Just heating up a small ....maybe even tiny air fryer, it's worthwhile. You aren't using as much electricity, not heating up the kitchen...and air fryers are such a confined little space...you save time!

Uses: Any thing from cooking a small portion of meat/chicken/fish. Vegetables or melted cheese over the top of a bowl of soup. My little, 2 qt, air fryer is perfect for grilling ONE sandwich. The price was also little...$20!

I had occasion to use one while visiting my MIL and think they are very useful for single people. she had purchased a take and bake pizza and the leftovers heated in the airfryer were vastly superior to the first day’s oven baked product.

i’m trying to teach her the ease of cooking a piece of protein and some veggies together, quickly, withot unnecessary heat in her florida kitchen.

I'm air frying some potatoes as I type. In my opinion, the only worthwhile air fryer is one that rotates or shakes your food for you -- otherwise, it's really just a counter top convection oven.

I have a a T-Fal Actifry (bought used, it's an older model) that I use not just to make French fries, but also for wings, firm veg like broccoli and cauliflower, and salmon (the salmon breaks up as it goes 'round, but I like that the pieces get crunchy on the outside).

Mine, a Vortex, doesn't rotate or shake, it's not an exotic dancer, it is an air fryer. I use it almost daily for chicken, both wings and larger pieces, burgers, fish, vegetables, and etc. Takes less time than the oven, uses less electricity, and provides wonderful crispy fried type foods with almost no fat.

My air fryer is a Dash. I got it on Amazon and is ideal for a single person. I use it at least once a day for vegies, chicken, hamburgers. It is easy to clean and I would highly recommend it!

Have you checked out this thread? Previous air fryer discussion.

I cook for just myself, and I use my air fryer almost daily. It's a Farberware 6 qt.

It has a rotisserie basket, but I've only used that a couple of times, French fries or whatever do just as well on the shelves.

As others have said, they use a lot less electricity and don't heat up your kitchen like ovens are apt to. And while they are not as fast as a microwave, many things do cook faster in the air fryer than with other methods of cooking. I can cook from 1 to 8 chicken thighs or up to 4 chicken quarters in 20 minutes in mine. And they will be nicely browned and crispy. I don't remember how long it took in the oven, I haven't done them that way since I've had the fryer, several years.

Rusty

ETA: Correction: Chicken takes 30 minutes at 370 degrees. Maybe a few more minutes if they are large pieces. And preheating is not necessary.

Do they take up a lot of counter space?

If you have a convection toaster oven, you can put a wire basket (with feet, if you set it on a baking tray) in that and get a similar effect. I do everything mentioned here in my toaster oven.

Breville considers its convection toaster oven to double as an air fryer when used with a wire basket. It can also be used as a dehydrator.

We have a lot of wire baskets that we use when we barbecue or use the smoker, and I plan to try them in the new convection toaster oven that we have. I absolutely have no counter space for a separate air fryer, and I really have no storage space for one either, other than in the garage.

I have the Instant Pot Vortex Plus oven-type air fryer and use it nearly daily. Also have a Gourmia basket-type air fryer. I purchase the Gourmia first and liked it so well, bought the oven style so I can cook multiple items at the same time. Here is a pictures.

It has a bottom drip pan and 2 racks as well as the rotisserie basket. I have even roasted a whole chicken in it, as well as biscuits, cakes, toasts, grilled sandwiches, roasted asparagus and all kinds of other roasted veggies,, pot pie, hamburger patties, meat loaf, etc. I cook anything in it that I would normally cook in the wall oven. But it is much quicker than cooking in the wall oven. Here is a link to gather more information. https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Vortex-Plus-Rotisserie-10/dp/B07VM28XTR/ref=asc_df_B07VM28XTR?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80401880077045&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584001431112541&th=1

Highly recommend the purchase of a good air fryer.

I have a small one and like it. I don't like trying to clean the insert that goes in the bottom. I now use aluminum foil when cooking meat in it because it is impossible to get all the gunk out of the tiny holes. I soak overnight in hot water and Dawn but it still doesn't come out. I use mine nearly every day. It doesn't take up much counter space but I got a small one.

I ordred a delivered pizza the other day, something I hadn't done in a very long time. Two leftover slices of a medium sized pizza fit in mine for warming up. There is a little overlap but it still warmed it up perfectly.

It's perfect for making a small batch of battered frozen shrimp, frozen scallops, chicken thights/wings, and filet minon. I'm hoping to use it for the veggies that I get out of the garden this year. I haven't tried making frozen salmon yet but plan to try that soon.

"If you have a convection toaster oven, you can put a wire basket (with feet, if you set it on a baking tray) in that and get a similar effect. I do everything mentioned here in my toaster oven."

I use a broiling rack, for the same effect - and I've been doing that for years (mine is a Breville, in fact). The only additional thing an "air fryer" offers me over a counter top convection oven is the constant movement of the food, so I don't have to turn it/flip it/shake it.

@dedtired...mines pretty small. Same one Kathsgrdn got. Mine was a Black Friday sale, $20! Link

I was talking to cousin at Easter and he does the same thing in his convection oven using a wire rack.

For me, I'm so removed from fried foods, I don't cook or eat them anyway, so feel no need to go back, "healthier" or not.

Go to a store and look at air fryers to see the different kinds, and how much counter space they take up. Consider what you eat and if an air fryer will help with the preparation. If you think it will fit your lifestyle and needs, and decide you do want one, get an inexpensive one and try it out.

In case you haven't read the linked thread to the other conversation that Rusty shared, this is the one I have. I do roasted potatoes, fill the basket with vegetables, baked potatoes, chicken drumsticks that have spices on them and spritzed with a bit of oil, chicken parmesan, etc. Potatoes cut in fries or wedges then spritzed with oil and spices and tossed a few times.

I do pretty much anything I'd do in my regular oven, it just does it faster. I even did an omelette....put the omelette in an oven-safe baking dish and place in the a/f.

Two of my adult children have them in their homes. One uses it rarely, the novelty has worn off. The other regrets the purchase as it takes up too much counterspace. I have no interest in them myself. I sometimes do the basket in the toaster oven thing.

My husband bought a Cuisinart air fryer. Waste of money, waste of counter space and awful to clean.

I already have a Cuisinart counter-top oven which I like.......except when it comes to cleaning. I made sure I didn't buy that style of air-fryer, with the rotating basket, rotisserie etc. The type that I have is slick as anything to clean; all non-stick interior.

I made sure I didn't buy that style of air-fryer, with the rotating basket, rotisserie etc. The type that I have is slick as anything to clean; all non-stick interior.

Jasdip, I would think the rotating feature would do better job for fried potatoes, whole chicken rotisserie. But would it be hard to clean so you chose differently?

I’ve had a Breville multifunctional countertop oven but this one does not have convection while my big oven does. I use air fry basket but it takes more energy and generates lot of heat in the big oven when you often cook for one or two persons. So I’m looking to find a good air frier, preferably also with dehydration feature to dry herbs.