Review: Cosori air fryer Max XL, one of Amazon’s top-rated air fryers

UPDATE: February 24, 2023 1:00 PM EST About 2 million Cosori air fryers sold between June 2018 and December 2022 have been recalled, according to CNN. Check CNN(Opens in a new tab) for affected model numbers.

If there’s one appliance I don’t mind giving up space on my kitchen countertop for, it’s an air fryer. Sure, my affinity for fried food might be a reason, but to be honest, some days I just don’t have the time to check my oven every five minutes to see if my fries are done. So, like all good home cooks, I did a little research to find out what the latest and greatest air fryer out there was – and I cooked all my meals in it for a day.

The fryer that beat all the options in terms of reviews and ratings was the Cosori air fryer(Opens in a new tab). With more than 96,000 reviews at the time of publication (80,000 of them five stars) and a reasonable price for its 5.8-liter size (get one for $119.99 on Amazon).(Opens in a new tab)), I had high hopes that this powerful machine could make easy, quick and tasty meals for a whole day. Read on to see how it went.

overview

The Cosori Max XL Air Fryer offers 360-degree airflow, meaning whether you’re cooking a whole chicken or green beans, you’ll cook evenly. With 13 cooking functions, it automatically adjusts the cooking temperature and time based on the ingredients you’re preparing, taking the guesswork out of cooking.

Unlike other round basket air fryers, the Cosori has a spacious, square basket that wastes less space when cooking long foods like corn or kabobs. The square shape also makes it easy to store in a corner of your kitchen (which isn’t possible with a round basket). Another benefit of the Cosori air fryer over other air fryers is that the heat inside the machine remains isolated, meaning the outside doesn’t get extremely hot when cooking. This is a great feature if you have kids who love being your sous chef in the kitchen.

specifications

• 5.8 liters

• 11 preset cooking functions

• Preheat and keep warm functions

• Temperature range from 170 degrees Fahrenheit to 400 degrees

With the Cosori hot air fryer

Using the Cosori Air Fryer is as simple as placing your ingredients in the basket and selecting a cooking setting (either one of the preset functions or manually setting the time and temperature). To test its skills, I made three very different meals in the air fryer for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

First: breakfast. I chose Egg Bites because I love having a batch in the freezer for busy mornings that call for a quick breakfast option. I also wanted to test how well the machine would prepare a frozen product, so I threw in a frozen hash brown as well. After making my egg mix (which consisted of eggs, shredded cheddar cheese, and diced peppers), I filled my silicone muffin cases and placed them in the air fryer (I could fit seven muffin cases in the basket) along with the frozen hash browns and set Run the machine at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. The result was a crispy top and deliciously fluffy, perfectly cooked eggs. Success so far.

For lunch, I made a grilled cheese sandwich (a meal I usually cook on the stove). I set the air fryer to 360 degrees for five minutes and found that the cheese was perfectly melted and the bread was crispy on both sides (although I had to turn it in the middle). Still, it was to make the sandwich in the air fryer much Easier (and faster) than how I usually make it because I can set it and forget it instead of slaving on the stovetop.

I wanted to test some protein in the air fryer, so I decided to have chicken wings for dinner. I was very excited to test this meal because several reviews boasted about the Cosori Air Fryer’s ability to make deliciously crispy wings. I dusted the chicken wings with some baking soda to give them a crispier finish and added them in a single layer to my air fryer set at 380 degrees for 20 minutes (I could fit 15 wings in the basket). I turned them halfway to make sure all sides got nice and crispy. I am pleased to report that the machine has indeed delivered on its promise of delivering restaurant quality wings. My wings had a fried crisp on the outside and were exceptionally juicy on the inside.

Is the Cosori Air Fryer worth it?

I don’t need to convince you of all the magical things an air fryer can do. The question is who of the dozens out there can do it all best. I can say with certainty that the Cosori air fryer(Opens in a new tab) deserves its rave reviews. Although the handle will loosen over time (and therefore need to be tightened), the air fryer is easy to use, convenient for hassle-free cooking, and delivers reliable results.

As for the noise factor, there’s no way – the thing is loud. This is because air fryers rely on a fan to circulate the hot air that crisps up your food. While ovens are much quieter, they have a larger footprint and aren’t as efficient as an air fryer. All in all, priced at just over $100, the Cosori air fryer is easy to use, performs well, and is suitable for both novice and novice air fryer users.