Cosori Iconic The Stainless Steel 6.5-Quart Smart Air Fryer Review

Design and features

• Premium build
• PFAS-free ceramic coating
• User-friendly control panel 

The Cosori Iconic Air Fryer arrived in a brown cardboard box, and inside of that, a branded cardboard box with a convenient carry handle. Before even opening the box, it was obvious that this was going to be a different experience. 

Upon opening the box, the air fryer was situated in molded Styrofoam, and also encased in a soft, cloth material – all designed to prevent any nicks, scratches, or other damage during the shipping process.

The box’s contents include the air fryer, crisper plate, quick start guide, user manual, and recipe book. The materials were quite helpful in explaining how the air fryer works and how to maximize usage.

There’s also a removable piece of plastic on top of the air fryer that serves as a cheat sheet for the recommended settings for various cooking functions. While testing the Cosori Iconic, I affixed the plastic to the cabinet above the air fryer, so I could just glance up and view the information. 

The Cosori Iconic Air Fryer is stunning. Made of stainless steel with a shiny finish, it’s at once both futuristic and retro in design. Keep in mind that the shiny stainless steel also shows fingerprints, so you may need to use a microfiber cloth to keep it in pristine condition. 

The air fryer manages to be a durable, high-quality product without being heavy (weighing only 14 pounds). The body is made of stainless steel, with a tempered glass panel. The cooking surface is coated with ceramic and the nonstick surface manages to be free of PFAS and BPA. 

The DC motor heats the air fryer quickly, and there are up to five fan speeds that are automatically engaged, depending on the cooking function. For example, the fan speed is at three when baking, four when reheating, and five when either air frying or roasting. These types of features help to ensure that food is cooked properly regardless of which function is used.

The control panel has 3 rows. The top row includes up and down arrows (on the left side) to increase or decrease the temperature, and up and down arrows to increase or decrease the time (on the right side). The center part of the top row displays the temperature and remaining cooking time, along with the fan speed.

On the middle row are the six cooking features: air fry, roast, bake, dry (dehydrate), proof, and reheat.

The bottom row contains the power button, shake reminder, and start/pause button. In air fry mode, the optional air shake reminder will beep five times when the cooking timer reaches the halfway point. If the food needs to be flipped or shaken, this progress reminder is quite helpful – especially if you’re not paying attention.

Connecting to the VeSync App requires creating an account (guest accounts are not permitted). I’m not a fan of having to download apps on my phone, but it’s a part of my job as a product reviewer, so I actually use a separate phone for this very purpose. However, I will admit that this app’s features are actually quite beneficial.

For example, I can control all of the Cosori Iconic’s functions – except for actually starting the machine for safety reasons – from my phone. 

Also, Cosori has a team of in-house chefs creating recipes, and they’re available via the app.  And since the recipes include recommended times and temperatures, it takes the guesswork out of preparing food.

There are several categories to choose from on the app, such as beef, poultry, pork, lamb, seafood, and vegetables. So, for example, if I choose pork, a subcategory opens up: baby back ribs, bacon, tenderloin, pork chop, bone in, and more. When I make my selection, the app provides a recommended temperature and time, along with cooking tips.

The app is also compatible withAmazon Alexa and Google Assistant. 

Performance

• Shake/flip reminder
• App monitors cooking progress
• Cooks quickly and accurately 

I was pleased to discover that the Cosori Iconic performs as well as it looks. I conducted several standard tests and was impressed with each one.

For my first test, I made some pork chops. I marinaded the meat in barbecue sauce, and preheated the appliance for four minutes. 

I put the pork chops in the air fryer basket, and sprayed them with Pam spray (Cosori recommends lightly spraying food with oil). I air fried the chops at 400 degrees for about 7 minutes, flipped them when alerted, and then air fried for 7 additional minutes. Finally, I let the pork chops rest for a few minutes.

I was aiming for the sweet spot between medium-rare and medium, and my attempt was successful. My preference is a tender pork chop that’s juicy and flavorful, while also cooked to a temperature that’s safe to consume – and I achieved that goal. 

My second test was to bake some Pillsbury Frozen Chocolate Chip Cookies. In lieu of spraying the cookies, I used an air fryer parchment paper liner. Keep in mind that if you use parchment paper, ensure that your food weighs it down. Otherwise, it could touch the heating elements and cause a fire hazard.  

As you can see in the photo, the cookies and the parchment paper slid around when I took them out of the air fryer. However, the cookies were delicious. They were thoroughly done – crunchy on the outside, and gooey on the inside. 

For the third test, I made French toast. I whisked 2 eggs, along with milk and cinnamon. Meanwhile I put the crisper plate in the air fryer and preheated the air fryer at 385 degrees for 4 minutes.  I dipped the bread slices into the mixture and placed them on the crisper plate and sprayed the bread slices lightly with Pam spray. 

I selected air fry, and cooked at 385 degrees for 8 minutes – and the shake reminder alerted me to flip the bread at the halfway point (4 minutes). The French toast was fluffy on the inside and nice and brown on the outside. 

My fourth test was to make some chicken thighs. I knew this would be messy, so I used parchment paper. For this test, I took the crisper plate out and placed the chicken directly on the parchment paper liner in the basket. It was indeed messy, but delicious. The meat was flavorful, tender and juicy. 

The next test was to make meatloaf (purchased from the store in the ready-to-cook section). I knew I didn’t want a meatloaf with a lot of marinade on it, since Cosori warns that liquid-marinade foods tend to splatter and create excess smoke. Note: they don’t advise against using marinade – but they do recommend that you pat foods dry before putting them in the air fryer.

Anyway, I selected a meatloaf with dry spices, as I was confident that it would turn out fine without marinade. 

I followed the app’s instructions and didn’t use a probe because I wanted to test the guidance. Also, I must admit that I didn’t weigh the meat loaf, so I was guessing on the weight. As a result, when I took the meatloaf out of the air fryer and cut the first two slices, it was too pink on the inside, so I put it back in the air fryer for a few extra minutes. It was fine the second time around, although the edges were browned a little more than I would have preferred. 

On another occasion, I tossed some Frozen fish fillets in the Cosori Iconic. Since they were frozen, I didn’t spray any oil on them; and since they’re not messy, I didn’t use a liner. Afterwards, the crisper plate was so clean, I could have just wiped it off – but since this was fish, I washed it with soap and water. The fish fillets were nice and crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. 

My final test was to make some French Fries. Since they were frozen, I didn’t use any oil on them either. The fries came out a beautiful golden brown, and the taste rivaled most popular drive-through restaurants – without all of the salt. 

Should you buy it?