Simple cooking, easy cleanup

I don’t like to cook, and when I do I’m pretty average, but I get by.

But recently a miracle happened: I made french fries, which were outstanding, if I do say so myself. And the best part is that they were made with only a half tablespoon of olive oil.

The secret to my crunchy and tasty fries was the Gourmia GAF520 air fryer ($139.99,

After seeing the air fryer at last month’s consumer electronics show — along with air fryers being used on the morning news — I was intrigued.

Working the 1,400-watt, 4.5-quart fryer is simple; a front LED display controls the temperature and timing. There are four preset functions loaded into the countertop appliance, which can bake, fry, grill or roast chicken, fish, meat and vegetables.

A front-loading detachable basket is used to get your food in and out of the fryer. Your choice of food determines the spicing, preparation time and the amount of oil — if any — that’s needed.

Back to my fries. First and foremost I used a minimal amount of oil, which is healthier and made cleaning a breeze. The basket must be wiped down after cooling off, and you’re done. No splattering oil all over the stove, nothing to wash in the sink. Just a cool appliance that circulates hot air to cook your meal.

Gourmia also has the GTA2800 ($279.99), which can be controlled via Wi-Fi (iOS and Android) for cooking manually or with 20 cooking presets.