Looking for best (most realistic) looking medium size insert for electric fireplace.

I'm in the market for an electric fireplace insert. It will be built into a custom surround, needs to be about 24x30. My priority is a realistic looking flame; don't need auxiliary heat, air cleaner, etc., although the crackling sound would be nice. I don't have a dealer in my area where I can go and look at models in person. I've searched all over the internet and even looked at their "fire" videos, but can't really make a decision on a $500-700 item from that. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

I have asthma and cannot use any burning fuel. Briefly considered a corn or pellet stove until some honest user admitted that they get a whoosh of smoke occasionally. Then I looked into gas. I can't use unsealed gas logs because the combustion products set off my asthma and even having a pilot light burning in some B-and-B rooms we have stayed at has sent us looking for the owners to turn them off. For me, a SEALED GAS unit was the only solution for using a combustion unit to add heat to a room. Not to mention, (as someone noted above) that using a regular gas log will actually suck your heated (by furnace) air right up the chimney, costing you more $ for heating than the BTUs you add to the house by burning the gas logs in the first place. Look in the research, it is all over the place. The only gas fireplace that adds heat is the sealed unit, which would start at $3000 for my fireplace size. But for $600 I got an electric Classic Flame fireplace with LED flashing lights in the logs and embers that simulate real burning, the flames that DIY GUY 419 is getting, a flickering downlight like his that makes the whole thing look real, and real SOUNDS too. I am glad the real sounds are no longer offered. You memorize the crackle pattern too fast and it gets on your nerves. Every time one of the embers in your logs spark, you hear the "pop" and you hear crackles and the wind at the top of the chimney, too , with the volume on high! I love my fake fireplace. I am not sure I will have the $ for the sealed gas one in this lifetime, and the heater keeps me warm. My family say it adds ambiance, compared to an empty black hole, which is my only alternative.

Yes! I ordered a fireplace insert thing that uses STEAM -- and we couldn't have chosen better. Don't remember the name, but we ordered it from Target. When the steam comes out it looks exactly like smoke. There are fake logs and orange lighting and we love it!. I decided that we really didn't need to see both sides of the fire at once, so I made black curtains to hang on the back side, making the two sided look (from the front) like a one sided. We just ignore the back side and it looks great.