They are really good for raising bread/yeast doughs, drying herbs, drying fruit (bananas don't necessarily want to break your teeth like some of the supermarket offerings, mango with chilli powder on it is delicious.
Will be trying meat before too long but at the same time I would note if you have a smoker or something and use that it might be a harder sell.
As far as "the pile" then while I have some tools like that then kitchen gadgets wise then I make an effort to find a use for things or something I can do. Air fryer for instance makes wonderful crisps (did also dehydrate some potatoes before air frying them, less hassle but not as nice as doing them normally), chips, samosas and apparently scotch eggs.
All that said if you could have it such that it takes up space on someone else's counter and then occasionally borrow use of it (similar idea to having a friend with a boat and just providing some booze when you go out on it) then that would be acceptable.
