Cosori Pro II Air Fryer (5.8-qt) Review
Crispy fries, juicy wings, and a basket big enough for the whole family's dinner.
A 5.8-quart basket that handles a full batch of wings without the awkward shake-and-rotate gymnastics smaller fryers force on you. For most households, this is the air fryer to buy and stop thinking about.
What the Cosori Pro II Actually Is
This is a 5.8-quart basket-style air fryer in the $90 to $130 range, and it has spent years as one of the most-recommended models on Amazon for a reason. It hits the sweet spot on size. Big enough to feed a family of four, small enough that it doesn't eat your entire counter.
The interface is a flat digital touchscreen with preset programs for fries, wings, steak, vegetables, and the rest of the usual suspects. The presets are fine as starting points. Most people end up ignoring them within a week and just dialing in time and temperature manually, which the unit makes easy.
How It Performs Day to Day
Crispiness is the whole point of an air fryer, and this one delivers. Frozen fries come out genuinely crunchy, wings render their fat and crisp up without drying into jerky, and reheated pizza beats the microwave by a wide margin. The square basket holds more in practice than round competitors of the same listed capacity, so you fit more in a single layer.
Heat-up is quick, roughly a couple of minutes, and you usually don't need a separate preheat step. The basket and crisper plate are nonstick and dishwasher-safe, though hand-washing keeps the coating happier over the long haul. It's loud-ish while running, around the level of a microwave, and like every basket fryer it asks you to shake the contents halfway through. No way around that.
The Honest Cons
It's bulky for what it does. A 5.8-quart fryer takes up real estate, and there's no clever folding or stacking to fix that. If your counter is already crowded, measure first.
The nonstick coating is the usual long-term question mark. Treat it gently and avoid metal utensils and it should last. The other nitpick is the presets, which run a little conservative and tend to undershoot for crispiness, so you'll be adding a few minutes on most foods. Minor, but worth knowing going in.
Who Should Buy It (and Who Shouldn't)
Buy it if you're cooking for two to four people and want a reliable, no-drama fryer that handles weeknight dinners, snacks, and leftovers. It's the safe default. The kind of appliance you recommend to a relative without overthinking it.
Skip it if you cook for five or more regularly, in which case a 7-quart model or a dual-basket Ninja makes more sense. Also skip it if you want a true oven replacement with racks and a rotisserie. That's a different category. And if counter space is precious, a toaster-oven-style air fryer might fit your kitchen better even if it crisps slightly less aggressively.
The Verdict
The Cosori Pro II 5.8-qt earns its reputation. It's not flashy and it won't replace your oven, but it nails the core job and asks a fair price for doing so. For the average household, this is the one to get.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Cosori Pro II basket dishwasher-safe?
- Yes. The basket and crisper plate are both nonstick and dishwasher-safe. Hand-washing is gentler on the coating if you want it to last longer.
- Is 5.8 quarts big enough for a family?
- For two to four people, yes. The square basket fits a full batch of fries or wings in one layer. For five or more, step up to a 7-quart or dual-basket model.
- Does it need preheating?
- Not usually. It heats up in a couple of minutes, and for most foods you can skip a dedicated preheat step entirely.
Daniel covers home, kitchen, and everyday-carry gear. He's a stickler for durability and value, and has no patience for overpriced hype.
