There’s something special about a real, wood-burning fireplace: The scent, the crackling sounds, and watching the logs slowly burn down to glowing embers. But they’re also a hassle, and pretty dirty.

Vent-free gas logs burn less gas than their big brothers. They usually are permitted to burn only a maximum of 40,000 Btus per hour. Since your fireplace flue is closed or non-existent, all of this ...