So many people have asked me whether they should buy a Ninja, Cosori or Philips air fryer that I decided to put together a full comparison to run you through the pros and cons of all three. If you are tossing up between a Ninja Foodi Dual Zone (whether the Max or the regular size), a Philips 3000 Series or a Cosori Dual Basket, by the end of this article you will know which one is the best.
Table of Contents
Why These Three Brands?
Ninja and Cosori are the best sellers in the UK. Ninja has an almost cult-like following, and Cosori is slightly less well known but holds a strong second place. Philips developed the first air fryer alongside a Dutch engineer called Fred Van Der Weij. I
have reviewed all three of these air fryers separately and consider them to be well designed and well constructed. This comparison puts all three up against each other and gives you a definitive answer about which one I think you should buy.
Capacity
There are two Ninja Foodi air fryers, but in this comparison I will be talking about the Foodi Max, which is the larger of the two and sits closer in capacity to the Philips and the Cosori. The Cosori is 8.5L, the Philips is 9L and the Ninja Foodi Max is 9.5L.
Looking at the Cosori and Ninja drawers side by side, the Cosori drawer is wider and lower than the Ninja’s, even though it has a smaller capacity. I found this actually gives you more usable space, particularly when you consider that you are not supposed to pile food on top of each other in the drawer. More surface area is therefore more useful.
The Philips, on the other hand, is an asymmetrical model, meaning it has one drawer larger than the other. From left to right the drawer sizes are 3L, 4.25L, 4.5L and 6L. People will have differing opinions about the asymmetrical setup, but I really like it. The extra capacity on the larger drawer is more than worth the tradeoff of the smaller capacity on the second drawer.
Warranties, Guarantees and Customer Service
Ninja offers a 2-year guarantee. One year is provided automatically when you purchase, and the second year requires you to register within 28 days of purchase. If you have a problem, you can call or email Ninja and they have software that allows them to view your appliance and the issue remotely via the camera on your mobile. Replacement parts or appliances are usually sent out quickly and efficiently.
Cosori air fryers come with a 2-year warranty, seemingly without having to register the product, but I would always advise that you register just in case. If you have a problem, you need to email customer service with your details and ideally photos of the issue, and you will generally receive a response within 48 hours.
Philips, like Cosori, has a 2-year warranty with no indication that you need to register to receive it. If you need help, you access support by completing a form on their website.
Although all three brands have good after-sales service, Ninja’s investment in people to answer phones and their use of video technology puts them clearly in the lead. Cosori and Philips are joint second in this round.
Functions, Temperature and Time Range
The Ninja Foodi Max has a temperature range between 40 and 240 degrees Celsius and can be programmed to run between 1 minute and 12 hours. Cosori has a slightly lower minimum temperature of 35 degrees Celsius and a lower maximum of 230 degrees Celsius, but it has a bigger time range that can be programmed for between 1 minute and an incredible 48 hours.
The Philips 3000 Series has the smallest temperature and time range, with options between 40 and 200 degrees Celsius and a duration between 1 and 60 minutes.
Energy Consumption
This round is based on a standard test where both drawers are run on air fry, or the equivalent, for 10 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius. Although all three have different capacities and different wattage, working out how much power each uses per half litre of capacity reveals a clear difference. If energy consumption is a factor for you, Philips is the winner, with Cosori second and Ninja third.
Also Read: Ninja Dual Zone Max vs Cosori Dual Basket
Ninja vs Cosori vs Philips Features
Most air fryers have a form of matched cooking, where you can program one drawer and duplicate the settings to the other side. All three models have this function. All three also have synchronized finish, where you can program the drawers for different times but the air fryer starts the longer cook first so that both drawers finish together.
Preheat is a slightly trickier area. Both Philips and Ninja maintain that you do not need to preheat, and tests have more or less proved this. However, people still ask for it, so Cosori earns a point for being the only one of the three to include this option for those who want it. Finally, Ninja is the only one of the three that does not have a shake reminder option.
Cosori wins on features, Philips comes second and Ninja finishes last in this round.
Price
Based on recommended retail prices, there is a £50 difference between the Philips and the Ninja, making Philips the winner on price in this round.
Instructions and Manuals
Philips only provides a digital manual, which you have to access via a QR code linking to their website or app. Ninja provides a printed manual with several recipes and photos. Cosori also includes a printed manual. Ninja wins this round, with Cosori second and Philips third.
Common Complaints and Downsides
This is not a point-scoring section, but it is worth knowing about the downsides of each model.
The only real downside to the Philips is that the bottoms of the drawers are not flat. This is apparently part of the Rapid Air Technology that helps hot air circulate inside the drawers, but if you want to remove the basket and cook liquid dishes in it, this will be awkward.
Cosori has two small irritations. The timer does not pause counting down when you pull the drawer out, and preheat is automatic on certain presets, meaning if you do not want it you have to turn it off every time.
For Ninja, there have been complaints about the silver handles on the drawers peeling off if you put them in the dishwasher too frequently.
Cook Off
I took a batch of new potatoes, halved them, soaked them in water for 10 minutes, added a couple of squirts of oil and then split the batch between all three air fryers. After 10 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius, it was marginal, but Ninja came out as the winner. There was no real difference between Philips and Cosori, so both are ranked joint second.
Overall Winner
Going through all the different sections, I awarded three points to each section winner, two to second place and one to third. After adding it all up, it is a very close race, but Cosori is the overall winner.
That said, all three of these air fryers are well made and come with good customer support. If you strongly prefer one of the other two, you do not need my permission to buy it. If you choose any of the three, you will not be making a mistake.
Comparison Table
| Category | Ninja Foodi Max | Cosori Dual Basket | Philips 3000 Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 9.5L | 8.5L | 9L (Asymmetrical) |
| Usable Space Ranking | 3rd | 2nd | 1st |
| Warranty | 2 Years (Register Year 2) | 2 Years | 2 Years |
| Customer Service | 1st (Phone + Remote View) | 2nd | 2nd |
| Temp Range | 40 to 240°C | 35 to 230°C | 40 to 200°C |
| Time Range | 1 min to 12 hours | 1 min to 48 hours | 1 to 60 minutes |
| Functions Ranking | 2nd | 1st | 3rd |
| Energy Efficiency | 3rd | 2nd | 1st |
| Features (Preheat, Shake Reminder) | 3rd | 1st | 2nd |
| Price | 3rd (Most Expensive) | 2nd | 1st (Cheapest) |
| Manual | 1st (Printed + Recipes) | 2nd (Printed) | 3rd (Digital Only) |
| Cook Off Result | 1st | 2nd (Joint) | 2nd (Joint) |
| Overall Winner | 3rd | 1st | 2nd |
Final Thoughts
If you want to dive deeper into any of these three air fryers, individual review videos with footage of real cooks and a capacity comparison between the Ninja Dual Zone and the Dual Zone Max are worth seeking out. Drop your thoughts in the comments and let me know which air fryer you are leaning towards.
Read More: Philips 3000 Series Air Fryer Review
