‎COSORI ‎CAF-R121-KUK Air Fryer - Review

Air fryers have become increasingly popular in recent years as a healthy alternative to deep frying. They use rapid air circulation and convection heat to make crispy fried food using little to no oil. Air frying produces similar results to deep frying, but without the extra calories from oil absorption. Food cooked in an air fryer has significantly less fat than traditionally fried items. Air fryers are versatile small appliances that can make french fries, chicken wings, fish fillets, and much more. The technology allows you to enjoy the taste and texture of fried food, while avoiding the health risks associated with deep frying. Air fryers are convenient to use, easy to clean, and don't heat up your kitchen like a pot of oil. With an air fryer, you can cook healthier versions of your favorite fried foods right at home.

Overview of the COSORI Air Fryer

The COSORI CAF-R121-KUK is an air fryer that allows you to cook fried foods with little to no oil. It has a compact, square design with a 3.5 liter capacity, suitable for cooking 2-4 servings of food at a time. This model uses rapid 360° air circulation technology to cook food using hot air rather than oil. It has an adjustable temperature range from 80°C to 200°C and comes with 11 presets for quick cooking of popular foods like chicken, steak, shrimp, vegetables and more. The COSORI air fryer has a non-stick and PFOA free basket and drawer that are dishwasher safe for easy cleanup. It has an LED touchscreen and buttons on the top for controlling time and temperature settings. The fryer comes with a recipe booklet with 30 recipes to get you started.

Design

The COSORI Air Fryer has an attractive modern design with a sleek black exterior and rounded edges. It has a fairly compact footprint, measuring 12.6 x 11.3 x 11.5 inches, making it a good size for most countertops without taking up too much space.

Despite its small size, it has a 3.7 quart basket which can accommodate around 3 pounds of food at a time. The basket and drawer are made from non-stick coated metal which allows for easy cleaning. The touch screen and control dials on the front have a smooth matte finish.

There are two dials - one for selecting cooking presets like fries, steak, chicken etc. and a second for adjusting temperature up to 400°F. The digital touch screen display is easy to read and provides cooking status updates.

The materials used in construction seem durable, with no flimsy plastic parts. The non-stick coated basket and integrated drip tray allow you to cook mess-free meals. Overall, the compact size paired with quality materials makes this an attractive and conveniently sized air fryer for any kitchen.

Features

The COSORI Air Fryer CAF-R121-KUK has some excellent features that make it stand out.

Touch Screen

It has an intuitive touch screen control panel that allows you to easily select cooking presets and adjust time and temperature. The large LED display is easy to read. You can operate the whole fryer with just a few taps on the screen.

Presets

There are 11 preset cooking functions built-in including air fry, roast, broil, bake, reheat, dehydrate, keep warm, and more. This makes it effortless to cook a wide variety of foods. Just select the preset and adjust time and temperature as needed.

Accessories

The air fryer comes with several useful accessories. You get a rotisserie spit and forks for making juicy rotisserie chicken and meat in the fryer. There are skewers and a cage for cooking kebabs and veggies. It also includes a pizza pan, baking pan, and drip tray. These accessories allow you to get even more versatility from the appliance.

Performance

The COSORI Air Fryer offers excellent performance for cooking a wide variety of foods. Its powerful 1500W heating system and 360° rapid air circulation technology allows you to make crispy fried foods using little to no oil.

The air fryer has an adjustable temperature range from 170°F to 400°F, giving you precise control for everything from dehydrating fruits to cooking steak. It can reach temperatures rapidly, so your food cooks quickly. The 5.8qt basket capacity is roomy enough to cook meals for 3-5 people.

I found the Cosori was able to produce crispy fries, chicken wings, fish fillets, and veggies that tasted great with just a spritz of oil or cooking spray. Things like frozen fries and tater tots came out perfectly crunchy on the outside while staying tender inside. The convection fan circulates the hot air evenly so food browns and cooks uniformly. It also has enough power to give chicken and steak a nice sear.

Overall, the Cosori air fryer delivers excellent cooking performance for the price. The adjustable temperature settings and large capacity allow you to cook a variety of foods evenly and conveniently.

Ease of Use

The COSORI Air Fryer is designed for simplicity and ease of use. The touchscreen buttons are intuitive and easy to operate. There are presets for popular foods like fries, chicken, steak and fish that take the guesswork out of cooking times and temperatures. The buttons make a beep when pressed, and the display shows the cooking time countdown so you know exactly where you're at in the cooking process.

Cleaning up is straightforward since the basket and tray are non-stick and dishwasher safe. The air fryer comes with a cleaning brush to help scrub off any stuck on food bits. There aren't too many nooks and crannies for food debris to get trapped in. The simplicity of the design really lends itself to easy cleaning.

Setup takes only a few minutes. The well-written manual walks you through the simple steps. It's basically just placing the basket in the right position, closing the door, and plugging it in. The COSORI couldn't be easier to set up even for someone who has never used an air fryer before. The intuitive design makes the entire process of cooking with the COSORI an easy and enjoyable experience.

Noise Level

The COSORI Air Fryer operates at a reasonable noise level, though not silent by any means. When powered on, it produces a low hum that is comparable to a small fan running. The noise increases moderately when the air fryer is actively cooking food. Hot air circulates rapidly around the food, producing a dull roar that some users may find irritating. However, it is not excessively loud. You can carry on a conversation nearby without needing to raise your voice. The noise level is similar to a microwave oven during operation. Some buyers note the fan noise diminishes after the first few uses, once any initial stiffness in the fan wears off. Overall, the COSORI Air Fryer noise level is acceptable for most home kitchens, though sensitive users may want to place it in another room during extended cooking tasks. It likely won't disturb the household too much.

Recipe Book

The COSORI Air Fryer CAF-R121-KUK comes with a 100 recipe cookbook that provides a great variety of options to get you started. The recipes cover all types of foods from appetizers and snacks to main courses and desserts. I was impressed with the quality and creativity of the recipes included.

The cookbook features full nutritional information for each recipe, making it easy to track calories and other metrics if desired. The recipes also have beautifully photographed images, useful tips, and clearly written instructions that are easy to follow. From fried chicken to french fries and even cheesecake, the recipes deliver delicious air fried meals.

Some standout recipes I made multiple times include the air fried buffalo wings, coconut shrimp, and the chocolate lava cakes. The recipes utilize the air fryer to create crispy textures without the need for deep frying in oil. I found the results tasted just as good, if not better than deep fried versions.

Overall, the recipe book that comes with this air fryer provides high quality, tasty recipes that I would recommend to anyone. It's a great bonus that expands what you can make in the air fryer beyond basic fries and nuggets.

Pros

• Large 5.8qt capacity - The COSORI air fryer has a large 5.8 quart basket which provides enough room to cook food for 3-5 people. You can cook a whole chicken or large batches of fries, nuggets etc. The large capacity makes it great for cooking for families.

• Versatile cooking functions - This air fryer doesn't just air fry, it also has functions for roasting, broiling, baking, reheating, dehydrating, and rotisserie. The rotisserie function allows you to make juicy rotisserie chicken right at home. Having multiple functions in one appliance saves counter space.

• User-friendly digital touchscreen - The digital touchscreen makes operation very straightforward with preset buttons for different cooking functions. You can easily adjust temperature and cooking times. The screen displays temperature and time remaining during cooking.

• Dishwasher safe parts - The basket and other accessories are dishwasher safe which makes cleanup very convenient. You don't have to hand wash greasy components.

Cons

The COSORI Air Fryer does have some drawbacks to consider:

• The fryer basket is on the smaller side, with a 3.7 qt capacity. This makes it harder to cook larger portions or multiple items at once. You may need to cook in batches for larger families.

• There are some concerns about the long-term durability of the parts. The non-stick coating on the basket may peel over time. The plastic components could also become brittle and degrade.

• While the fryer is fairly easy to use, cleaning can be more tedious. The basket and tray have grooves and edges that require scrubbing to fully clean. The non-stick coating also means you can't use harsh abrasives.

• The fryer is quite bulky, taking up significant counter space. It measures 12.6 x 11.8 x 11.5 inches. You'll need ample storage space as well when not in use.