Presto HeatDish Plus Footlight - Parabolic Electric Heater
From Presto
The PRESTO® HeatDish® Plus Footlight® parabolic electric heater uses a computer-designed parabolic reflector to focus heat, like a satellite dish concentrates TV signals, so it feels three times warmer than 1500 watt heaters, yet uses a third less energy. Because it warms you directly, you feel the heat almost instantly without first heating the entire room....... Special safeguard features turn the heater off automatically in case of accidental tip-over ......Warning buzzer sounds if the heater is jarred or tipped while the heating element is energized......Ideal for use in workshops or garages; keeps you warm even in chilly surroundings....Great for offices too; the illuminated Footlight® base provides a clear visual reminder to office staff to disconnect the heater at days end....Recessed handle allows you to easily carry the heater from room to room
- Amazon Sales Rank: #10512 in Kitchen & Housewares
- Brand: Presto
Does exactly what it should do
Comments: My house is not well insulated. I have 20' ceilings downstairs, where I spend most of my evenings, and high ceilings in my upstairs office. Running the furnace during these cold winter days does little to make me feel warm and most space heaters feel too puny trying to heat such large spaces. What I needed at is known as a parabolic dish reflector heater. Despite some overly-zealous descriptions, these heaters are not space-age technology. My great-grandmother had a parabolic dish reflector heater more than 60 years ago. Due to Costco's active in-store displays every year, Presto seems to be by far the #1 model. The selling price has risen to a ridiculous 70 - 100 dollars for something that must only have about 5 bucks of materials in it. After reading many reviews (see rebuttals below), I decided this was the right choice despite several logical negatives.
Pros: It works. The night before I bought it I shivered and was cold to the bone. As soon as I set it up the two of us sitting about 7' apart in front of the TV felt a comfortable warmth. I stress the word comfortable. Neither too hot nor too cold. If either of us moved a few feet out of the "zone" we immediately noticed we were much colder. This is exactly how parabolic dish heaters work ... they focus ALL of their energy into a relatively narrow cone of heat directed at the people who need to be heated. They are NOT intended to heat entire rooms or houses. Perfect for a small group of people and/or pets sitting in front of a TV (think fireplace, the effect is very similar) or someone working at a desk. At this the Presto (and likely other similar brands) absolutely excel. What makes the Presto different from some of the other brands is that it uses a very traditional heater coil like in an old-fashioned toaster. It is exactly the same technology my great-grandmother's heater used back in the 1950's. Some other models use a halogen bulb like a desk lamp. They are blinding to look at and the bulb burns out every few months. The Presto's coils produce only a soft reddish glow.
Cons: It does not tilt up and down. I can live with it not oscillating from side to side, but the fixed angle is just plain wrong and can't be changed. fixed angle seems to defeat the idea of a focused cone of heat. I think only a 10 percent range would be far better than none at all. The next item is one that confounds almost everyone ... why put a nightlight into the base of a space heater? It simply does not make sense. You can take the bulb out, which many people say they do, but why is it there in the first place? The heater is also just a bit too lightweight. As a heater with the potential of tipping over you would think it would weigh at least as much as a table fan. Presto totally missed the boat on this, thinking for some reason that a very LOUD buzzer if the unit is tipped would be a better idea. Some people hate the buzzer. Personally I think I would rather have it annoy me than start a fire, but a better base design would also not be so bad.
Rebuttals: It seems the #1 complaint is that the Presto Heat Dish does not heat their entire room (or house). This is NOT a whole-house or whole-room heater. It is a specialized heater that is designed and intended to focus an intense amount of heat in a very pinpointed direction and the lowest possible energy use. It will also cause a rise in overall room temperature, but that is NOT the intent or design of a parabolic dish reflector heater. Used properly, this type of heater is nothing short of amazing. Why heat the WHOLE room (like my 20' ceilinged living room) when we are sitting in a small area in front of the TV? As far as the night-light, I agree Presto is totally weird in that area but if you hate it, pull the bulb out and enjoy the heat. The manufacturer states in the instructions that you can replace the bulb with a standard Christmas tree bulb. A dark blue bulb actually looks quite attractive. Another negative comment I have seen is that the unit does not have a carrying handle. Reality is that the carrying handle is the thing on the back that is labeled "carrying handle" and clearly pointed out in the instruction manual as a carrying handle. Other review errors state that it points upward at a 60 degree angle. It really points upward at about 15 degrees, about right for someone sitting in a normal chair.
Summary: It rates a fairly solid 5 despite the fact that the first one I bought had a thermostat knob that did absolutely nothing. No matter where I set it, the thing operated continuously on high. Even if I turned it off, the heater was still on non-stop on high. An obvious defect (what are the chances?). I cringe when I read reviewers that say they got a lemon and will NEVER buy anything from that manufacturer. I can't believe a major brand name is junk just because of one bad apple. Update: The unit was instantly replaced and the new one's thermostat works as it should.
Strong, directed heat
I've been having this product for almost 2 years now. It was designed to direct heat to a small area. Unfortunately I did not find the HeatDish a good heater even for keeping a single person warm. If you direct it towards you, you'll be burning so much, even through your clothing, that it actually hurts. You move just a bit farther, and you'll feel very little warm sensation. What usually happens is that one side of mine is burning, while my other side is totally cold.
The heat coming out of this HeatDish is very focused to a small area. You will instantly start feeling the heat, in fact so much heat that it literally burns you. At the same time, other areas of the room will remain cold for a long time. Since the HeatDish doesn't have a fan, it absolutely doesn't help evenly distributing the heat. If you need to heat the entire room, you should be able to find a much better heater, one that oscillates (rotates the heating grille) and uses a fan.
The HeatDish is entirely silent while it's on. However, it has a fairly loud rattling noise when it turns on -- and in the low setting, it does turn on and off every 15 seconds or so. It is a bit hard to sleep hearing the heater clicking. It's very bright, too: The entire parabola dish lights up, making the room as bright as daylight. I occasionally need a heater that can keep my bedroom warm for the night, for the case the central heater goes wrong, and this is not the right equipment for that.
There's no way of setting the temperature with the HeatDish. You can adjust its power from low to high, but it has little to do with keeping a preset temperature, even approximately. In most cases it's too hot in the evening and very cold by the morning. If there's no one to occasionally adjust the temperature, it will not be very comfortable. For example, it doesn't work well for me as a night-time heater. It doesn't have a timer either.
My HeatDish went wrong after less than 2 years of very occasional use (I normally use central heating, a gas furnace). It no longer turns off, it always heats at its maximum power, so I can no longer leave it alone. You should not draw any conclusions from this -- things go wrong sometimes. When it was working, it was regulating the temperature by periodically turning the ceramic element on and off. When it's on, it is very, very hot. There was never a way to lower the actual power of the heating element.
Safety: If the HeatDish is not entirely horizontal, it instantly makes an exceptionally loud alarming sound. You can not possibly tip it over without noticing it. In fact, it is nearly impossible to move this heater around while it's on without sounding its alarm.
Verdict: If you need an instant heater that makes a tiny area of the room super hot in no time, it does the job. It does a dissatisfying job at distributing the heat, even to a small area like a sofa, or automatically keeping a preset temperature.
Presto HeatDish
The Presto HeatDish does exactly as described. My observations are:
1) The heat is very strong and directional.
2) Great if you and your significant other are opposites. My heatdish is directed at my wife while I prefer cooler temperatures.
3) The nightlight cannot be turned off. You must remove the bulb if you don't want it on.
4) The heat dish does not have a carrying handle on the back if you want to move it.
5) The heat dish is in a fixed position so you have to set it in the exact position to direct the heat where you want it. It would have been very nice if it could tilt up and down.
6) This does not have an "OFF" switch. To turn it off, you have to unplug it.
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