We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Shopping Kitchen Products Which Cosori Air Fryer Is Right for You? We Tested 8 Models Side-by-Side to Find Out You’re one air fryer away from effortless weeknight meals By Lizzy Briskin Lizzy Briskin Lizzy Briskin is a contributing writer and product reviewer for PEOPLE. She's the former food editor at Real Simple and Food Network Magazines and has a culinary arts degree from Cambridge School of Culinary Arts. She's been a food, travel and lifestyle writer for nearly a decade and her work has appeared in Wirecutter, Bon Appetit, Insider, Women's Health, SELF, and other publications. People Editorial Guidelines Published on November 26, 2024 06:15AM EST In This Article View All In This Article Our Top Picks Reviews What to Know Behind the Scenes Why Trust PEOPLE? What Is PEOPLE Tested? Photo: People / Eric Brockob Air-frying is here to stay, and these trusty appliances have gained a massive following for a reason. The quick and easy cooking method produces beautifully crisp French fries, golden-skinned chicken, and delightfully flaky salmon with minimal effort. Whether you’re looking for a more spacious air fryer to feed a crowd or in the market for your first fryer to prepare your favorite meals with little effort, Cosori makes some of the best appliances on the market. Black Friday Deals Cosori 5.8-Quart 12-in-1 Air Fryer, $88 (orig. $130); amazon.com Cosori 6-Quart 9-in-1 Air Fryer, $88 (orig. $120); amazon.com Cosori 11-in-1 Air Fryer Oven, $100 (orig. $130); amazon.com We fried pounds of frozen fries and chicken wings and tasted our way through dozens of freshly baked cookies (someone had to do it!) to identify the best Cosori air fryers for every kitchen starting at $50. Our Top Picks Best Overall: SALE Cosori Pro LE Air Fryer at Amazon $100 $80 Jump to Review Best Budget: SALE Cosori CAF-LI211 Lite 2.1-Quart Mini Air Fryer at Amazon $60 $48 Jump to Review Best Air Fryer Toaster Oven: SALE Cosori 13-Quart Air Fryer Oven at Amazon $130 $100 Jump to Review Best Dual Basket: SALE Cosori 10-in-1 Dual Air Fryer at Amazon $170 $140 Jump to Review Best for Families: Cosori Air Fryer at Amazon $130 Jump to Review Best Value: SALE Cosori TurboBlaze Air Fryer at Amazon $120 $88 Jump to Review Most Versatile: Cosori Ceramic Air Fryer Oven at Amazon $300 Jump to Review Most Customizable: SALE Cosori Premium II Plus 6.5-Quart Air Fryer at Amazon $140 $100 Jump to Review Best Overall Cosori Pro LE Air Fryer PHOTO: Amazon $100 $80 at Amazon View on Cosori.com Star Qualities Compact design User-friendly control panel Front and back handles for mobility Red Flags Cooks things faster than recommended times No viewing window This traditional basket-style air fryer is compact, easy to operate, and performed well in all our tests. The digital control panel is clear, responsive, and great for first-time users. It includes seven cooking presets for common food items like chicken, steak, veggies, and fries. We tested the fries preset, which cooked our frozen potatoes at 380 degrees for 20 minutes. They were perfectly crispy and hot after 16 minutes, and we loved the crispy-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside texture. Our chicken wings also cooked faster than the recommended time, and they came out juicy, tender, and golden brown. Our cookies were a bit underbaked in the center by the time the tops were browned, so the oven seemed to run hotter than expected. The basket is nonstick and cleans up easily without any food sticking. The 5-quart capacity is great for most households and at under $100, this is also a great value. Style: Basket | Dimensions: 14.4 x 10.8 x 12 inches | Capacity: 5 quarts | Wattage: 1500 | Cooking Functions: 9 PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob Best Budget Cosori CAF-LI211 Lite 2.1-Quart Mini Air Fryer PHOTO: Amazon $60 $48 at Amazon View on Cosori.com Star Qualities Small space-friendly Quiet during operation Even and consistent cooking across tests Intuitive control panel Red Flags Cook settings reset after basket is opened to flip food Not suitable for high-volume cooking This is a compact, lightweight air fryer designed for small spaces. It’s quiet and doesn’t give off much heat while running. We were impressed by the evenly browned fries, chicken wings, and cookies it produced. Our cookies were soft and cooked through after seven minutes, and our fries were golden and crisp after 20. The basket could comfortably accommodate two full chicken wings, but you’d be able to fit more if using smaller pieces. The control panel is intuitive, although the temperature resets if you open the basket to flip or shake food, which is inconvenient. The removable crisper tray makes cleaning easy with soap and water. Overall, this air fryer is affordable and well-suited for one- to two-person households without a lot of counter space to spare. Style: Basket | Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.3 x 10.5 inches | Capacity: 2.1 quarts | Wattage: 900 | Cooking Functions: 4 PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob Best Air Fryer Toaster Oven Cosori 13-Quart Air Fryer Oven PHOTO: Amazon $130 $100 at Amazon View on Cosori.com Star Qualities Large front window for easy monitoring Responsive digital control panel Versatile cooking trays and rotisserie basket Even and consistent cooking across tests Red Flags Drip tray requires hand-washing Not ideal for high-volume cooking The Cosori 13-Quart Air Fryer Oven stands out for its sleek stainless steel design, compact footprint, and ease of use. It’s narrower and taller than a standard microwave, making it ideal for smaller kitchens and households. The air fryer has 11 cooking functions, all controlled via the responsive digital control panel. The oven has a rotisserie basket, an air frying tray, and a baking sheet for maximum versatility. It’s not the largest toaster oven, so don’t expect to do high-volume cooking, but it does perform well. Our fries were uniformly golden, our chicken wings were juicy and crisp, and our cookies were evenly baked. Cleaning this air fryer is straightforward because most parts are dishwasher-safe, though the drip tray requires careful hand-washing. Style: Oven | Dimensions: 13.5 x 13 x 14.5 inches | Capacity: 13 quarts | Wattage: 1800 | Cooking Functions: 11 PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob The 6 Best Meat Thermometers We Tested for Grilling, Roasting, and Stovetop Cooking Best Dual Basket Cosori 10-in-1 Dual Air Fryer PHOTO: Cosori $170 $140 at Amazon View on Cosori.com Star Qualities Compact design Sturdy handles Even and consistent cooking across tests Dishwasher-safe inserts Red Flags Not ideal for baking Control panel is not immediately straightforward This air fryer has two baskets, making it one of the most versatile and powerful models we tested. You can cook two dishes at different temperatures simultaneously, which is great for larger households. The fryer performs well, delivering crispy fries, evenly cooked chicken, and chewy cookies. However, there was a learning curve to understand the many buttons on the control panel. There is also no basket lock; however, the baskets are dishwasher-safe and easy to clean. We struggled to remove the cookies from the deep baskets, so this isn’t the best air fryer for bakers. That said, our fries and chicken wings cooked perfectly according to the recommended time and temperatures, and the dual-sided baskets made a multi-part meal easier to pull together. Style: Dual basket | Dimensions: 17.3 x 15.4 x 11.9 inches | Capacity: 9 quarts | Wattage: 1750 | Cooking Functions: 8 PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob Best for Families Cosori Air Fryer PHOTO: Amazon $130 at Amazon $79 at Walmart Star Qualities Outside doesn’t get hot Dishwasher-safe basket Responsive touchscreen panel Red Flags Can overcook foods if not monitored Touchscreen shows fingerprints easily and is less tactile This 5.8-quart basket-style air fryer has a spacious design with easy-to-read graphics and smart safety features. The exterior stays cool, and the icon-style interface is easy to navigate. The air fryer produced crispy, evenly cooked food, although it cooks faster than other models. Food can get overcooked if it’s not closely monitored, and there’s no viewing window. The basket is dishwasher-safe and easy to clean, though it takes some practice to detach seamlessly. The touch screen is responsive but can accumulate fingerprints, and users who prefer tactile buttons may find it less satisfying. The 5.8-quart capacity is large enough to fit a 5-pound chicken, and you can easily cook dinner for a family of four to five in this appliance. Testers Say “If the kids need to cook something or reheat leftovers, parents could feel comfortable with their child using this. Call it the Easy-Bake Oven of the future. The outside of the air fryer never got too hot, and I was able to touch it comfortably at all times.” Style: Basket | Dimensions: 11.78 x 13.87 x 12 inches | Capacity: 5.8 quarts | Wattage: 1700 | Cooking Functions: 12 PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob The 6 Best Deep Fryers We Tested on French Fries, Chicken Tenders, and Yes, Even Whole Turkeys Best Value Cosori TurboBlaze Air Fryer PHOTO: COSORI $120 $88 at Amazon View on Cosori.com Star Qualities User-friendly control panel Cooks very quickly Lightweight build is easy to move Red Flags Didn't crisp chicken skin as well as other models Shiny exterior shows fingerprints easily No viewing window The Cosori TurboBlaze is a simple basket-style air fryer ideal for quick everyday cooking. Its modern design fits well in most kitchen settings, and its lightweight build makes it easy to move. The TurboBlaze heats and cooks rapidly. During testing, all of our food was done before the suggested time. This is great for efficiency, but there’s no window on the basket to keep an eye on your food, so it requires more attention. Our fries were evenly cooked and crisp, and our chicken was juicy but didn’t have quite the beautiful crispy skin we were after. That said, the 6-quart capacity and reasonable price make this an excellent choice for anyone who wants to get into air frying without a major investment. Style: Basket | Dimensions: 14.4 x 11.8 x 11.9 inches | Capacity: 6 quarts | Wattage: 1725 | Cooking Functions: 9 PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob You Only Need 3 Kitchen Knives — These Are the Best Chef's, Paring, and Santoku Knives We Tested Most Versatile Cosori Ceramic Air Fryer Oven PHOTO: Amazon $300 at Amazon View on Cosori.com Star Qualities Large front window for food monitoring Ceramic burner can be used for stovetop-like cooking Lots of accessories (splatter guard, multiple racks, casserole pan) Red Flags Stainless steel shows grease Thermometer and off function have a learning curve This 26-quart ceramic air fryer oven is a true workhorse. The attractive stainless steel exterior looks great on the counter. The large front window offers an unobstructed view of your food to monitor doneness without opening the door and letting out valuable hot air. The cooking functions include air frying, roasting, and broiling. The oven also has a ceramic burner that can be used for stovetop-like cooking with the door open. This is a great way to extend your cooking space to serve a crowd. It includes a splatter guard, multiple racks, and a high-sided baking dish for lasagnas and casseroles. The oven yields excellent results, especially with meat and fries. You’ll want to keep a close eye on baked goods to avoid overcooking. While it’s easy to clean the interior, stainless steel shows grease, and we found the thermometer and off function confusing. Testers Say “At under $200, I don't know why you wouldn’t buy this. What a dream to throw some chicken nuggets on a rack and be eating in seven minutes, with such a small mess to clean up.” Style: Oven | Dimensions: 20 x 17 x 12.6 inches | Capacity: 26 quarts | Wattage: 1800 | Cooking Functions: 13 PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob Most Customizable Cosori Premium II Plus 6.5-Quart Air Fryer PHOTO: Amazon $140 $100 at Amazon View on Cosori.com Star Qualities Large viewing window with illuminating light Bright and intuitive digital display Consistent cooking across tests Dishwasher-safe basket and tray Red Flags Crisping tray can be challenging to remove Stuck-on fats may require additional scrubbing This air fryer comes loaded with several convenient features and programs. The clear viewing window and illuminating light let you keep a close eye on dinner without opening the basket. It has a squat square design that sits flush into a corner, unlike rounded models. There are also handles for easy transport. The digital display is bright and intuitive, with touch-sensitive icons for the various preset cooking modes, which include common items like chicken, shrimp, fries, and veggies. This model cooked our fries, chicken, and cookies evenly and produced a delicious crispiness on the edges. The basket and tray are dishwasher-safe, but the crisping tray was a little difficult to remove, and stuck-on fat took some serious elbow grease to get off. Style: Basket | Dimensions: 14.6 x 11.8 x 12.6 inches | Capacity: 6.5 quarts | Wattage: 1700 | Cooking Functions: 12 PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob PHOTO: People / Eric Brockob What to Know About Cosori Air Fryers Types of Air Fryers There are two main styles of air fryers: baskets and ovens. Basket-style fryers have a pull-out drawer that holds the food. Air fryer toaster ovens are shaped like a standard wall oven but are sized to sit on your counter. Both styles use forced air and fans to circulate dry, hot air around food for maximum crispiness and even cooking. Some basket-style fryers, like the Cosori 9-Quart Dual Air Fryer, have two separate baskets, which allow you to cook two items at different temperatures simultaneously. Basket Capacity The smallest air fryers have about two quarts of capacity and a compact footprint that’s best for small kitchens. These take up minimal countertop space and can cook for one to two people at a time. Larger options, like the 26-quart oven-style Cosori 13-in-1 Ceramic Air Fryer Toaster Oven, can accommodate bigger meals like a whole chicken and can easily feed a crowd. The right size air fryer for you depends on how many people you plan to feed and the amount of counter and storage space you can spare. Cooking Functionality Every air fryer from Cosori has multiple cooking functions. These include air frying (essentially the same as convection roasting), broiling (in which heat is emitted from above the food), and reheating, a gentler and slower cooking function to avoid drying out your food. Some models also have preset cooking functions for common items like chicken, seafood, and fries. When you select a preset, the oven defaults to a specific cooking time and temperature. If it’s your first time using the machine, pay close attention during a preset program, as our food was done several minutes before the suggested cooking time in many fryers we tested. Price Range Cosori products are reasonably priced. The most expensive, the Cosori 13-in-1 Ceramic Air Fryer Toaster Oven, costs $300 and is also the largest and the most versatile. The least expensive, the Cosori Lite 2.1-Quart Mini Air Fryer, costs $50 and is great for beginners and small households. In the middle, our overall favorite, the Cosori Pro LE 5-Quart Air Fryer, costs a reasonable $100. These are all high-value options that make great gifts as well. People / Eric Brockob Behind the Scenes The PEOPLE Tested team tried eight best-selling Cosori air fryers, using them to crisp up frozen fries, chicken wings, and store-bought cookie dough. Here’s what we looked for while testing each model: Setup: We assembled each air fryer, taking note of how long it took to set up, any complicated steps, and whether it included accessories that were helpful or not practical.Ease of Use: We used each air fryer to prepare a one-pound batch of frozen French fries. If the appliance had a preset cooking program, we used that, otherwise, we cooked the fries at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, shaking them halfway through. We also cooked a pound of chicken wings at 360 degrees for 24 minutes, flipping halfway through, and baked four slices of refrigerated cookie dough at 320 degrees for eight minutes. With each test, we noted whether the food was done early and how evenly it cooked. We looked for crispy edges and tender interiors without any burning. Design: While using each air fryer, we noted noise level, special features like preset programs, and general ease of use. We also considered aesthetics and portability, as you may want to leave your air fryer out at all times or store it between uses.Taste Test: After each cooking test, we sampled our fries, wings, and cookies to check for doneness, texture, and flavor. We looked for crispy, golden fries with fluffy interiors, cookies that were properly cooked through, and chicken with crisp skin and a juicy interior. Ease of Cleaning: We cleaned each appliance according to the manufacturer's instructions and noted dishwasher-safe parts, as well as accessories that needed hand-washing. We considered how easy each machine was to disassemble and reassemble and whether the exterior took on fingerprints and markings easily. After scoring each product in these areas, our top-rated models were the Cosori Pro LE 5-Quart Air Fryer, a compact user-friendly option, and the Cosori 13-Quart Air Fryer Oven, a spacious and versatile countertop oven. People / Eric Brockob Why Trust PEOPLE? Lizzy Briskin is a contributing food, lifestyle, and shopping writer for PEOPLE. She also contributes to Delish, The Kitchn, Wirecutter, and other outlets. Previously, she was the food editor at Food Network Magazine and before that, at Real Simple Magazine. She has a culinary degree from Cambridge School of Culinary Arts and thinks that an air fryer is the best way to make toast and reheat pizza to avoid dreaded sogginess. What Is PEOPLE Tested? We created the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval to help you find the very best products for your life. We use our unique methodology to test products in three labs across the country and with our network of home testers to determine their effectiveness, durability, ease of use, and so much more. Based on the results, we rate and recommend products so you can find the right one for your needs. But we don’t stop there: We also regularly re-review the categories in which we’ve awarded the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval — because the best product of today might not be the best of tomorrow. And by the way, companies can never buy our recommendation: Their products must earn it, fair and square. In short, PEOPLE Tested provides recommendations you can trust — every day, every purchase.