To get a good feel of how well this air fryer could handle a variety of food we decided to cook meat, poultry and vegetables inside.

First up, we used it to cook some plain chicken tenders seasoned with a spray of olive oil.

We also used it to make some homemade chips and a basket full of sausages. To give the ‘Frozen’ setting a spin, we also used the air fryer to cook some frozen roast potatoes.

Finally, we wanted to see how well a cake could rise inside this air fryer basket on the Bake setting, so we followed the recipe for air fryer chocolate cake here.

Included in the box, you get a recipe booklet and very informative instruction manual, which is packed with cooking tips and dos and don’ts of using the air fryer.

Set up was simple, as the air fryer – at 6.2kg (1st) – isn’t too heavy to carry and we were able to load the machine directly onto the worktop easily.

While you do need to ensure there is plenty of room free around the air fryer when it’s on, it fitted nicely under the countertop when not in use. It comes with quite a bit of cardboard in and underneath the basket, so you need to give it a good once over to make sure you’ve taken it all off. 

Like the Philips Essential XL Connected Air Fryer, this device also comes with a smart app that you can use to control the appliance.

Once we’d downloaded the VeSync app, we found it easy to pair to the appliance over wi-fi. All we needed to do was create an account, confirm it by email and we were ready to make use of the controls. 

At first we thought the simple design of this black air fryer was unimaginative, but on closer inspection we think it feels luxurious, durable and stylish.

It sits neatly on the worktop and while there’s no cooking window to view your food, it does manage to neatly hide a large 6.4L (11-pint) cooking basket in its compact, black body. This is large enough to hold up to 6-8 portions and comes with a crisper plate at the bottom of the drawer to drain away fat.

We found the drawer pulled out quite fast, but it didn’t fly out of the air fryer like some designs we’ve tried. 

The air fryer is designed to cook up to 40% faster than a traditional oven and up to 10% faster than most other air fryers, with no pre-heating time needed. This is due to its Dual Blaze 360 ThermoIQ Technology that sees two heating elements – one above the basket and one underneath – adjust the temperature to suit the food.

We also found the digital touchscreen display easy to use – although we did need to get used to how to press the on/off most effectively until we learnt the knack. 

The temperature and timing controls (it can be set for up to an hour) are easily identifiable, and the 12 functions are highlighted nicely and we found them easy to work. 

As air fryer pre-set cooking modes go, we were really impressed at how well realised and convenient the ones on this model are. Unlike some air fryers with very basic settings, this design manages to pack in a ‘Bake’, ‘Reheat’ and ‘Keep Warm’ setting – the latter of which we think comes in particularly useful when you’re not quite ready to serve up your food. 

The smart air fryer also prides itself on the fact that no pre-heating or shaking midway through the cooking cycle is needed. These are both attractive features as they are not only time-saving but mean there’s less involvement needed from you.

This frees up your time so you can get down to the more important stuff like relaxing with a pre-dinner drink while you wait for your meal to cook. What’s rather impressive is that you can do this from afar using the app to keep a check on your food.

While you can’t use the app to actually start your cooking cycle (to comply with safety regulations), you can use it to monitor it from a distance. We found this easy to do and also enjoyed accessing the range of recipes inside the app. Choose from Blackcurrant Irish Drop Scones, Turkey-Stuffed Courgette Boats, Teriyaki Glazed Onigiri and more.

There’s even a ‘Wellness’ tab in the app, where you can keep track of your weight and add in your body measurements, log your food and even track your blood pressure – all useful tools should you be on a mission to eat healthier meals and get in shape. 

To get to know how well the air fryer works, we used it to cook a range of sweet and savoury foods. To start with we cooked eight naked chicken tenders in the air fryer and we used the pre-set ‘Chicken’ setting, which suggested 20 minutes at 200°C (390°F).

We checked on our food after 15 minutes and decided to stop cooking as the chicken was nicely browned and crispy on the outside and tender inside.

Next we decided to cut up some potatoes and make homemade chips. We added a little oil and chose the ‘Fries’ setting, which suggested 20 minutes at 195°C (385°F).

Although there’s no need to shake mid-cycle, we did so as a matter of habit. The results may have looked a little patchy, but the chips were evenly cooked after 15 minutes and had a nice crunch to them too.

The same can be said for the sausages we cooked, which were satisfyingly cooked on the inside and out after 18 minutes at 180°C (355°F) on the ‘Air Fry’ setting.

Our next task was to try the ‘Frozen’ setting on a batch of frozen roast potatoes. It suggested 12 minutes at 200°C (390°F), but after 12 minutes we thought the potatoes could do with a little longer, so we upped it to 20 minutes. The results were even and the potatoes tasted good.

Finally, we decided to make a chocolate cake using the ‘Bake’ setting, which offers a gentler heat at 160°C (320°F) for 20 minutes.

These settings can all be adjusted as you see fit of course, and after the 20 minutes we forked the cake but through it could do with another five minute blast. Again the results were even and the cake rose nicely. 

The simple black finish of this smart air fryer makes its exterior easy to keep clean – and we had hardly any finger smudge marks or smears to contend with after good use.

While the body of the air fryer can get quite hot to touch – particularly when using the higher temperatures – we found that the handle remained cool at all times.

It’s quiet in use too and while making sausages we measured it at an average 65.5dB on our Decibel Meter app.

The basket and crisper plate are made of aluminium with a non-stick coating, which made the interior very easy to clean with warm, soapy water. If you’re using it for an extended time, you may want to go for a deeper clean and refer to our how to clean an air fryer feature to keep it in tip-top condition.

We’re impressed with just how good value the Cosori Dual Blaze 6.4L Smart Air Fryer is. While it’s not the cheapest air fryer we’ve tried, it isn’t the most expensive either and we think it comes with lots of features you’d find on the most premium designs.

If you’re willing to spend that bit more than your average air fryer and are keen to make use of the smart app control and recipe inspiration Cosori offers, we think this is great value for money. 

Great performing air fryers with large baskets can be a dream to use and this Cosori Dual Blaze 6.4L Smart Air Fryer managed to tick a lot of boxes for us.

 If you find the smart control element of this design attractive, you may also want to take a closer look at the Philips Essential XL Connected Air Fryer HD 9280/91.

At 6.2L it has a marginally smaller capacity and currently costs similar at £179.99.

If you’re after a big basket capacity with lots of different functions, the Tefal EasyFry 3in1 Air Fryer could be the one for you.

While it’s a bit pricier than the Cosori, it does come equipped with functions that not only allow you to air fry food, but also to steam and grill it. While it’s quite large in size, it does mean it works well for large families or if you like to batch cook.

While the Cosori Dual Blaze 6.4L Smart Air Fryer is sober in its styling, it does well to disguise an impressively large cooking basket that can keep up to eight people happy.

We think its finish feels premium and its touchscreen display is straightforward and easy to navigate.

We were impressed at how quickly it cooked food – with no preheating needed – and at the flexibility of its 12 convenient pre-set cooking modes, which can be adjusted as you see fit.

While the smart app wasn’t something we thought we needed, we did like having the option of being able to monitor our food from afar, and also browse through the inspirational recipes on the app.