Unless you’ve been living under a rock or you order all of your meals through takeout, you’ve probably heard people gushing about air fryers. Much like a toaster oven before it, the air fryer has become the new must-have, hot ticket kitchen appliance that you need. From holiday gift lifts to personal shopping, everyone is scrambling to own one.

But is it really worth it? That question is rather subjective because it all comes down to preference, but it doesn’t hurt to get some input on the reasons why you might consider investing in this home cooking device. Here are some convincing arguments for buying an air fryer.

Healthy Alternative to Traditional Frying Methods

Traditional deep frying or frying methods with oil are not healthy, hence why your parents wouldn’t let you eat McDonald’s for every meal. An air fryer, on the other hand, uses convection frying which is just the use of hot air. This makes any meal more healthy if you prep it in the proper way. Obviously, if you cover it in plenty of breading and use a lot of high-sodium or sugar content sauces, it won’t be entirely healthy, but a simple air fried chicken breast is still much better than fried in oil.

Useful for Plenty of Favorite Foods

Another reason why an air fryer is so useful as an appliance and a considerable investment for your kitchen is the fact that it can fry almost all of your favorite foods. Chicken, in its many varieties, fries, pizza, bacon, roasted vegetables, you name it and you can fry it. Looking at the different air fryers on this site, there are some that have extensive capabilities because of their size and features. Knowing you can fry just about anything and in a healthier way is definitely a good reason to buy one.

Versatile Functions

The main attraction is frying foods, but did you know an air fryer is much more versatile than that. One of the biggest complaints of broiling leftovers in a toaster oven is that it takes too long and can end up burning the food, and reheating in a microwave makes food soggy and gross. An air fryer can reheat food in a significantly shorter time. Beyond that, some air fryers can even bake a cake, which is something that a microwave wishes it could. If you want the best air fryer, why not check Ninja Foodi. They have the latest air fryer to choose from.

Inexpensive Kitchen Appliance

It’s no secret that kitchen appliances are expensive, but sometimes you just have to have the newest, shiniest toy to experiment your recipes with. Luckily, air fryers are rather inexpensive in this regard. The cheapest models can be a little over $50, while the more fancy models can be a couple hundred. Now, this might not sound cheap, but when you consider how much a standup mixer can be, and the fact that it only does one job, it seems worth the price tag no matter what model you choose.

Pays Itself Off Over Time

That’s another thing. If you look at an air fryer as an investment, you’re getting plenty of use out of it so it’s really paying itself off over time by way of functionality and purpose in your life. Knowing you can toss out your old toaster or toaster oven helps you cut down on the energy costs of running appliances, and you can save plenty of cooking time with rapid reheating and rapid cooking capabilities. It truly is an investment in the happiness of your time in the kitchen and the ability to do everything at once with one simple appliance. As a side note, it’s incredibly easy to clean too.

Space-Saving

Did we mention that it’s going to save a lot of space on your countertop? No? Well, that’s something you can look forward to. Air fryers can be big, but not as big as having a toaster, toaster oven, and a microwave all at once. There is so much space you can free up by switching to a do-it-all appliance like an air fryer that it kind of seems like a no-brainer. This gives you a lot of counter space for food prep and makes your kitchen a tiny bit less crowded.

If you’re looking for the next big thing that will take up all your time in the kitchen, it’s definitely an air fryer. This handy appliance can do so much, save you so much time, money, and kitchen space, that it’s almost hard to think about times when you didn’t have one, so if you don’t, maybe it’s time to invest in one.