We do a lot of reviews here at Techaeris, and recently we’ve been expanding into gadgets that aren’t super techie. From mattresses to socks, we’re exploring the market out there, knowing full well that tech geeks need to sleep and wear socks. This time around we have the Cosori Air Fryer, for those who want to eat fried foods with less grease.
I have to admit, I was very intrigued when Cosori contacted me about reviewing the Cosori Air Fryer. I had never used an air fryer before, and as I’ve gotten older, deep-fried foods haven’t set well with me. So, I was interested to see if the Cosori Air Fryer could make great fried foods without the killer grease that makes me ill. Read on for the full review of the Cosori Air Fryer.
UPDATE: This air fryer has been recalled, more information here.
Specifications
The Cosori Air Fryer has the following features and specifications:
- Power Supply: AC 120V, 60Hz
- Rated Power: 1700W
- Capacity: 5.8 Quarts or 5.5 Liters
- Number served: 3-5 people
- Temperature Range: 170°F-400°F (77°C-205°C)
- Dimensions: 11.8 x 12.6 x 11.7 inches
- Weight: 17.15 pounds
- Model Number: CP158-AF
- Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN): B07GJBBGHG
What’s In The Box
- Cosori Air Fryer
- Recipe Book
- Reference Guide
- User Manual
- Warranty Card
Design
What’s there to say about the design of the Cosori Air Fryer? Well, it’s modern looking for sure. The all-black chassis has a brushed metal look but is mostly all plastic. The inner part of the fryer is metal, as are the basket and tray inside.
Around the back of the machine are the fans. These do blow very hot air out, so be careful with that. Around the front are the basket handle and the control panel. The control panel is all touch-sensitive with no tactile feedback to any of the buttons.
The handle has a safety cover so you are less likely to accidentally pull out the basket. It’s also great to prevent little hands from doing the same thing. The basket is released with a button you have to push down while simultaneously pulling up on the basket handle. The safety cover fits neatly over that button providing that extra safety. We’ll go over the control panel in the next section.
Overall, the design of the Cosori Air Fryer is sleek, clean, minimal, and modern. It doesn’t take up too much space on the counter, and it looks nice sitting there so you don’t have to worry about an ugly appliance making you look bad.
Ease of Use
The front control panel looks a bit intimidating at first because there are a lot of glowing blue icons burning your retinas out. But don’t fear, it’s all very simple. First, you have the temperature and time indicators dead center. Below that you have the power button, start/pause button, keep warm button, temp/time button, and the +/- button for adjusting the temp up or down.
Flanking the main controls are a series of 12 presets. These presets are designed to help you start cooking basic foods in the air fryer very quickly. Here are the presets you will find on the Cosori Air Fryer:
- Steak
- Chicken
- Seafood
- Shrimp
- Bacon
- Frozen Foods
- French Fries
- Vegetables
- Root Vegetables
- Breads
- Desserts
Using any of these presets will give you a predetermined time and temperature. It’s a good starting point that you can use and adjust as you learn to use the Cosori Air Fryer. Some presets have a midpoint when the fryer will beep and flash the message “shake,” indicating it is time to shake the basket to move the food around a bit. The shrimp and french fry settings both do this and, frankly, it works really well.
Before you actually start frying up your first batch of chicken nuggets you must preheat the Cosori. This isn’t unlike preheating an oven. Just turn the Cosori on, press the preheat button, and then press start. This will heat the fryer to 400 degrees because starting with a hot basket is important.
The Cosori Air Fryer comes with a huge recipe book but, honestly, we haven’t even had time to get through that. You can get a good gauge of how much time and what temp you need to cook things by looking at the frying directions on some foods. For example, mozzarella sticks say they need to be deep-fried at 350 for 6-8 minutes. We simply set the shrimp preset which is 350 for 8 minutes. I found that removing the sticks at just about 7 minutes produced the best results.
Most of the presets can be used and adapted for just about anything. The recipe book offers some more complex ideas, but we have been sticking to the basics. French fries, chicken nuggets, shrimp, mozzarella sticks, and onion rings. My wife did fry a whole chicken (not breaded) once, and it was easily the juiciest chicken I’ve ever eaten. And the skin was crispy! Bacon is even better with hardly any mess (other than the grease on the bottom), and the bacon comes out nice and crispy (depending on how long you leave it to cook).
Once you get a hang of the controls and the presets, this machine is a breeze to use. Clean up is even easier. The basket is made of non-stick material and is dishwasher safe. We’ve been lucky enough to be able to rinse it out under warm water and wipe it clean. Nothing seems to stick to it.
Overall, this is a super simple device to use. The control panel seems complicated at first but it’s really easy and straightforward. Setup is a breeze, just remove all packing materials, insert the basket into the machine and you’re ready to go.
Performance
I know my headline is a bit dramatic but really, the Cosori Air Fryer was a life-changing experience for me. Lately, I’ve not taken to well to deep-fried foods like breaded shrimp, french fries, and mozzarella sticks. But since this air fryer needs little to no oil, I’ve been able to enjoy fried foods again without too much discomfort.
Your general fried foods come out fantastic in the Cosori Air Fryer and without the greasy fingers and nasty feeling in your stomach. We fried bacon in this thing, and it was fantastic. I will say, you don’t get the exact same crisp on the bacon as you would pan-frying. But, I do like the easier cleanup.
We fried a whole chicken in here as well. Cosori says you shouldn’t fry meats and fish straight out of the fridge as they can come out undercooked. The company says you should let the meat come to room temperature before frying. With steak and fish, you should let the meat rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving to allow the juices to redistribute. That’s pretty much the same with any method you use to cook steak and fish.
Preheating the Cosori Air Fryer is very important. This is done to achieve evenly cooked and crispy food. If you start out with a cold air fryer, you may not get the best results. You should also avoid overcrowding the basket. Overcrowding will prevent browning and crispness and will create longer cook times.
You should also use the proper utensils with your new Cosori Air Fryer. Things like a spray bottle for oil is better than drizzling it on the food. You can also adapt your favorite oven recipes to the air fryer. Just lower the temperature by 25 degrees and cut the cooking time down to 20%.
Overall, the Cosori Air Fryer performs fantastically! My wife and I are finding reasons to use it because it’s so simple to use and easy to clean up. We’ve barely scratched the surface of what it can do.
Price/Value
The Cosori Air Fryer is priced at US$119.99 on Amazon. Honestly, this is a great price, and sometimes you can score a coupon deal that makes it even better. The price to value ratio is great for this product. I think you’re going to get your money’s worth.
Wrap Up
If you like fried foods but don’t like so much grease and oil, the Cosori Air Fryer is a great choice for enjoying fried foods and cutting the fat. While some recipes do call for some oil, it’s very small and virtually insignificant. I don’t often say this when I am done with a review, but I would highly recommend this product. It is well worth it.
*We received a sample of the Cosori Air Fryer for the purposes of this review.
Last Updated on July 24, 2023.
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