So, you’ve got a small amount of food to cook. For health reasons, you don’t want to fry it. Do you really have to heat your entire oven for healthy cooking?
Thanks to air fryers, the answer is no.
Air Fryers are little mini convection ovens that cook with little to no oil and can save you the expense and time of heating your entire oven. But there are a ton of air fryers available, and they each have their own features.
So how do you go about choosing the best air fryer for you? Sometimes, it’s easier to just focus on one product at a time. For that reason, I’ve done an in-depth COSORI Air Fryer review. Keep reading to learn more.
If you want to know what I think of the Cosori Air Fryer, then I recommend this air fryer over the alternatives. It has just the right balance of value and features for me.
Contents
Things To Consider Before Buying an Air Fryer
Before turning to the meat of my Cosori Air Fryer Review, let’s take a look at air fryers in general.
You’ve probably got some questions. Luckily for you, I’ve got some answers and advice on what to look for in an air fryer.
Do I Really Need an Air Fryer?
If you love crispy foods and want to use less oil while saving time, then yes, you do want an air fryer.
We know that deep-fried food is bad for us, so cooking with less oil is important. That’s why I prefer air frying to traditional deep frying.
An air fryer is a small version of a convection oven. It can bake, roast, grill, and even make cookies. Because of its size and design, an air fryer can save you energy as opposed to heating your conventional oven.
Air fryers use hot air circulation technology to deliver delicious results. Unless you have a convection oven, your traditional oven won’t heat as efficiently as an air fryer.
Ease of Use
What makes an air fryer easy to use are preset programs. These presets tell your air fryer what type of food you’re cooking and work out the time and temperature setting for you.
Look for touch screen controls for even greater ease of use.
Some air fryers only have a temperature dial and a timer. Cooks who want more control may feel more comfortable with this simpler setup. That’s actually my personal preference, as I find myself using the same settings over and over.
WiFi Technology
It’s difficult to imagine how technology has changed (and will continue to change) the way kitchens look and operate. We’re now at the point where you can shout demands at appliances from the couch while reading a book. If you’re up to your elbows in laundry or diapers? No worries. Just call out a command!
The future kitchen has everything integrated for your convenience, as this video explains:
Some air fryer technology allows you to communicate through devices like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Some even come with apps that you can install, allowing you to communicate through your phone.
If the thought of voice-controlled kitchen appliances makes you nervous, you can rest easy. Most of these high-tech appliances have manual controls, offering you a choice in how you operate them.
Multifunctionality
Some air fryers are very basic, but others have more functionality. I like my air fryer to have more than one function. If nothing else, it justifies the space the air fryer takes up on the kitchen counter.
Other features to look for include pressure cooking, keep-warm function, slow cooking, steaming, yogurt making, roasting, broiling, and dehydrating. The sky’s the limit when it comes to air fryers.
In the end, they can all cook frozen foods and chicken fried steak, but can they make more? Do you even want them to?
Size & Capacity
The optimal air fryer size is large enough to roast a small chicken. Any smaller than this, and you’re limited to only certain kinds of frozen foods like tater tots, chicken wings, and chicken nuggets. Basically, you’re looking at appetizers or “game day” food. If that’s your preference, though, I’m not judging.
You should think about the counter space it takes. In a perfect world, there’d be an air fryer with a large frying basket that took up very little counter space. But we don’t live in a perfect world.
An air fryer takes up a little more than a square foot (30 x 30 cm) of your valuable countertop space. That’s a fair amount of space, so make sure you’re going to use it often and have room for storage.
Easy To Clean
This is pretty important; frying of any type seems to create the worst cleanups. Even though you’re not adding much extra oil, your food’s naturally occurring fats can lead to a messy air fryer.
It’s the inner basket of the air fryer that takes the brunt of the mess. So look for an air fryer basket that is easy to remove and clean. Look for materials that are non-stick and dishwasher safe.
Safety
All kitchen appliances carry a small amount of risk. When things get hot, accidents can happen.
You want an air fryer with an automatic shut-off safety feature and over-heat protection. Also, cool-touch handles can prevent burns.
COSORI Smart WiFi Air Fryer Review
The COSORI Premium 5.8qt Smart Wifi Air Fryer ticks quite a number of the boxes for people looking for an air fryer. The COSORI Air Fryer has one of the highest number of presets on the market. It promises to roast and warm all kinds of food, and there’s a handy preheat button included.
Preset buttons provide you the option to calculate the temperature needed and automatically set your timer. There’s even a shake reminder when it’s time to give your food a shake.
The COSORI air fryer has a lot of bells and whistles. It’s a very chatty device that you can talk to through your smart home devices or phone.
This 5.8-quart air fryer will please those who wish to save money. Home chefs who want that deep-fried flavor while using much less oil will also be happy.
It’s not for people who already have a convection oven in their kitchen. This is basically a smaller version of the oven they already have.
The COSORI Air Fryer is like the smarter younger brother of the COSORI Original Air Fryer. The premium air fryer is slightly larger and has now added presets and connectivity to WiFi and your smartphone.
Pros
- Easy to clean
- Great tasting food
- Controls are intuitive and straightforward
- Non-stick removable square basket
- 12 different presets (10 cooking + preheat, warm)
- Preheat button
Cons
- May create a deep-fried smell in your home
- Basket might be difficult to clean
- Makes loud beeping noises that you can’t turn off
- Some reports of buttons not working
- You can only sync it to one phone
Cosori Smart Air Fryer Review: What Am I Getting for My Money?
Here are some of the most important features that I looked at for this COSORI Air Fryer review.
Ease of Use
The COSORI Air Fryer comes with an easy-to-use touchscreen menu with 12 presets to choose from. There are programs for meat, chicken, seafood, frozen foods, french fries, pizza, and even desserts. The preheat and keep warm functions allow you more control over the timing.
Customers praised the presets because they needed to think less about how to cook. When you’re life is hectic, “press and go” can save you time–and quite possibly your sanity!
Some users report having trouble with the buttons; some say they feel flimsy, while others say the buttons don’t respond to touch easily. That can make using the air fryer a little frustrating.
WiFi Technology
You can communicate with your COSORI Air Fryer through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant and an app to program your fryer from your phone. That sounds super high-tech and convenient, right?
Unfortunately, many customers report difficulty in setting up these connections.
Some felt the app was asking for a lot of permission to collect personal information. Others said the app was great, especially when the buttons stopped working on the fryer; they could still use their phone to program it. So overall, the app got mixed reviews.
Some customers felt that the fryer made too many alert noises while cooking, as well. If tech is your thing, by all means, go for it! If you feel the hassle is too great, however, stick to manual operation.
Multifunctionality
Like most, the COSORI Air Fryer does anything that you can do in a convection oven. Air fry your favorite foods in less time than other cooking methods.
But if you were hoping for an all-in-one appliance? You’ll be disappointed. While some air fryers are capable of baking bread, dehydrating fruit, and pressure cooking, the COSORI Air Fryer doesn’t have multiple cooking methods.
You can use it to “roast” chicken or dehydrate some foods with the right temperature and timing. But I would primarily stick to air frying.
Recipe Book Included
There are 100 air fryer recipes made specifically for this product, quite a few more than most air fryer brands provide. Customers said the COSORI air fryer recipes were useful and tasty.
It’s always great when the manufacturer takes the time to write a recipe book specifically for their product.
Size & Capacity
The COSORI air fryer has a capacity of 5.8-quarts (5.5 liters), which will serve food for two to three people; this is great for couples and small families. You can roast a small chicken in this basket size.
For larger families or larger appetites, there’s a 7-quart air fryer (6.6 liters) that serves food for three to five people. If you entertain regularly, you might want the extra capacity.
Easy to Clean
The COSORI air fryer basket and grate are non-stick and easy to clean. The exterior handle and release button are cool-touch and also easy to clean.
Is the COSORI air fryer dishwasher safe? Yes. All removable parts are dishwasher safe, FDA-certified, PFOA-free, and BPA-free. Obviously, you aren’t going to put the air fryer itself in the dishwasher!
Customers are divided on how easy the cleaning is. Some report having to soak the basket to remove the grease, while others say it wipes off easily. One suggestion is to spray the basket with non-stick spray to easily release food.
One thing to be aware of, however, is that the non-stick coating might chip after some time. If this happens, you might have more problems with food sticking. You might even need to replace the air fryer basket, depending on how much of the coating has chipped.
Safety
The COSORI air fryer has over-heat protection and automatic shut-off. These are essential safety features that allow you to leave the kitchen while cooking.
There’s a button guard to prevent accidental detachment; this is to keep your fingers off any hot surfaces.
Some customers had issues keeping the drawer shut. In some cases, the drawer sprung open while cooking. If that happens, contact the company for a replacement.
What Are Some Alternatives To the Cosori Air Fryer?
Alternate Air Fryer Reviews: Ninja Pressure Cooker
This Ninja 10 in 1 Pressure Cooker and Air Fryer gives the Cosori Air Fryer a run for its money. It’s actually not an air fryer but a pressure cooker with the ability to air fry as well.
The Ninja air fryer is higher in price, but that’s to be expected with pressure cooking functions and a stainless steel exterior. It also steams vegetables and makes yogurt.
The inner round basket is larger than the COSORI, coming in at 6.5 quarts (6.2 liters).
It doesn’t have WiFi or phone app capability, so you won’t have any notifications about what’s happening in your air fryer. You also won’t be able to make any changes to it while sitting in another room.
The Ninja promises you’ll use 70 percent less cooking oil, while the COSORI air fryer promises 85 percent less.
Some users reported a loud humming sound while cooking. Others said it took up a lot of counter space and took a long time to learn how to use it.
This is a great kitchen appliance for people who want an all-in-one and are willing to put in a few hours to learn how to use it.
Comparison: Cosori Air Fryer vs Ninja Air Fryer
- COSORI is less expensive
- Ninja has more features
- COSORI uses WiFi and smartphones for communication
- COSORI has presets
- Ninja can cook larger portions of food
- COSORI uses less oil to fry
- Ninja has a larger learning curve
- COSORI has more safety precautions
- Ninja makes more noise during operation
COSORI Air Fryer vs Dash Deluxe
The Dash Deluxe Electric Air Fryer is a simpler version of the Ninja and the COSORI.
It’s a little more affordable than the COSORI air fryer and a lot cheaper than the Ninja.
There’s less going on on the console; there are just two dials, for temperature and time, and a handle to open the drawer, that’s it. Nice and simple.
Customers found that they had to monitor cooking closely.
Some users complained about cooking odors during and after use.
It has an auto shut-off and cool-touch exterior, so it’s pretty safe; they say even for children. I don’t think I’ll let my children near it, but I’ll let you be the judge for your family.
As far as size goes, it’s directly in the middle, with Consori the smallest and Ninja the largest.
The inner cooking basket is non-stick and dishwasher safe.
This is a great product for people who don’t like dealing with technology when cooking. It couldn’t be simpler; you set the temperature and the time only.
Comparison
- Dash is simpler to use
- Cosori has WiFi and smartphone connectivity
- Cosori has 11 presets
- Dash is more affordable than Cosori
- Dash comes in five attractive colors
- Both are easy to clean
- Both can cause deep-fried odors in your home
Cosori Smart Wifi Air Fryer Review: The Verdict
If you’re looking for a way to cook with a little crisp and without using loads of oil, you’ve found your product.
But which one of the three is best?
I’d go with the Cosori air fryer. To be honest, I probably won’t use the interactive components, but I will use the presets; I think they’re a great idea. I’m also impressed with the safety features.
Cosori offer a few choices but for me the 5.8qt Smart Wifi option is one of the best Cosori air fryers. It’s the right size for a family, is easy to use and integrates well.
The Ninja is a little too much all-in-one for my taste. I’m always a little skeptical of appliances that claim to do everything, and it’s pretty expensive.
I think the Dash is a decent little kitchen appliance, but it’s too simplistic for me. I like the idea of someone else making the decisions about temperature and time for me. With the Cosori, it’s a no-brainer; I have the option to use presets or do it myself if I feel the need.
