A Dealer's Guide to Kozy Heat Fireplaces

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What Makes This Family-Owned Minnesota Brand Different, Why We Carry It, Its 50-Year Story, the Technology Behind Its Fires, a Model-by-Model Overview of the Lineup, and How to Pick the Right Kozy Heat for Your Home

By Leisure Time Inc.  |  October 2026  |  Estimated Read Time: 12 minutes

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When people walk into our hearth showrooms, they usually recognize the big names. Kozy Heat® is often the brand they don’t recognize—and then can’t stop looking at. Built in Lakefield, Minnesota by the same family for 50 years, Kozy Heat makes gas fireplaces, inserts, stoves, and electric units with a focus that’s rare in the hearth industry: quality over quantity, and a realistic fire that genuinely looks like wood burning.

This is a dealer’s guide to the brand—who Kozy Heat is, how it got here, what sets it apart from the larger corporate hearth brands, the technology behind its fires, and a model-by-model overview of the current lineup so you can find the right fit. We’ll be honest about where Kozy Heat shines and who it’s best for, because that’s how we help customers choose in our showrooms every week.

From Leisure Time Inc., an authorized Kozy Heat dealer with hearth showrooms in Boise, Idaho Falls, and Twin Falls. We carry more than a dozen fireplace brands, so when we recommend Kozy Heat, it’s because it’s the right fireplace for the job.

The Short Answer: Why Choose Kozy Heat

If you want the quick version before the details, here’s why Kozy Heat earns a spot in our showrooms:

• The most realistic gas fire in its class. Kozy Heat’s EVO Elevated Burner lifts the flame off the firebox floor and into the log set, so the fire looks three-dimensional—like wood actually burning.
• Family-owned and American-made. Three generations of the Hussong family have built every Kozy Heat in Lakefield, Minnesota since 1976. You’re buying from people, not a conglomerate.
• Built for real winters. Designed and tested in southern Minnesota, these are heating appliances first—which is exactly what Idaho homes need.
• A complete, well-rounded lineup. Traditional and modern, built-ins and inserts, freestanding stoves, and electric—with options like a TV-friendly low-profile series and an insert that runs with no electricity at all.
• Honest value. Kozy Heat competes on build quality and flame realism rather than marketing, and that tends to show up in the price.

Now, here’s the story behind all that.

A Brief History: From a Minnesota Millwork Shop to 50 Years

Kozy Heat’s story starts in 1976, in a small millwork shop in southern Minnesota, during the fuel embargo. Dudley Hussong needed a more efficient way to heat his workspace, so he built one—out of metal and ingenuity. Neighbors noticed, word spread, and one fireplace became two, then many. Within two years, Kozy Heat fireplaces were selling throughout Minnesota on reputation alone.

In 1984, Dudley’s son Jim joined the company full time. Dudley focused on research and product development while Jim built the sales, marketing, and dealer network that took Kozy Heat national. Together they grew a complete line of wood and gas fireplaces and established the dealer and distributor relationships that still carry the brand today.

The third generation arrived when Heather Hussong Reasoner joined as Vice President in 2014, followed by her sister Sarah Severson as Chief Financial Officer in 2026—the year Kozy Heat marks 50 years. The company remains privately held, family owned, and headquartered at the same Lakefield, Minnesota home, operating as Hussong Manufacturing. Its stated promise hasn’t changed in half a century: ‘quality over quantity, and a name we are proud to put on everything we build.’

What Makes Kozy Heat Different

Plenty of brands make a good gas fireplace. A few things set Kozy Heat apart when you see them side by side:

• EVO Elevated Burners: Kozy Heat’s signature technology. Instead of a flat burner on the firebox floor, the EVO burner is raised into the log set, so flames rise through and around the logs in three dimensions. It’s the closest a gas fireplace comes to a real wood fire, and it’s the first thing people comment on in our showroom.
• High-definition log sets and media: Kozy Heat’s traditional logs are detailed and well-proportioned, and most models can be ordered with logs, crushed glass, or river rock to suit the room.
• True design range: The lineup runs from classic clean-face traditional fireplaces to frameless modern linears, with a unique ‘landscape’ series in between that gives you a traditional look in a low-profile format.
• Heat distribution options: On many models, Komfort Zone and other heat-distribution kits let you route heat to another room or away from the wall above the fireplace.
• Deep customization: Fronts, interiors, media, and finishes can be mixed and matched—Kozy Heat’s ‘Build Your Fire’ configurator lets you see the combinations before you buy.
• Direct-vent efficiency: Kozy Heat gas units are sealed, direct-vent appliances that draw combustion air from outside and vent outside—safe, efficient, and the right design for Idaho’s tightly built homes and higher elevations.
• Customer service first: In Kozy Heat’s own words, ‘customer service is always king’—and because they sell only through dealers, we’re the ones who deliver it.

The Technology Behind the Fire

EVO Elevated Burners (The Nordik Series)

For decades, gas fireplaces have created flames with two-dimensional burners on the firebox floor—the fire sits under the logs. Kozy Heat’s EVO Elevated Burner changes that by lifting the burner up into the log set, so the flames come through the logs, dancing above and around them the way a wood fire does. Kozy Heat calls it ‘the EVOlution of fire,’ and it’s the heart of the Nordik series—available in built-in fireplaces from 36 to 60 inches and in inserts for existing fireplaces.

Komfort Zone and Heat Distribution

On the Callaway linear series and other models, optional heat-distribution kits like Komfort Zone let you send heat where you want it—into an adjacent room, or away from the wall above the fireplace so you can mount a television. It turns a beautiful fireplace into a flexible heating appliance.

Landscape Design (The Bellingham Series)

The Bellingham solves a problem a lot of homeowners have: they want a traditional-looking fire and a TV above it. Its lower-profile landscape format keeps the classic look while leaving room above for a television, without the sky-high wall temperatures a tall traditional firebox can create.

Millivolt Options: Heat With No Electricity

Some Kozy Heat units, like the Chaska 335S insert, use a millivolt ignition system that needs no electricity to operate. For a mountain or rural Idaho home where winter power outages are a fact of life, that’s a fireplace that keeps the house warm when everything else goes dark.

The Generation Series: Frameless Modern

Kozy Heat’s newest flagship, the Generation series, delivers a sleek, frameless design with clean lines and a streamlined profile. The Generation 7220 is the largest—72 inches of frameless glass with three-sided viewing, built to anchor an open floor plan from a freestanding partial wall.

The Kozy Heat Lineup: A Model Overview

Here’s the current Kozy Heat lineup by category, with what each model is best at. Sizes shown in model names are nominal widths in inches.

Gas Fireplaces (Direct Vent, Built-In)

Gas Inserts (For Existing Fireplaces)

Gas Stoves (Freestanding Direct Vent)

Electric Fireplaces (Osseo Series)

Which Kozy Heat Is Right for You?

With a lineup this broad, the right model comes down to your situation. Here’s how we narrow it in the showroom:

1. Replacing an existing wood-burning fireplace? You want an insert. The Nordik 29i or 34i gives you the EVO flame; the Chaska 25, 29, or 34 fits a range of openings; and the Chaska 335S runs without power.
2. Building new or remodeling around a modern room? Look at the Generation series for frameless luxury, the Callaway linears for customizable style with heat distribution, or the Nordik 48TL and 60TL for EVO realism in a tall linear format.
3. Want a traditional look with a TV above it? That’s exactly what the Bellingham 38, 44, and 52 were designed for.
4. Want the most realistic traditional fire? The Nordik 36DV, 41DV, or 48DV. Sit in front of one lit and you’ll see why.
5. Want a classic, no-nonsense traditional fireplace? The Bayport, Springfield, and Alpha 36S are proven, handsome, and well-priced.
6. Tight on framing depth? The slim-profile SP34 and SP41 fit where a standard firebox won’t.
7. No chase or wall to build into? A freestanding Lakefield XL or Oakport 18 stove gives you a direct-vent gas hearth almost anywhere.
8. No gas line, or want fire in a bedroom or condo? The Osseo electric series—including the holographic Osseo X—delivers the look with a plug.

Kozy Heat vs. the Big Brands: An Honest Comparison

We carry Kozy Heat alongside larger brands like Heat & Glo, and customers often ask how they compare. The honest answer: both make excellent direct-vent fireplaces, and the choice usually comes down to priorities.

• Choose Kozy Heat if flame realism is your top priority (the EVO burner is hard to beat), if you value a family-owned, American-made brand sold only through dealers, if you want a traditional look with a TV above it (Bellingham), or if you need a unit that runs without electricity.
• Choose a brand like Heat & Glo if you want the broadest range of ultra-modern linear designs, app-based smart controls, or the widest selection of heat-management accessories for a contemporary build.

Both are built for cold climates, both are direct vent, and both come with full dealer support from us. The best way to decide is to see them burning side by side—which you can do in any of our showrooms.

Why Buy Kozy Heat From Leisure Time Inc.

Kozy Heat sells only through authorized dealers, so where you buy determines the experience. As an authorized dealer serving Idaho since 1974, here’s what comes with a Kozy Heat from us:

• See it burning: Compare the EVO flame against other brands lit in our showrooms, and try fronts, media, and finishes in person.
• Honest guidance: We carry more than a dozen hearth brands, so our only goal is the right fireplace for your room and budget.
• Professional installation: Venting, gas coordination, framing specs, heat-distribution kits, and high-altitude setup—done to code with permits and inspection.
• Local service and parts: Factory-trained technicians for annual service, warranty support, and genuine Kozy Heat blowers and parts for the life of the unit.
• A complete quote: Unit, venting, finish, and labor priced up front, so there are no surprises.
• Financing: Options to fit the project into your budget—just ask.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are Kozy Heat fireplaces made, and who owns the company?

Kozy Heat fireplaces are built in Lakefield, Minnesota by Hussong Manufacturing, a privately held, family-owned company founded by Dudley Hussong in 1976. The company is now in its third generation of family leadership and celebrates 50 years in 2026. It sells only through a network of authorized dealers.

What is the EVO Elevated Burner?

EVO is Kozy Heat’s signature burner technology, found in the Nordik series. Traditional gas fireplaces use a flat, two-dimensional burner on the firebox floor, so flames sit beneath the logs. The EVO burner is elevated into the log set, so flames rise through and around the logs in three dimensions—producing a far more realistic, wood-like fire. Kozy Heat calls it ‘the EVOlution of fire.’

Can I put a TV above a Kozy Heat fireplace?

Yes, with the right model and options. The Bellingham series was designed specifically for this—a low-profile traditional fireplace that leaves room for a TV above. On other models, like the Callaway linears, Kozy Heat’s Komfort Zone and heat-distribution kits route heat away from the wall above. We’ll match the model and kit to your layout.

Will a Kozy Heat fireplace work during a power outage?

Some will. Kozy Heat’s millivolt models, like the Chaska 335S insert, use an ignition system that requires no electricity, so they keep heating when the power goes out. Other models use electronic ignition. If outage heat is a priority—common for mountain and rural Idaho homes—tell us and we’ll point you to the right unit.

What’s the difference between a Kozy Heat gas fireplace and a gas insert?

A gas fireplace (like the Nordik DV, Callaway, or Bayport) is a built-in unit installed in new framing, with venting run through a wall or roof—no existing fireplace required. A gas insert (like the Nordik 29i or Chaska) installs into an existing masonry or factory-built wood-burning fireplace and uses the existing chimney as a chase for its venting. Both are sealed, direct-vent appliances.

Is Kozy Heat a good fireplace for an Idaho winter?

Yes. Kozy Heat was founded to solve a heating problem during a Minnesota fuel crisis, and its direct-vent fireplaces are engineered as real heaters—with blower options, heat-distribution kits, and efficient sealed combustion. For high-elevation homes, our installers set up the appliance for your altitude. Add a millivolt model for outage protection and it’s a strong fit for Idaho’s climate.

Kozy Heat is the brand we recommend to anyone who wants a gas fireplace that looks like a real fire, built by a family that has been doing one thing well for 50 years. Whether that’s a Nordik with the EVO burner, a Bellingham under your TV, a Chaska in an old masonry fireplace, or a Generation anchoring a modern great room, the best next step is to see one lit. Bring your room dimensions and a photo of the space, and we’ll help you choose the model, spec the installation, and give you a straight answer on pricing before you decide.

A real-looking fire, a family-built fireplace, and a dealer who installs it right—that’s Kozy Heat from Leisure Time Inc.

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Tags: Kozy Heat, Kozy Heat Fireplaces, Gas Fireplace, Gas Insert, EVO Elevated Burner, Nordik, Callaway, Bellingham, Fireplace Brands, Idaho