My mother in law bought us one for Christmas about 5 years ago. I refuse to use it.
I deep fry the old fashioned way: Fire up the big-### propane fryer in my driveway with Peanut Oil while drinking a cold one. Like God intended.
That's funny. I actually do have one of those Butterball Turkey Fryers still in the box in the basement that my mom bought us about 4 years ago. I need to either toss it or give it away.
As for counter top air fryers, my niece convinced me to get one about a year ago. As mentioned before, I'm very hesitant about countertop appliances.
I like the air fryer, but I'm still torn. Haven't chunked it yet, but I'm considering. It really is great, but it depends on what you would be using it for.
For frozen stuff and reheating stuff, it's awesome. Gonna get a little crispier than an oven in about half the time. But it depends on how much you eat that stuff. I don't much, but for somebody with kids, I could see it being fantastic.
For most roasted veggies, I'm torn. Compared to regular oven, it's gonna get a little crispier. But in an air fryer, if you are using less oil (most of the time you are), you'll miss that oil. Oil imparts flavor and allows for things to get crispy without being dry.
It's for that reason that an air fryer in no way will actually compete with deep frying. "Air frying" is misleading. It's small, convenient convection oven. Air frying is a nice marketing term, but misleading.
Hand cut fries are pretty good. Not nearly as good as double-fried or blanched/fried hand cut fries deep fried in oil, but really good for something you can get done in 30 minutes start to finish.
Far as fresh meats go, I've only tried chicken wings, thighs, and salmon. Not impressed on that front. I'll take a charcoal grill or deep-fryer any day of the week. But there are surely things I haven't tried. Chicken wings and thighs will get a really nice crisp on the skin. For every other factor, though, I'd prefer a different option.
An air fryer/tabletop convection oven is a nice tool. For some people, it's absolutely fantastic. I dig it, but it's not for everybody, especially if you place a premium on counter space.