If you are new to air fryers and you pick up the COSORI Pro Gen 2, the first thing you will notice when you plug it in is a control panel packed with buttons. It can feel overwhelming enough to make you want to switch it straight off and deal with it later. But do not panic. Once you understand what those buttons actually do, this air fryer becomes a lot more approachable than it first appears.
Table of Contents
Design and Build Quality
The COSORI Pro Gen 2 5.5L is a single drawer air fryer that is surprisingly compact for its capacity, which is great news if worktop space is something you are precious about. It is also available in several colors rather than just the standard black, and there is a smart version available that connects to an app if that appeals to you.
One of the more practical design choices is the square basket rather than the round basket found in many similarly shaped air fryers. This gives it a little extra usable capacity relative to the overall size of the machine. The 5.5L figure in the model name refers to how much the basket can hold when filled completely.
The intake vents sit along the top of the machine, running as a gap around the entire edge of the lid. It is important to keep this area clear during cooking, so resist the temptation to rest anything on top while it is running.
The hot air exits from the back, and a small plastic piece protrudes from the rear specifically to stop you from pushing the machine too close to the wall and blocking that airflow. The heating element is reasonably accessible, which makes it easier to carry out a thorough deep clean every now and then without too much trouble.
The Button Panel Explained
All of those buttons that look so daunting are actually presets, not separate settings. They are designed to save you time rather than complicate things. For example, pressing the steak button will immediately suggest a temperature of 205 degrees Celsius and a cooking duration of six minutes.
From there, you have full control to adjust the time and temperature to match your recipe or personal preference, or you can ignore the presets entirely and set everything manually using the controls in the center of the panel.
The controls also give you options to preheat the COSORI Pro Gen 2 air fryer, keep food warm after cooking, and pause mid-session. If you pull the drawer out at any point during cooking, the timer and heat will pause automatically, which is a genuinely useful safety and convenience feature.
Vegetables and shrimp presets come with a built-in shake reminder. Midway through the cooking cycle, the air fryer beeps five times to remind you to pull out the basket and shake the contents for an even cook.
A Design Flaw Worth Mentioning
The drawer system is made up of two parts: an internal basket that clicks into an outer drawer. Throughout the instruction booklet, there are repeated warnings not to accidentally press the release button on the basket during cooking. COSORI has added a sliding plastic button guard to prevent accidental presses, which suggests this was identified as a problem fairly late in the design process.
The guard wobbles, gets in the way, and feels like it will be the first part of the machine to break. That said, if it does fail, it is not terminal for the overall product. It is a minor frustration rather than a dealbreaker, but it is worth knowing about before you buy.
Real Cooking Results
Cooking a whole roast chicken in an COSORI Pro Gen 2 air fryer is one of the most requested tests, so a 1.4kg bird was used, which was the smallest available. It appeared to fit well in the drawer at first, but within a few minutes of cooking, a burning smell appeared. The chicken was making contact with the heating element. After repositioning it to sit flatter in the basket, the cook continued without issue. The end result was genuinely tasty, moist, and cooked in a good time despite the early hiccup.
A full basket of roast vegetables was cooked alongside the chicken, and this combination became a regular go-to over the two weeks of testing. It is simple, healthy, and an easy way to prepare a side dish without much effort. Brownies were tested using a standard 8-inch cake tin, which fits easily into the basket. Salmon fillets, individual mac and cheese portions, cookies, and pastries were all tried with successful results.
Pizzas
The included recipe book features mini pizzas where you cook the base with olive oil first, then remove it halfway through to add toppings before returning it to finish cooking. The process works, but it is awkward. Getting a floppy, pre-warmed pizza base in and out of the basket without touching the sides or losing toppings is more difficult than it sounds. For pizza, sticking to a conventional oven where you can cook a full-size pizza with less fuss is probably the better choice.
Cleaning
Cleaning the COSORI Pro Gen 2 is straightforward. The baskets are nonstick and dishwasher safe, so everyday maintenance is not a burden. For any grease buildup on the nonstick surface over time, COSORI recommends using a baking soda paste rather than harsh cleaners, which is both gentle on the coating and an inexpensive solution.
- Square basket gives more usable cooking space than round baskets of similar size
- Compact footprint suits kitchens with limited worktop space
- Preset buttons help beginners, while manual control is still available
- Baskets are dishwasher safe for easy cleanup
Specification Table
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Model | COSORI Pro Gen 2 CP158-AF |
| Capacity | 5.5 Litres |
| Basket Shape | Square |
| Preset Functions | Multiple including Steak, Vegetables, Shrimp and more |
| Max Temperature | 205 degrees Celsius |
| Shake Reminder | Yes, on Vegetables and Shrimp presets |
| Preheat Function | Yes |
| Keep Warm Function | Yes |
| Auto Pause | Yes, when drawer is removed |
| Dishwasher Safe | Yes, baskets are dishwasher safe |
| Smart Version Available | Yes, app-compatible model available |
| Color Options | Multiple colors available |
| Recommended Cleaning | Baking soda paste for nonstick surface buildup |
Final Thoughts
The COSORI Pro Gen 2 5.5L air fryer is a capable, well-featured machine that delivers solid cooking results across a wide range of foods. The preset buttons are genuinely useful once you understand they are starting points rather than restrictions. The square basket adds practical capacity, and the compact footprint is a real plus for smaller kitchens. The sliding button guard on the basket release is a noticeable design weakness, and cooking a whole chicken requires some patience with positioning. But for everyday cooking, from roasted vegetables to baked goods to salmon fillets, this air fryer performs well and is easy to live with.
Read More: Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer Review
