My wife and I have been talking about possibly getting an air fryer but from what it sounds like... they are just compact convection ovens.

I have a good convection oven already.
What is the benefit to an air fryer?
What would we gain?
How does it differ from the oven?
Does it actually crisp it up better than just convection roast on a rack?
"Fry a turkey"?

I looked back several pages and didn't see any thread on this.
Thanks for any advice or input.

It's great some something small & quick. For example, I can knock out 12 nuggets for my kids in 7 min in an air fryer that is nice and crispy. Same with wings. The air fryer just seems to get the outside just right when it's crisp, but not burn.

Way too small to fry a turkey.

we got an air fryer and hardly ever use it. The basket is pretty small, considering that you have to arrange things in one layer. It's really only useful for preparing a serving or two of an entree item, or perhaps an "modest" (i.e. meager) appetizer portion for 3-4 people.

There is a slight difference in effect. Air fryers usually have much higher rate of air flow than traditional convection ovens.

I have one and never use it. I have an extra large and still can't fit enough food for three people.

Thanks.
This is what I was thinking.

Just have to convince me wife we don't need something we already have.

Bruce Almighty said:

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I have one and never use it. I have an extra large and still can't fit enough food for three people.

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This is good to know.

Thanks.

Do you have a convection oven too?

Scruffy said:

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Bruce Almighty said:

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I have one and never use it. I have an extra large and still can't fit enough food for three people.

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This is good to know.

Thanks.

Do you have a convection oven too?

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I do not

We have both an air fryer and convection oven. There are things the AF just does better, likely because it stirs air much more rapidly than the CE. Even the smaller side of the CE still can't compete with certain things done in the air fryer.

As others have said it is great for cooking a small portion of frozen food like cheese sticks, reheating pizza (although the skillet method is better - but our cuisinart AF holds more), cooking bacon, etc. Its really good for wings too.

Heats much faster than the CE for a small portion of food.

There are uses for both. If you get one that makes enough to satisfy what you need then it is great. Get one too small and you'll hate it. Get one and try to cook something it's not really intended to do and you'll hate it.

This does both:

https://www.amazon.com/Breville-BOV900BSS-Convection-Brushed-Stainless/dp/B01N5UPTZS/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1NGBDAD2B194N&dchild=1&keywords=breville+air+fryer&qid=1615326817&sprefix=breville+air%2Caps%2C252&sr=8-3

I like mine a lot.

I don't have one, but I would imagine the biggest advantage of it over a regular convection oven is the hear-up time is dramatically faster

Bruce Almighty said:

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I have one and never use it. I have an extra large and still can't fit enough food for three people.

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Since there are 5 in our family, we don't have one. If love to try one, but that won't work.

Air fryers have always seemed like a hilarious scam.

I like it because as others have mentioned, shorter heat up time. I can make sweet potato fries in 20 minutes start to finish. Used to do homemade tortilla chips in there as well, have also done wings.