I Tried Cosori's New Air Fryer — and Made Chef-Approved Meals in Minutes

Whenever my schedule gets overbooked, I find that my diet is usually the thing that suffers the most. Achieving a manageable work-life balance is more easily said than done, and in the midst of a hectic season, I'm often left with minimal energy and even less of a desire to cook up full-fledged meals. Going into the new year, my main goal was to improve my day-to-day eating habits without having to spend a ton of extra time in the kitchen. Rather than going the meal-prepping route, I instead decided to invest in a quality air fryer — namely the Cosori TurboBlazer 6.0-Quart Air Fryer ($100, originally $120).

Cosori TurboBlazer 6.0-Quart Air Fryer

From

$100

$120 Now 17% off

$100 at Amazon

Cosori is known for producing some of the best air fryers on the market, and this new model is no different. It has a larger quart size and nine different settings, and (per the retailer's website) it's said to cook meals up to 46 percent faster than other air fryers with 95 percent less oil — consider me sold! Ahead, I break down everything to know about this top-rated air fryer, from its easy-to-use design to my favorite dish to cook in it so far.

There are a few key things to consider before purchasing an air fryer. First, you'll want to take into account what type of meals you hope to cook and how many people you'll be cooking for. Some models are designed with more niche settings that are geared toward certain food items; for example, air fryers with searing capabilities are better for cooking steaks or meats. You'll also want to take the size into account. A single household should be able to make a smaller air fryer work, but larger households with families of four or more would do better with an air fryer that has more quart space (and can therefore hold more food).

I love that this air fryer essentially feels like several different products rolled into one. The kitchenware has nine different cooking settings, including air frying, baking, broiling, dehydrating, defrosting, proofing, reheating, and a "keep warm" option. What this essentially means is that regardless of what I have a taste for, I can whip it up and cook it all within my air fryer with total ease. The product also has five fan speeds, all of which correspond with the air fryer's different cooking functions and help to ensure even cooking results — this is especially useful with trickier dishes like fish or meats. So far, I've cooked a variety of items in my air fryer — from a wild Alaskan salmon that took less than eight minutes to cook to a cheesy pizza dip that I'm already planning on making again for the Super Bowl. And most everything is fully cooked and ready to serve in less than 20 minutes.

The air fryer is also surprisingly quiet, which I appreciate as someone who is often multitasking. During the day when I'm on a work call or in a meeting, I can easily have my air fryer on and prep my lunch in the background without any distraction.

Finally, I appreciate that, for as easy as this air fryer is to use, it's also equally easy to clean. The model has a nonstick basket and serving plate, both of which are removable and dishwasher-safe. When I've finished cooking my meal, I can simply unplug the air fryer, slot the basket or serving plate into my dishwasher, and be on my merry way — no extra cleaning necessary.

Because this model has a larger interior quart space and basket, the entire product is bulkier than a lot of the other air fryers I've tried. As a result, if you're limited on storage space and want something more compact that'll fit easily into cabinets, I recommend opting for something smaller.

If you're someone who (like me) is always looking for ways to simplify your time spent in the kitchen, then I can't recommend this air fryer enough. The product cooks full meals in record time, much faster than if I was using an oven or stovetop. It also uses up to 95 percent less oil than traditional deep-frying methods, so it's a great alternative if you're hoping to eat healthier.

This air fryer is available at Amazon and Cosori ($120).

Rating:

★★★★