Pro II Air Fryer (5.8 qt basket) review 2027

What problem does the COSORI Pro II Air Fryer solve?

The COSORI Pro II Air Fryer is the value pick in a seven-machine test. For most kitchens it is the sensible buy.

That framing matters because the two things people actually notice about an air fryer are how much food fits in the basket and how loud the thing is while it runs. The COSORI fits 505 g of fries in one layer, the most of any single-basket machine here, and it runs at 53 dB, five quieter than the Ninja. The square basket uses the footprint better than a round one, so the 5.8 qt rating translates into usable space rather than dead corners.

It is still right for anyone weighing price against performance. The trade is narrow: a minute behind the Ninja on crisping and marginally less even browning.

How did it score in our tests?

• Cooking performance — 31 of 35. The same three foods went into every basket: frozen fries, chicken thighs and a tray of vegetables, weighed, timed and probed, with browning judged blind. This is where the COSORI gave up its only real ground.
• Capacity & usable space — 18 of 20. What actually fits in a single layer, measured with fries, against the litre rating on the box. The 505 g result is the best of any single-basket machine here.
• Ease & cleaning — 17 of 20. Controls, preheat behaviour, how the basket washes and whether the parts are dishwasher safe. The basket is dishwasher safe.
• Build & noise — 9 of 10. Materials, basket coating wear after 30 cycles, and noise at one metre. At 53 dB it is the quietest basket machine in the group.
• Value — 14 of 15. Street price against the cooking result and the counter space it takes. At $99, and frequently discounted below that, it is the strongest value score in the test.

Where does the COSORI Pro II stand out?

The measured strengths are specific. It fits 505 g of fries in one layer, the most of any single-basket machine here. It runs at 53 dB, five quieter than the Ninja. It costs $99, and is frequently discounted below that.

Those four facts explain the 8.9 score. The capacity and noise results are the ones you live with every day; the price is the one you notice once.

What is the COSORI Pro II made of, and how big is it?

The full specification from our test unit:

• Type: Basket
• Capacity: 5.8 qt
• Fries in one layer (our test): 505 g
• Frozen fries to crisp: 17 min
• Preheat: 3 min
• Noise at 1 m: 53 dB
• Dishwasher-safe basket: Yes

The square basket is the design decision that carries the rest.

How does it compare with the other air fryers we tested?

Five tested rivals give the COSORI context.

The Ninja Air Fryer Max XL AF161 scored 9 and costs $129. It is the crispest of the seven and the fastest to get there, at 16 min for frozen fries, in a basket that cleans in under a minute. The COSORI is a minute behind on crisping and marginally less even, but holds more and runs five quieter.

The Ninja Foodi 6-in-1 DualZone DZ401 scored 8.8 and costs $199. It is the only machine here that cooks a main and a side properly at once, with two independent baskets that finish at the same moment. It holds more than the COSORI, but costs twice as much and takes far more counter space.

The Philips Airfryer 3000 Series XL scored 8.6 and costs $179. Its basket coating was the only one unmarked after 30 cycles.

Feature comparison: capacity, crisp time, noise and footprint

Read across the shared labels to see where the COSORI wins and where it does not.

• Capacity: COSORI 5.8 qt; Ninja AF161 5.5 qt; Ninja DZ401 10 qt; Philips 3000 Series XL 6.2 qt; Instant Vortex Plus 6 qt; Breville TOA-70 6 qt.
• Fries in one layer (our test): COSORI 505 g; Ninja AF161 480 g; Ninja DZ401 640 g; Philips 495 g; Instant Vortex Plus 470 g; Breville 420 g.
• Frozen fries to crisp: COSORI 17 min; Ninja AF161 16 min; Ninja DZ401 17 min; Philips 17 min; Instant Vortex Plus 18 min; Breville 21 min.
• Preheat: COSORI 3 min; Ninja AF161 3 min; Ninja DZ401 3 min; Philips 3 min; Instant Vortex Plus 3 min; Breville 5 min.
• Noise at 1 m: COSORI 53 dB; Ninja AF161 58 dB; Ninja DZ401 60 dB; Philips 54 dB; Instant Vortex Plus 55 dB; Breville 51 dB.
• Dishwasher-safe basket: COSORI yes; Ninja AF161 yes, basket and crisper plate; Ninja DZ401 yes, both baskets; Philips yes; Instant Vortex Plus yes; Breville trays only.

The pattern is consistent: the COSORI is not the fastest and not the largest, but it is the quietest basket machine, the most space-efficient single-basket machine and the cheapest of the group at $99.

Where does the COSORI Pro II fall short?

The shortcomings are real and measured. It is a minute behind the Ninja on crisping and marginally less even, which is the single reason it lost the top spot: browning, narrowly. The control panel markings wear with cleaning, a wear point that showed up over the course of testing. And the preset buttons are more decorative than useful — you will end up setting time and temperature manually.

None of these are deal-breakers at this price, but if even browning is your priority, the Ninja AF161 is the machine that beat it.

Is the COSORI Pro II good value?

At $99, and frequently discounted below that, it is the value leader of the seven. The value criterion scored 14 of 15, the highest in the test, measured as street price against the cooking result and the counter space it takes.

Who should buy the COSORI Pro II Air Fryer?

It is still right for anyone weighing price against performance. If you want the most food in one layer from a single-basket machine, the quietest running basket machine here, and the lowest price of the group, this is the one. If you need two baskets cooking a main and a side at once, or you want the crispest fries and the fastest time, look at the Ninja machines instead.