Have you noticed the buzz around air fryers these days? Companies that sell them say it’ll become your most-used appliance! When it first showed up, I thought, “Oh, this is just another trendy gimmick—like the hotdog cooker—it’ll lose its appeal soon enough.”

If you’re from another planet (like me) or slow in jumping on bandwagons (also like me), then you may not know what an air fryer is. The short explanation: it’s a miniature convection oven that you put on a countertop. It's nifty and thrifty. You use less fat, so you cook healthier and save money. It cooks everything quicker, so you save on electricity.

I get the thing about saving on electricity, but I still don’t get the big deal with the air fryer, if it’s just a “miniature convection oven.” So, I checked with the pros at Whirlpool, and they said, “Air fryers (like ovens with air fry capabilities) are able to create a crunchy, crisp exterior that closely mirrors traditional fried foods. The big difference between an air fryer and a convection oven is that the oven is better suited for roasting and baking. Other differences include preheating time, cooking time, capacity and heating elements.”

Ahhh, a “crunchy and crispy exterior”…now THAT makes sense. The nutritionists at the Mayo Clinic talked about that feature too: “Because air fryers use hot air and a fan, just a spritz of cooking oil is needed. That makes air frying a lower-in-fat-and-calories alternative to deep-fat frying. Also, air fryers significantly reduce cooking time and tend to give off less heat, which makes them ideal for hot-weather cooking.”

The fact that it saves on electricity, adds crunch and crispness, cooks quicker, and gives off less heat, are some solid reasons for considering getting an air fryer. However, The reason that pops up the most for purchasing this appliance is the one the Mayo Clinic nutritionists mention—the “less to no oil needed for cooking” (just a spritz is needed) reason.

And in regards to that reason, the pros at www.thekitchn.com said this: “If you’re buying an air fryer to replace your Fry Daddy, you’re likely to use less oil overall, and still end up with results that taste good. But if you’re buying an air fryer to replace or supplement your oven, you won’t see as much of a difference in the amount of oil you use.”

So for me, I’m still on the fence. If the convection feature of my oven can get a crunchy/crispy outcome, then is an air fryer really worth the money and the extra space it would take in a kitchen that’s already appliance-full?

I’d love your thoughts on this. Do you have and use one? Tell us what you think, and if there’s something you make in it (besides chicken nuggets and fries), would you share that, too? Thanks—can’t wait to hear what you have to say!