall That Wants a Fireplace, Not a Light Bar

Pick the Forte where the room calls for something that looks like a hearth: a den, a bedroom, a smaller living room, or any wall where a six-foot linear unit would look like architecture rather than a fire. Where you want the long horizontal look instead, the Sideline line is the other side of that choice.

Plan the Outlet Before the Wall Closes

The Forte 40 plugs into a standard 120-volt outlet and is not hardwired, so the outlet has to be inside or beside the opening. Run it on a 120-volt 15-amp circuit and keep other appliances off it. Never use an extension cord or a power strip with an electric fireplace. It weighs 50 lbs, which is a one-person lift with a second pair of hands to steady it.