Cosori Air Fryer Toaster Oven: In-Depth Review

Welcome to an in-depth, honest review of the Cosori Air Fryer Toaster Oven (30L, 1800W), a versatile kitchen appliance designed to transform your cooking experience. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore its standout features, detailed specifications, and delve into the critical differences between air frying, convection ovens, and traditional conventional ovens. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a home cook looking to upgrade your kitchen, this review aims to provide all the insights you need to make an informed decision. We’ll also cover essential topics like proper cleaning techniques and where to purchase this highly-rated appliance, ensuring you get the most out out of your Cosori investment.

Disclaimer: I received this air fryer oven from Cosori for free. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own and reflect my genuine experience with the product.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. Please read my full disclosure here for more information.

In today’s bustling kitchen appliance market, the question “Which is the best air fryer oven?” echoes frequently. With a myriad of brands and models vying for your attention, selecting the ideal one can feel overwhelming. My personal journey led me to thoroughly test the Cosori Air Fryer Oven, primarily due to the exceptional performance and reliability I’ve experienced with my Cosori 5.8 quart Air Fryer. If you’re curious about its smaller counterpart, you can find my detailed Cosori Air Fryer review here.

Air Fryer vs. Air Fryer Oven vs. Conventional Oven: Which is Right for You?

Navigating the world of kitchen appliances can be confusing, especially when terms like “air fryer,” “air fryer oven,” and “conventional oven” are often used interchangeably or without clear distinctions. Understanding their core differences is key to choosing the best appliance for your culinary needs.

Traditional Air Fryers: Compact Efficiency

Traditional basket-style air fryers, such as the Cosori 5.8 quart Air Fryer, are champions of compact efficiency. They excel at quickly crisping smaller batches of food, making them perfect for singles, couples, or small families of 1-3 people. Their design, often featuring a square basket, allows for surprisingly generous portions of meat or vegetables, but their capacity is inherently limited. If counter space is at a premium and you primarily cook for one or two, a dedicated air fryer offers unparalleled speed and convenience for tasks like making crispy fries, chicken nuggets, or reheating leftovers.

Conventional Ovens: The Kitchen Workhorse

Your standard kitchen oven, whether gas or electric, operates by slowly dispersing heat throughout its cavity. This method is fantastic for baking, roasting large cuts of meat, or cooking multiple dishes simultaneously. However, conventional ovens often require significant preheating time and don’t typically achieve the same level of crispiness as an air fryer without a lot of added oil. They are indispensable for large-scale cooking but less efficient for smaller, quicker meals that demand a crunchy texture.

The Cosori Air Fryer Oven: A Multifunctional Powerhouse

The Cosori Air Fryer Oven represents a significant leap in countertop cooking technology. It’s an all-in-one appliance that marries the intense heat circulation of an air fryer with the expanded capacity and versatility of a toaster oven and a convection oven. This 30L model is ideally suited for feeding 5-7 people, making it an excellent choice for larger families, entertaining guests, or preparing meal preps for the week. It not only offers more room but also a wealth of features that traditional air fryers simply cannot match. For instance, while I previously owned a Power Air Fryer XL, I found the Cosori Air Fryer Oven to be a far superior upgrade due to its enhanced functionality and consistent results. If you find your current air fryer struggling with family-sized portions or wish for more cooking options, the Cosori Air Fryer Oven is a compelling solution.

Unleashing Versatility: Cosori Air Fryer Oven Features

The most striking aspect of the Cosori Air Fryer Toaster Oven is its remarkable versatility. This isn’t just an air fryer; it’s a true multi-functional powerhouse that can replace several kitchen gadgets. With 12 intuitive presets, it simplifies everything from breakfast to dinner and beyond:

• Toast: Achieve perfectly golden-brown toast or English muffins with precise control over darkness settings, making breakfast a breeze.
• Bagel: Specifically designed to toast bagels to perfection – crispy on the cut side, wonderfully chewy elsewhere.
• Pizza: Say goodbye to soggy crusts! This preset ensures your pizzas, whether frozen or homemade (up to 13 inches), come out with a deliciously crispy base and perfectly melted cheese.
• Bake: From cookies to casseroles, the bake function provides even heat distribution for consistent results, often faster than a conventional oven thanks to the convection fan.
• Roast: Ideal for meats and vegetables, this setting delivers tender interiors and beautifully browned exteriors, perfect for anything from a pan of roasted potatoes to a succulent pork loin.
• Air Fry: The star feature! Enjoy all your favorite “fried” foods like chicken wings, French fries, and onion rings with significantly less oil, achieving that desirable crispy crunch.
• Broil: For quick searing, melting cheese, or finishing dishes with a caramelized crust, the broil function offers intense top-down heat.
• Cookies: Bake a batch of your favorite cookies with confidence, ensuring they are evenly cooked and perfectly chewy or crisp, depending on your recipe.
• Rotisserie: A true game-changer for home cooks! You can fit a whole 5-pound chicken, pork loin, or even kebabs on the rotisserie spit. This method ensures self-basting and incredibly even cooking, resulting in juicy, flavorful meats with crispy skin.
• Dehydrate: Transform fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats into healthy, homemade snacks. Make your own beef jerky, dried fruit, fruit leathers, or vegetable chips without needing a separate appliance. The extended time range of the oven (up to 24 hours) is perfect for this function.
• Ferment: This unique setting allows you to proof bread, rolls, pizza dough, and other fermented goods at an ideal, consistent temperature. It can also be used to make homemade yogurt, providing a controlled environment for beneficial bacteria to thrive.
• Keep Warm: Maintain the optimal serving temperature for your dishes without overcooking them, perfect for busy hosts or staggered mealtimes.

The Science Behind the Crisp: How Does an Air Fryer Oven Work?

At its core, an air fryer oven operates much like a high-powered, compact convection oven. Unlike conventional ovens that rely primarily on radiant heat and natural convection, the Cosori Air Fryer Oven incorporates a powerful electric fan that rapidly circulates super-heated air around your food. This accelerated circulation of hot air achieves several key culinary benefits:

• Rapid Heating: The constant movement of hot air means the oven cavity heats up much faster than a conventional oven, significantly reducing preheating times.
• Even Cooking: The circulating air ensures that all surfaces of the food are exposed to consistent heat, promoting even cooking and browning without the need for constant flipping or rotating.
• Crispy Texture: The intense, fast-moving hot air creates a process similar to deep frying, but with minimal to no added oil. It quickly crisps the exterior of foods, locking in moisture and delivering that satisfying crunch – think perfectly golden French fries, crispy chicken wings, or crunchy roasted vegetables in a fraction of the time. This phenomenon is often attributed to the Maillard reaction, a chemical process that gives browned foods their distinct flavor and color, intensified by the dry heat.
• Moisture Retention: While the exterior becomes crisp, the rapid cooking process and even heat distribution help to seal in natural juices, preventing the food from drying out and ensuring a tender interior.

How is an air fryer oven different from a conventional oven? A conventional oven heats food primarily through radiation and slow natural convection, where hot air rises and cooler air sinks. This method is effective but can lead to uneven cooking and requires longer cooking times. An air fryer oven, on the other hand, actively forces hot air around the food with a powerful fan, much like a forced-air convection oven, but usually in a smaller, more concentrated space. This difference is precisely why an air fryer oven can produce crispy, “fried” results faster and more efficiently than a standard oven.

Optimal Size and Capacity: Cosori Air Fryer Oven Dimensions

Understanding the physical footprint and internal capacity of an appliance is crucial, especially for countertop models. The Cosori Air Fryer Toaster Oven strikes an excellent balance between generous capacity and a manageable countertop presence.

Item Dimensions: Measuring 20.1 inches in length, 16.5 inches in width, and 12.1 inches in height, this appliance is designed to fit comfortably under most kitchen cabinets. It’s important to measure your available counter space to ensure a perfect fit, keeping in mind that you’ll also need some clearance around the unit for proper ventilation during operation.

Internal Capacity: Boasting a substantial 30-liter capacity, the Cosori Air Fryer Oven is remarkably spacious for a countertop appliance. This generous volume allows you to cook for a crowd or prepare larger items that wouldn’t fit in a traditional basket-style air fryer. Specifically, it can accommodate:

• Up to 6 slices of standard toast simultaneously, making family breakfasts quick and easy.
• A full 13-inch pizza, delivering a crispy crust perfect for movie nights.
• A whole 5-pound chicken, ideal for roasting or using the rotisserie function for a succulent, evenly cooked bird.

This ample capacity makes the Cosori Air Fryer Oven a truly versatile choice, allowing you to tackle a wide range of recipes from small snacks to full family meals without needing to fire up your larger conventional oven.

Power and Precision: Cosori Air Fryer Oven Specifications

Beyond its impressive features and capacity, the technical specifications of the Cosori Air Fryer Oven highlight its robust performance and user-friendly design:

• Power Output: With a powerful 1800 Watts (W), this oven heats up quickly and maintains consistent temperatures, ensuring efficient cooking and excellent results. This high wattage is crucial for achieving rapid air circulation and the intense heat required for effective air frying and roasting.
• Electrical Requirements: It operates on AC 120V and 60Hz, standard for most household outlets in North America.
• Temperature Range: The oven offers a broad temperature range from 80°F to 450°F (approximately 27°C to 232°C). This extensive range supports a multitude of cooking methods, from low-temperature dehydrating and fermenting (at 80°F) to high-heat roasting, baking, and air frying (up to 450°F).
• Time Range: The flexible timer allows settings from 0 minutes up to an impressive 24 hours. This wide range is particularly beneficial for longer processes like dehydrating fruits or fermenting dough, giving you complete control over your culinary creations.
• Heating Elements: Equipped with 5 strategically placed heating elements, the oven ensures even heat distribution throughout the interior. These multiple elements work in conjunction with the powerful convection fan to provide uniform cooking, preventing hot spots and cold zones.
• Convection Fan: The integrated convection fan is the heart of its air frying capability. It vigorously circulates hot air, dramatically speeding up cooking times and creating that desirable crispy exterior on your food, similar to deep frying but with minimal oil.

These specifications collectively contribute to a versatile and efficient cooking appliance, capable of handling a diverse array of recipes with precision and power.

What Comes in the Box: Essential Accessories for Your Cosori Oven

The Cosori Air Fryer Oven arrives well-equipped with a comprehensive set of accessories, ensuring you can start exploring its various functions right out of the box. Each item is designed to enhance your cooking experience and versatility:

• Crumb Tray: Located at the bottom of the oven, this essential tray catches crumbs and drips, making cleanup much easier and protecting the heating elements. It’s designed for convenient removal and cleaning.
• Air Fryer Basket: This mesh basket is specifically designed for air frying, allowing hot air to circulate completely around your food for maximum crispiness. It should be placed on the middle rack for optimal air frying results, as specified in the user manual.
• Food Tray: A solid baking pan, perfect for baking cookies, roasting vegetables, or catching drippings when cooking on the wire rack or air fry basket.
• Wire Rack: Ideal for toasting, baking, or resting cooked foods. It can be used in conjunction with the food tray underneath to catch any potential drips.
• Rotisserie Fork Set and Rotisserie Handle: These accessories unlock the incredible rotisserie function, allowing you to mount and perfectly roast a whole chicken, turkey breast, or other meats, ensuring even cooking and a delightfully crispy skin. The handle makes it safe and easy to remove the hot rotisserie spit from the oven.
• Recipe Book: A valuable resource filled with diverse recipes tailored specifically for the Cosori Air Fryer Oven, providing inspiration and guidance for beginners and experienced cooks alike.
• User Manual: Contains detailed instructions on operation, safety guidelines, maintenance, and troubleshooting, which is highly recommended to read before first use.

It’s important to note that while the oven comes with an air fryer basket, it typically includes only one. For optimal air frying, always place this basket on the middle rack, as instructed by the user manual, to ensure proper airflow and cooking performance.

Mastering Cleanliness: How to Clean Your Cosori Air Fryer Oven

Maintaining the cleanliness of your Cosori Air Fryer Oven is crucial for its longevity, hygiene, and optimal performance. Regular cleaning prevents grease buildup and ensures your food always tastes its best. Here’s a detailed guide on how to keep your oven spotless:

General Cleaning Guidelines:

• After Every Use: Always clean the oven accessories (trays, racks, basket) and the interior of the oven after each use. This prevents food residue from baking onto surfaces and becoming harder to remove later.
• Mild Cleanser is Key: Use a soft sponge or cloth with warm, soapy water and a mild, non-abrasive cleanser. Harsh chemicals, abrasive scrubbers, or steel wool can damage the non-stick coatings and interior finishes.
• Dishwasher Safety: The user manual does not explicitly state that the trays and accessories are dishwasher safe. To preserve their finish and ensure longevity, it’s best to handwash them.

Tackling the Tough Spots:

When cooking greasy foods like chicken, you might notice more cleanup is required compared to a standard basket air fryer. I specifically found significant splatters on the oven door and interior when air frying chicken. This is often because, unlike a closed basket, the air fryer oven allows for a broader spread of drippings, especially when you open the door to flip or check food. The air fryer basket, when pulled out, sits directly over the door, increasing the chance of drips.

Here are some tips to manage and minimize mess:

• Use the Crumb Tray: Ensure the crumb tray is always in place at the bottom. For particularly greasy items, you can line the crumb tray with aluminum foil (ensure it doesn’t block airflow or touch heating elements) to catch excess drippings, making disposal easier.
• Parchment Paper or Silicone Liners: While not included, investing in air fryer parchment paper or reusable silicone liners for the air fry basket can dramatically cut down on cleanup. These liners catch drippings and prevent food from sticking. Just be sure to use liners specifically designed for air fryers and ensure they are weighed down by food to prevent them from flying into the heating elements during cooking.
• Wipe Down Immediately: Address spills and splatters as soon as the oven has cooled down sufficiently. A warm, damp cloth with a little dish soap can often wipe away fresh grease much more easily than dried-on residue.
• Deep Cleaning the Interior: For stubborn stains, a paste made of baking soda and water can be applied to cooled surfaces, left for 15-20 minutes, then gently scrubbed away. Always rinse thoroughly with a damp cloth afterward.
• Glass Door Care: Clean the glass door regularly with a glass cleaner or a mixture of vinegar and water to maintain visibility and prevent buildup.

By following these cleaning practices, your Cosori Air Fryer Oven will remain a sparkling and efficient centerpiece in your kitchen for years to come.

Where to Purchase Your Cosori Air Fryer Oven

Ready to bring this versatile appliance into your home? The Cosori Air Fryer Oven is readily available on Amazon, often with competitive pricing and convenient shipping options. Amazon is a reliable platform for purchasing Cosori products, offering customer reviews and a straightforward buying experience. Be sure to check for any ongoing deals or bundles that might include additional accessories.

First Impressions and Operating Notes: My Cosori Air Fryer Oven Experience

My initial test drive with the Cosori Air Fryer Oven involved preparing my favorite Air Fryer Chicken Thighs. I utilized the included air fry basket, placing it on the middle rack as recommended. The chicken thighs were air fried for approximately 28 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, until they achieved a desirable crispiness and reached a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. This initial experience provided valuable insights into the oven’s performance and nuances.

Key Observations During First Use:

• Exterior Heat: As expected with any high-powered cooking appliance, the exterior of the oven gets noticeably hot during operation. It’s crucial to always handle the oven with oven mitts or heat-resistant gloves when moving trays or opening the door, and to ensure adequate clearance from other objects on your countertop.
• Internal Light Feature: One of my favorite features is the internal light, which can be easily switched on. This allows you to visually monitor your food as it cooks without having to open the door, thus avoiding heat loss and maintaining consistent cooking temperatures. It’s incredibly convenient for checking the browning of toast, the crispiness of fries, or the rise of dough.
• Smoke Management for Greasy Foods: When cooking fattier or greasier items, such as chicken thighs, some smoke generation is to be expected. This is a natural occurrence as fat renders and vaporizes at high temperatures. Ensuring good kitchen ventilation, such as running your overhead range hood or opening a window, is advisable when air frying particularly greasy foods. This is common for any air fryer or oven cooking high-fat items.
• Preheating Speed: The oven preheats remarkably fast compared to a conventional oven, allowing you to start cooking almost immediately after setting the desired temperature.

The Upsides: Pros of the Cosori Air Fryer Oven

The Cosori Air Fryer Toaster Oven offers a multitude of advantages that make it a standout appliance in any kitchen:

• Unmatched Versatility: With 12 dedicated presets for functions like air fry, roast, bake, broil, pizza, toast, bagel, cookies, rotisserie, dehydrate, ferment, and keep warm, this appliance truly is an all-in-one solution. It eliminates the need for multiple single-function gadgets, decluttering your countertops and expanding your cooking repertoire.
• Excellent Air Frying Performance: It excels at producing crispy, evenly cooked results with minimal oil, making healthier versions of your favorite “fried” foods easily accessible.
• Generous Capacity: The 30L interior can comfortably accommodate family-sized meals, including a whole 5-pound chicken or a 13-inch pizza, which is a significant upgrade from smaller basket-style air fryers.
• Visible Cooking: The internal light allows you to monitor the cooking process without opening the door, preserving heat and ensuring consistent results. It’s a small but highly appreciated convenience.
• Game-Changing Functions: The rotisserie feature, which perfectly browns and self-bastes whole poultry or roasts, and the dehydrator function, enabling healthy homemade snacks, are truly transformative. The ferment function is equally impressive, offering an ideal environment for proofing dough and even making yogurt from scratch. These specialized functions add immense value.
• Speed and Efficiency: It heats up and cooks much faster than a conventional oven, saving you time and energy, especially for smaller meals or when you don’t want to heat up your entire kitchen.
• Sleek Design: Cosori products are known for their modern aesthetics, and this air fryer oven is no exception. Its stainless steel finish and digital controls add a touch of elegance to any kitchen.

Considerations: The Few Cons of the Cosori Air Fryer Oven

While the Cosori Air Fryer Oven is an outstanding appliance, there are a couple of points worth considering:

• Timer Operation: Unlike some basket-style air fryers, the timer on this oven continues to run even when the oven door is opened. This means if you pause to flip food or check doneness, you’ll need to remember the elapsed time or use an external timer to keep track of total cooking duration. It’s a minor adjustment for users accustomed to auto-pause features, but easily managed with practice.
• Cleanup for Greasy Foods: As mentioned in the cleaning section, cooking particularly greasy items, especially rotisserie chicken, can result in more internal splattering compared to a fully enclosed basket air fryer. While manageable with regular cleaning and the use of accessories like foil-lined crumb trays or parchment paper, it does require a bit more attention to wipe down the interior and door after such cooks. This is a common trade-off for the larger capacity and open oven design.

Final Verdict: Is the Cosori Air Fryer Oven Right for You?

After extensive testing and daily use, my final recommendation for the Cosori Air Fryer Toaster Oven is overwhelmingly positive. This is more than just an appliance; it’s a culinary game-changer that combines the best features of an air fryer, toaster oven, and convection oven into one sleek, powerful unit.

Who is this appliance perfect for?

• Large Families: If you’ve been frustrated by the limited capacity of traditional air fryers and consistently cook for 4-7 people, this oven is a definitive upgrade. Its 30L capacity effortlessly handles family-sized meals, making it a true workhorse for busy households.
• Home Entertainers: Preparing multiple dishes or larger portions for guests becomes significantly easier with the Cosori Air Fryer Oven’s generous space and diverse functions.
• Health-Conscious Cooks: Enjoy crispy “fried” foods with a fraction of the oil, supporting a healthier lifestyle without sacrificing taste or texture.
• Space-Saving Enthusiasts: For those looking to declutter their kitchen, this all-in-one machine replaces several single-purpose appliances, saving valuable countertop and cabinet space.
• Culinary Adventurers: The dehydrate, ferment, and rotisserie functions open up a world of new cooking possibilities, encouraging experimentation and homemade creations.
• Anyone Seeking an Upgrade: If your current small air fryer no longer meets your needs, or if you’re tired of waiting for your conventional oven to preheat for smaller tasks, the Cosori Air Fryer Oven offers a significant leap in convenience and capability.

This oven represents a smart investment for anyone seeking efficiency, versatility, and exceptional cooking performance. It consistently delivers delicious results, transforming everyday meals and enabling exciting new culinary projects. If you’re ready to elevate your cooking experience and streamline your kitchen, this is the appliance for you.

You can purchase the Cosori Air Fryer Oven here on Amazon, often with competitive pricing and reliable delivery.

My positive experience with Cosori extends beyond this air fryer oven. I’ve also found immense success with other Cosori products, including the Cosori Air Fryer, the Cosori Food Dehydrator, and the Cosori Vacuum Sealer. This company consistently delivers affordable, high-quality appliances that are both effective and user-friendly, solidifying its reputation as a trusted brand in my kitchen.

Enhance Your Cooking: Cosori Air Fryer Accessories and More

To maximize your Cosori Air Fryer Oven’s potential and streamline your cooking process, consider these highly recommended accessories:

• Cosori Accessories Bundle: This comprehensive bundle often includes a variety of useful tools like baking pans, pizza pans, multi-purpose racks, and skewers, expanding your cooking options significantly.
• Air Fryer Parchment Paper: Essential for minimizing cleanup. These perforated liners prevent food from sticking to the basket and catch drippings, making cleanup a breeze.
• Oil Spray Bottle: Achieve perfectly even coating with just a small amount of oil. This helps create that desirable crispy texture without excess fat, giving you more control than aerosol cans.
• Tongs: High-quality, heat-resistant silicone-tipped tongs are indispensable for safely flipping, rotating, and removing hot food from the oven without scratching surfaces.

For an even broader selection and detailed recommendations, you can explore my full list of The Best Air Fryer Accessories here.

Delicious Creations: Popular Air Fryer Recipes to Try

Unlock the full potential of your Cosori Air Fryer Oven with these crowd-pleasing recipes:

• Air Fryer Fried Chicken: Achieve incredibly crispy, juicy chicken wings, drumsticks, or thighs with a fraction of the oil used in traditional deep frying. Perfect for game day or a family dinner.
• Air Fryer Cheeseburgers: Cook juicy burgers with a beautifully seared exterior in minutes. The air fryer oven ensures even cooking and perfect patties every time.
• Air Fryer Pork Chops: Enjoy tender, flavorful pork chops with a golden, crispy coating, cooked to perfection without drying out.
• Crispy French Fries or Sweet Potato Fries: Forget soggy fries! The air fryer oven makes them perfectly golden and crunchy, whether from fresh potatoes or frozen bags.
• Roasted Vegetables: Transform broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, or bell peppers into delightfully tender-crisp sides with vibrant flavor.
• Baked Potatoes: Get that ideal fluffy interior and slightly crispy skin, much faster than in a conventional oven.

Quick Bites: Air Fryer Appetizer Recipes

The Cosori Air Fryer Oven is also fantastic for whipping up quick appetizers and snacks:

• Crispy Spring Rolls or Egg Rolls: Achieve that golden, crispy wrapper without deep-frying, perfect for a quick snack or party starter.
• Mozzarella Sticks: Enjoy perfectly melted cheese encased in a crunchy breading in just minutes, ideal for movie night.
• Chicken Taquitos or Flautas: Make crispy, flavorful rolled tacos, a healthier alternative to deep-fried versions.
• Loaded Nachos: Melt cheese and crisp tortilla chips to perfection for a crowd-pleasing appetizer or light meal.
• Homemade Potato Chips: Slice potatoes thinly, season, and air fry for surprisingly crunchy and healthy homemade chips.

The culinary possibilities with the Cosori Air Fryer Oven are truly endless. Experiment with your favorite recipes and discover new ways to enjoy healthier, crispier, and more convenient cooking. Ready to start your air frying adventure? You can purchase the Cosori Air Fryer Oven here on Amazon today!